Kate Garza | Stained Glass

thank you @glass.splinters 🎉 thank you @sevencitiesago 🎉 thank you Donna So 🎉 thank you @hot.mess.hollow 🎉 thank you @coffeerubiesglass 🎉 thank you @megredner 🎉 thank you @befreeglass (who I ~think~ sent in the 1,000th crane) 🎉 thank you staff from @congcemetery for spending the day with me at Bird Time today <3 I am famously bad at counting so take this Instagram countdown with a grain of salt but I feel comfortable saying we have made at least 1,000 stained glass cranes with the wish that all trans and gender non conforming folks be loved fully by the communities that surround them. I will work on a new FAQ but know I am still accepting mailed in cranes/hosting Bird Time as long as I am able to maintain my public facing studio. This will give me cushion if cranes ever break or to expand the installation beyond 1,000. Thank you everyone who has participated so far! I can’t wait to show you what we’ve built. The flock will be displayed for the first time publicly at Congressional Cemetery’s Gays & Graves event June 14th 2026 at the chapel.

At the studio in Siena, we worked through the full medieval stained glass process: cutting, painting, firing, leading, and soldering. We painted two identical panels using two different grisaille techniques, one with water and vinegar, and one with oil. Same design, completely different behavior. Some moments were quiet and laser focused, barely breathing, knowing a single brushstroke could change everything. Other times we were delirious after six hours of precision, fueled by many cappuccinos. That’s when @colin.kraczkowsky and I would perform whatever song was stuck in our heads at the moment. It was usually “Perfect Day” by Hoku.

Ten days in Siena changed the way I think about glass, history, and devotion. I took a glass painting masterclass at Vetrate Artistiche Toscane @massimo.bracciali and it was a life changing experience, one I will carry with me for the rest of my career. My Santa Caterina piece made it home safely to Chicago. I chose St. Catherine of Siena because she is woven deeply into the city’s history. I did not grow up religious, and my knowledge of saints was limited at best. At first, her story shocked me. Her extreme devotion, her physical suffering, her intensity. But living alongside her presence in Siena changed my understanding entirely. I saw her everywhere. In the streets, in her home, at San Domenico where her preserved head is displayed, and in the quiet underground spaces of the medieval hospital where she rested after caring for the sick and dying. Context transformed her from an abstract figure into a fully human force. Santa Caterina was formidable. A prolific writer at a time when few women were literate, she fearlessly challenged power. Her letters to the Pope are often credited with influencing his return to Rome after seventy years in Avignon. She died at just 33. I already miss walking Siena’s medieval streets, feeling inspired at every turn, and sharing that time with an incredible group of artists. Learning side by side, comparing notes, and holding our finished pieces up to the same light was as meaningful as the work itself. I keep thinking about the thousands of people across centuries who have stood beneath the same Duomo ceiling stars I echoed in this piece. Imagining Caterina walking past the studio building, just down the street from her home. Now I have a small piece of Siena in my own home.

This timeless piece now lives in Korea! I’ve been teaching stained glass to my amazing mother in law @momdonnaso , and this was our first true collaboration. Made as a gift for my father in law’s cousins who were visiting Chicago from Incheon, where he grew up. Side note: I finally feel like I have conquered copper patina 😭 I’m only like, 50% terrified of it now! #stainedglass #stainedglassartist #copperpatina

Venmo:@sevencitiesago or Paypal link in bio! Last chance to enter our Chicago (Helping) Handshake Raffle to win a stained glass Malört and Old Style by @back_porch_glass and @sevencitiesago We’ve raised $3k for @streetvendorsofchicago so far! That money will directly help Chicago’s community members who are vulnerable and out of work right now due to ICE infiltrating our city. Can we make it to $5k?! Raffle ends October 30th at 11:59pm, and the winner will be randomly selected and announced at 11amCT on October 31st! Immigrants make Chicago great! FUCK ICE! #chicago #chicagoartist #stainedglass #malort #oldstyle #chicagohandshake

