The Michigan Stained Glass Census was born.

In the 20 years since its creation, the Michigan Stained Glass Census, or MSGC, has grown to include about 1,150 officially registered buildings with 50,000 stained glass windows.

The MSGC is a project sponsored by the MSU Museum and compiles information and photographs for stained glass artwork around the state. MacDowell, the MSGC’s founder and director, said there is no limit to the type of stained glass that is included in the census, which features windows dating as far back as the 1860s or as recent as 2009.

The MSGC launched a new website this summer — michiganstainedglass.org — a project that was three years in the works, with a new search option allowing the public to seek specific stained glass windows from around the state.

“Having a website that people can tap into makes a difference,” MacDowell said. “We’re reaching a lot of people that we would have had to write (a letter to) before the website began.”
MSU Museum communications director Lora Helou said the website’s accessibility makes it more convenient for the public to search out stained glass pieces they might be interested in seeing.

“These windows tell us a story,” Helou said. “Whether it’s a story from the Bible or about the artist, they have meaning in the census.”

Graduate student Shaheen Kanthawala said she has visited the MSU Museum several times and thought archiving stained glass was a unique idea.

“Stained glass is really pretty,” she said. “I wouldn’t have thought about stained glass like this before.”

Helou said it is a common perception that stained glass is found only in churches, but it also is commonplace in libraries, government buildings and even in some private residences.

“It’s very prevalent,” she said. “You see it lots of different place, and I think that in addition to enjoying it, we can also learn from it at a deeper level.”

MacDowell said the census aims to publicize stained glass as an art form in Michigan, and she hopes the new website will encourage people to search for more stained glass.

“We’re trying to foster a greater appreciation for this stained glass, which is part of cultural heritage in Michigan,” MacDowell said. “We need to be just as cognizant of the wonderful glass that we have.”