HOMES
& GARDENS
Stained Glass
tradition lives on
Article and Photos by Rindy O’Brien
J
ust a couple of miles from the Capitol sits a nationally known stained-glass studio with strong links to Capitol Hill. Adams Morgan Stained Glass studio has restored windows for Catholic University’s original chapel and windows designed by Calvert Faux and Frederick Law Olmstead in the President’s residence at Gallaudet University. The studio is located near Catholic University and is recognized for its excellent conservation work as well as its design work. Daniel Goldon Wolkoff opened the studio in 1989. To enter the studio from the back of the dark brown residential home is to step back into time. It is a place where a master of his craft is passing his knowledge to younger apprentices the old fashioned way. In this space there is admiration for the past and appreciation for taking time to learn the correct techniques. Everything is approached with reverence and respect for the work at hand. No short cuts allowed. And a sense of gratitude for wisdom shared and interest shown flows in both directions.
Not all stained glass is old. Daniel Wolkoff loves to create new glass pieces in the form of collage inspired by the post war German school of stained glass. Photos: Adams Morgan-Stained Glass Studio
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Daniel Wolkoff and Hannah Bernhardt at the Adams Morgan Stained Glass Studio, Hannah began her apprenticeship in 2020, and appreciates the patience and skills that Daniel is imparting to her in this very old art form. Photo: Rindy O’Brien
The art and craft of stained glass is often described as a “dying art.” This concern is shared by Daniel, but with the arrival of his latest apprentice, Hannah Bernhardt, he is feeling more optimistic. Starting back in 1975, at the age of 24, Daniel learned traditional stained glass technique as a student of America’s foremost stained glass restorer, Jack Cushen. His devotion to those traditional techniques has endured throughout his career. “I was privileged to learn from some of the best conservators,” Daniel says. “I am so excited to be in a position to return the effort to students interested in learning.” Fast forward to 2020 and the beginning of the COVID pandemic. David Bernhardt, a local contractor and well-known carpenter, stopped by the studio to check in on his old friend
Daniel. Hannah, David’s daughter, came along for the visit. The Bernhardt family is known for its Northeast DC community project, Dwell DC, which was a popular community space for local artists. When she stopped at Adams Morgan Stained Glass, Capitol Hill native Hannah was 24 years old, the same age at which Daniel began his remarkable career. That casual visit was the beginning of Hannah finding her life’s journey. “Something clicked for me that day,” she says. “I was between things and listening to Daniel talk about his work with such passion and devotion, I realized this was what I wanted to learn.” Hannah had graduated from Hunter College with a degree in Women’s Studies, and cer-tainly had never thought of herself as an artist. “I still am not sure I would call myself an artist, but I am really gaining confidence in my stained-glass skills and find the work so rewarding”
