My association with Allyson and Alex Grey began in 2019.  A friend of mine asked me to make a stained glass window using a design he was interested in.  To avoid any legal trouble, I did some research into the design and found it was designed by the visionary artist Alex Grey.  I contacted The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (CoSM) where Alex and Allyson Grey's home base was, to request permission to use it in a window of mine.

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I was warmly greeted over the phone by the shop manager, Jerika, and proposed the idea to her.  She had a wonderful surprise for me - she said days before she had had a vision of some of Alex or Allyson's designs reinterpreted into stained glass, and now I had given her a call about that exact thing.  When she told me, I was in awe!

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Long story short, Jerika decided to set up a meeting with herself, Alex, and Allyson, to show them examples of some of my windows and see what they thought.

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The meeting was a success, and they both were fond of my style and approach to stained glass.  The design I originally wanted to use was owned by another artist, so that part of the concept fell through.  However, they agreed to accept a small window of mine to display in their CoSM shop.  I made a window of a dove and titled it "Hope", and sent it up to them for their shop.

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It found a nice temporary home there, but shortly after receiving it, the world went through COVID and the shop was shut down temporarily.  All artists' work that was on display there was sent back to the artists, including my window.

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Several years passed as I waited for the shop to open again and rekindle my relationship with CoSM.  Finally, in 2022, I was informed the shop was opening again, and that they would accept more of my work to display in their shops.  In the following months I put together a small collection of works to send up there for their shops, and some of them are still there today.

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In addition, Allyson informed me of a potential project they were accepting quotes for.  Her and Alex were in the process of opening another art gallery on the premises of CoSM, called Entheon.  They wanted a stained glass window using one of Allyson's original designs, to be permanently part of the art gallery in one of the window spaces.  She said she would like to discuss the concept with me and accept a quote.

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After discussing the project with her and giving a quote, I played the waiting game.  I was absolutely thrilled at the opportunity to be part of CoSM and the Entheon in such a way.

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Some time passed, and after reaching out to Allyson, I was informed that they decided to go with a different approach - a large piece of etched glass with her design on it, instead of a stained glass window.  Slightly discouraged but understanding, I wondered if there was still a way I could make a window for them using one of Allyson's designs.​​

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Allyson was fond of this idea, and suggested I use a portion of one of her more well-known pieces "New Order" in a mandala formation, and gift it to them.  They agreed they would accept it and display it at CoSM, for everyone who visited to see.  I was honored to be allowed to use one of Allyson's original designs and started the project shortly after our discussion.

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I decided to make the window pretty large, just under 3' x 3', to really showcase the color progression present in Allyson's design.  She titled the design "Perfect", because of the ordered formation of colors throughout it.  We also decided to build a light box into the back of it, so it could be properly displayed inside without natural sunlight.  Hanging wire would also added, so it could safely be hung anywhere on the wall.

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The next two months were spent meticulously finding glass with the right colors and matching opacities.  The design called for 19 different colors, with the theme of one color fading to the next, equally relative to the others, similar to a rainbow.  I went to several glass suppliers and wholesalers to do this and spared no expense in using the best of my abilities to recreate her design as accurately as possible.  My intention was to impress and delight them.

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In November of 2023, the window was finally finished and I drove it up to CoSM for them to receive it personally.  They had scheduled a meeting with me, where I would show them the finished window for the first time.

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When I arrived at CoSm, I could not have been more warmly welcomed by their amazing team of people.  They all said how happy they were to have me there and to receive such an amazing gift of a large stained glass window.

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My meeting with Allyson and Alex Grey was like a dream come true.  I had no idea what to expect when the meeting was scheduled - for all I knew, these were extremely busy people who may have only had a couple minutes of their time to spend with me (which I would have been more than happy to have).

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Not only did they both have more than a couple minutes, but they had completely dedicated a good portion of their evening to me and learning about me, my path as an artist, and all about the window I had brought them as a gift.

 

They both thoroughly delved into their experiences with the many ups and downs they have had as artists, their exploration into therapeutic methods of self-healing using all different types of medicinal substances, meditation, all versions of spiritual healing - the list goes on!  These were probably two of the most down to earth, realest human beings I had ever met.  They gave their time and energy to me in a way I was not expecting or was even ready for.  Admittedly, I felt unworthy in a sense.

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They were both very impressed with the window I made for them, and I told them all about how it was made and all the difficulties I had in making it.  They liked it so much they decided to hang it in a very prominent spot in the main dining hall at CoSM, where it hangs to this day.

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Once the meeting was concluded, after about an hour and a half, Alex separated from us to conduct some businesses elsewhere on the premises.  Allyson stayed with me.  She took me over to their newly finished art gallery, Entheon.

 

I was fortunate enough to have been given a very detailed tour of the place.  She took me around personally to each one of the pieces on display and gave me descriptions of the origins of the designs and creative processes involved in making them.  I tried my best to absorb it all, but it was overwhelming!

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Words cannot describe my gratitude towards Allyson, Alex, and the team of CoSM in making me feel welcome and accepted.

 

It's easy to put others above ourselves, especially if they are world-renowned artists like Allyson and Alex Grey.  What they showed me is that they are just two people talking to another person, with the intention of spreading love, joy, and assistance in the pursuit of my career as an artist.  The value this experience has provided me is unequalled, and they continue to help me by letting me display my art at CoSM and Entheon.​

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