People

May 2005  

Breathing New Life into Stained Glass

Most people think of stained glass only as a style of art found in old cathedrals. But stained glass artist Peter Youngers’ work is anything but medieval. Youngers, who taught art for 36 years at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colorado, is renowned in the art world for his modern, free-flowing, abstract style of stained glass paneling.

“When you sit down to design a stained glass piece, you have no more creative limitations than an artist sitting in front of a canvas,” says Youngers. “I actually developed my abstract style as a watercolor painter.”

So how did he get from watercolors to the elaborate medium of stained glass? “It happened sort of by accident,” says Youngers. He was remodeling his home some 35 years ago when a friend suggested using a stained glass panel in one room. Youngers designed it himself and has been “in love with stained glass ever since.”

For decades he has been asked to design panels for countless public buildings, churches, hospitals, and private residences—as well as to lecture and teach courses on the art of stained glass.

After an artistic career filled with accolades and creative satisfaction, Youngers received the ultimate tribute from Northeastern last year when the college named its art gallery in his honor, and placed a bust of him at the entrance. Says Youngers, “It can’t get much more special than that!”

—Matt Simon

Striking the Right Chord

Maine member Donald Gay spent 35 years teaching high school instrumental and choral arts, so that made his retirement in 1972 a bittersweet proposition. But Gay quickly found a way to continue hitting the right note—as a piano tuner.

After enrolling in a correspondence course in piano tuning, Gay soon found himself operating a thriving business as a tuner—meeting musicians and making new friends while on his professional rounds.

“It’s no surprise that piano tuning appealed to me as a second career,” says Gay. “You don’t have to be a musician to go into the business, but I think my years as a band and choral director helped me, because—even when you have electronic equipment available to you—90 percent of piano tuning is done by ear.”

At first, Gay thought of the new job as just fun, but as his customer list grew, he found himself earning up to $20,000 a year in retirement. “Eventually, I moved to a senior residence, but I didn’t give up my work,” says Gay. “I kept some clients, began tuning the piano at the senior residence, and even started a choir.”

Now 91, Gay lives with his daughter and recently sold his business. “But I still play keyboards, and I can still tune a piano,” he promises. “I stay as active as I can, which is the secret to a long life.”

—M.S.