Support Chicago’s immigrant community with our Chicago (Helping) Handshake Raffle! Local stained glass artists Kate Garza (@sevencitiesago ) and Serena Sacco (@back_porch_glass ) are teaming up to raise money to protect our city’s beloved street vendors and their families from the horrific threats by Trump and ICE. 100% of all proceeds will be donated to the @streetvendorsofchicago — an organization committed to proividing emergency support, income, and relief for families who are vulnerable during this crisis. $5 = 1 raffle ticket, and there is no limit. (Example: $100 donated = 20 tickets) Winner of the raffle will win a stained glass Chicago Handshake (A bottle of @jeppsonsmalort and an Old Style beer), made with love by local artists Kate Garza and Serena Sacco! Donate via Paypal link in bio, or send money to @sevencitiesago on Venmo. Please be sure to leave your instagram handle and/or email address so we can contact you if you win. Raffle ends October 30th. #chicago #chicagohandshake #malort #oldstyle #stainedglass #chicagostainedglass #chicagoartist #raffle

Love when I have the PERFECT glass for a project. Iridescent never lets me down ✨ This is for my amazing sister in law @gudyxo to match her evil eye tattoo 🪬 #stainedglass #chicagoartist #glassartist #glassart

If you know what this bottle is, you’re probably from the Southeast Side of Chicago. Tomorrow Saturday August 23rd, I’ll be at @nestfest_so_chi selling my entire stained glass Chicago Collection including the beloved neon orange hot sauce. IYKYK. Find me in the Crowbar parking lot starting at 12pm for dozens of brand new handmade pieces that would look amazing in your window. 4001 E 106th St. East Side forever ❤️ #chicago #chicagoartist #eastside #southeastside #southside #chicagoartist #stainedglass #chicagostainedglass #glassart #handmade #localartist #glassartist #hotsauce #malort #hienieshotsauce #nestfest

This stained glass Keith Haring light is one of my favorite things I’ve ever made. 19 years ago Patrick and Nikki were just two of my closest friends. I was there when they developed crushes on each other, went to prom together, and became soulmates. In 2018 I officiated their wedding and declared them husband and wife. Needless to say, I love them a lot. Years ago they began the grueling, unpredictable process of IVF, and in just a few weeks, they’re finally going to become parents. Through it all, Patrick wore the same hoodie to every appointment. It has a drawing by his favorite artist Keith Haring, of a parent holding their child. A symbol of hope. From the moment I saw it, I knew I’d turn it into stained glass for their nursery one day. Today it hangs on my future nephew’s wall, glowing softly as we wait for him to arrive. Made with all the love I’ve carried for my best friends over nearly two decades ❤️ #keithharing #stainedglass #chicagoartist

Got an idea for a custom stained glass piece? Whether it’s something small and personal, or a bold statement for your home or business, I wanna hear about it! Still pinching myself over this dream project with @portilloshotdogs , so I’m officially ✨putting it into the universe✨ that I’d especially love to collaborate with more iconic Chicago brands. Lookin’ at you @chicagobulls @whitesox @unitedcenter 👀 My commission request form is now open. I’ll be checking submissions as time allows and reaching out when a project is the right fit! Link in bio or email me at [email protected] #stainedglass #stainedglassartist #chicago #chicagoartist #chicagostainedglass #customart #commission #handmade #portillos #beefmonth

It would go hard in the Vatican, just saying 👀 @portilloshotdogs #ItalianBeef #BeefMonth #ItalianBeefIsEverywhere #Portillos #StainedGlass #ChicagoArtist

This month, we celebrate a true icon: the Italian Beef Sandwich. As a stained glass artist from Chicago, partnering with @portilloshotdogs to create a panel for #ItalianBeefMonth was more than a collaboration, it was a tribute to home. From sketch to solder lines, this is what 100+ hours of Tiffany-style stained glass looks like. Sandwiches don’t get more handcrafted and made with love than this. ❤️ #Portillos #ItalianBeefisEverywhere #BeefMonth #ChicagoArtist #Sponsored