Conrad Schmitt Studios is an architectural arts studio located in New Berlin, Wisconsin. It provides ecclesiastical art, stained glass artistry, art glass, decorative painting, mosaics, murals and sculptural arts. The studio specializes in restoration services for buildings of architectural, historical and religious significance. Founded in 1889 by German-American artist Conrad Schmitt, the company is one of the oldest and largest glass studios in the United States.
History In 1889, Bavarian immigrant and formally trained artist, Conrad Schmitt, organized the Conrad Schmitt Studios with a focus on stained glass, decorative painting, and liturgical artwork. Originally located at 223 2nd Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the studio was among the city's pioneer businesses.William George Bruce and Josiah Seymour Currey, History of Milwaukee, City and County: Volume 2. NY: S.J. Clarke Publishing Co, 1922, p. 810. As one of the few art studios with the capacity to handle large-scale interior design projects, it quickly gained a national reputation and participated in increasingly complex projects across the country.Emma Lila Fundaburk and Thomas G. Davenport. "Art in Public Places in the United States". Bowling Green University Popular Press, 1975, p. 63. Some of the studio's prominent early commissions included St. Mary's Cathedral in Winnipeg, Canada in 1919, The Milwaukee Public Library in 1920, and Milwaukee's Davidson Theater (now closed) in 1925.Bruce & Currey, p. 810. During the 1930s, studio branch offices operated out of New York City and Washington, D.C.
Bernard O. Gruenke, who was hired by company founder Conrad Schmitt in 1936, purchased the company in 1951 from members of the Schmitt family.Peter C. Merril, German-American Artists in Early Milwaukee: A Biographical Dictionary. Madison, WI: Friends of the Max Kade Institute for German American Studies, 2009, p.33. See also Jean M. Farnsworth, Carmen R. Croce & John F Chorpenning, Stained Glass in Catholic Philadelphia. Philadelphia, PA: St Joseph's University Press, 2002, p. 449. In 1981, his son Bernard E. Gruenke assumed leadership of the company. Since 2010, the studio has been owned and operated by a third generation of the Gruenke family: B. Gunar Gruenke and Heidi Gruenke Emery.
Conrad Schmitt Studios is represented at the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows at Navy Pier in Chicago, and a replica of the early studio is featured in the "Streets of Old Milwaukee" display at the Milwaukee Public Museum.
Technological innovations Dalle de Verre In 1950, Bernard O. Gruneke, then art director of Conrad Schmitt Studios, was one of the first American artists to experiment with the dalle de verre technique of producing stained glass (also known as "slab glass" or "faceted glass").Bertha Kitchell Whyte, Craftsmen of Wisconsin. Racine, WI: Western Publishing Company, 1971, pp. 178–185. Gruenke was inspired while traveling in France during the 1940s, and is credited with what may be the first dalle de verre window created in the United States.Erne R. Frueh & Florence Frueh, Chicago Stained Glass. 2nd ed. Chicago: Wild Onion Books, 1998, p. 124. See also Gary Gray & Carrie Crow, The Stained Glass Appraisal Guide. Edmund, OK: Presidential Press, 2007, pp. 212–213. Experiments with epoxy and support structure at Conrad Schmitt Studios led to the first large-scale installations of faceted glass in the country, including a chapel at Notre Dame University's Moreau Seminary in South Bend, Indiana in 1959.John Gilbert Lloyd, Stained Glass in America. Jenkintown, PA: Foundation Books. 1963, p. 90.
Leptat Leptat glass is a signature etched glass patented and produced by Conrad Schmitt Studios. After viewing a Czechoslovak glass exhibit at the 1969 World's Fair in Osaka, Japan, Bernard O. Gruenke began to explore etching techniques at his New Berlin studio. He and his son experimented with new methods that produced results unlike the evenly frosted effect achieved by traditional acid-etching methods. The process, called "Leptat" from the Czech word meaning "to etch", creates a deeply etched and varied crystalline surface. In some instances, gold leaf or colored enamels can be inlaid for further decoration of the glass. Leptat windows can be seen at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.
Current operations
The studio is under the direction of President B. Gunar Gruenke and Vice-President Heidi Gruenke Emery. At the facility in New Berlin, Wisconsin, artisans create, conserve and restore stained glass. The company also provides ecclesiastical art, art glass, decorative painting, interior design, mosaics, murals, and sculptural arts.
Notable artists Bernard O. Gruenke
Publications Schmitt, Conrad. "The Al Secco Method of Mural Painting", Church Property Administration Magazine, 1937. Schmitt, Edward J. "Protecting Church Decorations" Church Property Administration Magazine, 1938.
Notable projects
+ProjectLocation Work done Date completed Independent Presbyterian ChurchBirmingham, AlabamaStained glass windows2001Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament Detroit, MichiganStained glass windows2001Walter LibraryMinneapolis, MinnesotaRestoration2002Palace TheatreAlbany, New YorkDecoration, restoration2003Sacred Heart CathedralRochester, New YorkRestoration2005Cathedral of the Immaculate ConceptionSpringfield, IllinoisRestoration, decoration2009Northrop AuditoriumMinneapolis, MinnesotaRestoration, decoration2011Paramount TheatreCedar Rapids, IowaRestoration2011Cathedral of St. Peter the ApostleJackson, MississippiRestoration2012Holy Hill - St. Theresa ChapelHubertus, WisconsinStained glass windows2012St. Joseph Co-CathedralThibodaux, LouisianaDecoration, stained glass windows2012St. John the Baptist Catholic ChurchGlandorf, OhioRestoration2016University of St. FrancisFort Wayne, IndianaStained glass windows2017Christ Chapel (Hillsdale College)Hillsdale, MichiganStained glass windows2019Church of the AssumptionNashville, TennesseeStained glass windows2020St. Joseph's Catholic ChurchOil City, PennsylvaniaDecoration, restoration2021Cathedral of St. John the BaptistSavannah, GeorgiaDecoration2023St. Mary of the Assumption ChurchFort Worth, TexasDecoration, restoration2024
References
External links