UWTSD Swansea College of Art permanent exhibition launched at Swansea Minster

A collection of stained glass panels from the archive of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s (UWTSD) Swansea College of Art has been permanently installed at Swansea Minster, in a new partnership celebrating the city’s rich artistic and ecclesiastical heritage.

Swansea Minster, formally known as the Collegiate Church of St Mary with Holy Trinity, now hosts 10 free-standing lightboxes – based on lightboxes made in Swansea College of Art’s glass department for UWTSD’s 2022 bicentenary exhibition – to display the stained glass panels.

The exhibition presents a carefully curated selection of panels created by students, staff and visiting artists since the 1950s. The works reflect a broad range of artistic styles and techniques spanning decades of creative practice, united by a shared and enduring commitment to excellence in craftsmanship. Plans are already in place to exhibit current students’ work in due course, with the aim of creating a dynamic and evolving display that connects past, present, and future generations of glass artists.

In addition, the church already houses examples of work by former students and staff in windows it commissioned in the 1980s and 1990s.

Stained glass has been taught at Swansea College of Art since the 1930s, with innovative teaching promoting the combination of traditional techniques with new ways of making artworks in glass for modern architectural settings.

Glass tutor Owen Luetchford said: “Swansea Minster provides the ideal architectural space to display work from our archive. It is home to some spectacular stained glass by many prominent British artists of the twentieth century, including several schemes by staff and alumni from Swansea College of Art.

“It’s been a pleasure collaborating with the team at Swansea Minster to realise this permanent exhibition and share our collection of stained glass with the wider community.”

Artist and historian Martin Crampin has been photographing and cataloguing the internationally important collection alongside stained glass artist Christian Ryan of Swansea College of Art, preserving its legacy and broadening access to it. Hundreds of the stained glass panels can be viewed online here.

Swansea College of Art remains a globally recognised centre for glass education, ensuring that stained glass continues to evolve and speak powerfully in the 21st century.

Swansea Minster is at 11A St Mary’s Square, Swansea, SA1 3LP, Wales.