When locals talk about stained glass, the conversation inevitably turns to the amazing talents of Dave Wynn of Tarkio. Dave owns Tarkio Glass Company and has been creating masterpieces for years (around 35). His works have been put into churches in Atchison County, Missouri, as well as Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas. If he’s not creating the designs, he’s restoring the windows. He’s restored many stained glass windows in the mansions of St. Joseph, Missouri, and is currently working on eight beveled windows in Clarinda, Iowa.

His most recent work of art is truly breathtaking! It can be seen at the First Christian Church in Rock Port. This latest window design was adapted from an old painting of Jesus and the children. Though this is the third time that Dave has made a window with this particular scene, it is by far the largest.

Using a copper foil method invented by Tiffany, all the pieces were soldered together using no lead at all. The window was so large, in fact, that four sections of the window were created and transported to the church. Once there, the four sections were soldered together on a table and then installed into the window space. It took eight pounds of solder to complete the project. Jim Eagans helped Dave with installation. Much of the glass used to create this particular window is no longer made, as the company who made it – Uroborus – went out of business last year and Dave bought all the glass he could.

The man hours it took to create this stunning piece were tremendous and Dave doesn’t plan on doing a window as big as this one again, as it’s just too large to transport. So it makes it an even more special, one-of-a-kind beauty to be hanging in one of our own local churches.

A few years ago, Dave expanded his Tarkio Glass Company to a new location and began teaching classes to locals who wish to create the much-loved windows. One of his students, Sam Harmon of Rock Port, even became so proficient that Dave has used her help in creating his own projects. Though this is an art which can be seen all around the world, it’s a dying art. But in Atchison County, it is thriving and being reborn as more and more people learn the craft.

For more information about Tarkio Glass Company, visit its Facebook page or email Dave at sdwynn@tarkio.net.