CHRISTIAN ERA MARTYRS, Holy Martyrs Church, Oreland, Pa (Twelve windows each 8'h x 11'w)

Holy Martyrs Church occupies the first floor of their school building. Whereas other studios attempted to fashion the windows into a traditional format, we saw the expansive three-bay schoolhouse windows as an opportunity for a unique design concept. We envisioned a classical frieze as the compositional format for a chronology of Christian martyrdom, borrowing the subject matter theme quite naturally from the name of the church. On the morning bright east/altar side of the church, dense brilliant colors, figurative gesture, costume and name/date inscriptions identify the individual saints as they parle casually through the Christian Era. While these figural groupings indeed visualize these saints in a contemporary flavor, the overall design concept, with its distinct religious and historical narratives, harkens back to an age when stained glass traditionally taught the story of Christianity to the faithful.

Beyer Studio assumed a proactive role in the effort to raise funds for these large window spaces. The design itself was easily divisible by the three bay format and it structured the plan for giving by offering donors a variety of options, including memorial and community inscription windows for modest donations.