molly brodzeller 

monday april 28th 2025 2:00pm

📍ravenswood, il

creative directed by maia feruzi

shot on: canon eos rebel t3i 18-24mm, 70-300mm

introduction

“My name is Molly (they/them) and I do stained glass- I've been working with glass for about 5 years now! I grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana and was lucky enough to have exposure to stained glass in my high school "Advanced 3D Art" class. I'm a 25 year old, white, queer/trans artist living in Chicago- rounding out my third year here this summer.”

Molly works out of a studio in their house, allowing them to approach each project from the comfort and convenience of their living room. They are the owner of a sweet tabby named Bananas that can often be found sunbathing in the hammock right next to their studio, a perfect sunkissed mascot.

What goes through your mind before, during, and after you create something?

I work both with ideas from my mind and from the minds of customers. Taking commissions creates a unique experience for me as a glass artist, as the job goes from just creating something beautiful- to creating something beautiful that matches the picture in the customer's head. Before creating any piece, my mind is full of what the pattern may look like, what colors will be involved, and any difficulties that may arise with the project. During the process, I'm really in my own little world, picking out colors that work well together- keeping in mind how tones of the glass shift with varying amounts of light coming through. I'm making sure the piece is structurally sound, portrays what we want, and if any details need to be added via paint, wire, or etching! After a piece is finished, the excitement of showing others takes over. With commissions, I get to see the excitement from the customer of how their vision came to life- what a gift! If it's a piece created for markets/backstock, I'll find a nice spot for it to live in my home until it finds its forever home. 

What three words would you use to describe yourself as an artist and why?

Three words I'd use to describe me as an artist are: whimsy, personal, and colorful. Colorful feels basic to use to describe a stained glass artist, but I truly enjoy playing with how the colors play together to create the bigger picture. I love to create work that resonates with people's individuality- whether that's done blatantly through a custom, or they find themselves in my other work. And I hope to always seem whimsical through my art- creating art for a living feels inherently whimsical (or at least in how it applies to me and my life). 

What does it mean to choose artistry not consumption in a society that pushes capitalizing on the latter?

It's really special to be able to pick artistry as my life path right now; it's an honor I don't take lightly. To be able to create beautiful works from sheets of glass, both old and new, feels so sweet. Especially when I'm creating something specifically curated for a customer's order, I'm able to give us all a moment to admire art and foster community with one another. 

Why were you drawn to glass?

Apparently, when I was in third grade, I was part of a program with all other 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students at my elementary school. We had an experienced stained glass artist from the area come and teach us/facilitate the building of a big stained glass window. Although I don't really remember being involved at all, I like to think that's what started my glass journey. Once in high school and exposed to it once more, I was immediately drawn to the way the glass made me feel- specifically, how it felt different than the dried up clay caking my hands and drying me out. When told by my teacher that I could focus solely on making glass rather than going back to making pottery, I knew I would come back to it again someday. 

Do you have any advice for other aspiring artists or to your future self?

When asked broadly for advice to other artists, I'm not sure where to focus. I think my first thing would be to believe in yourself (cornyyy) and take a chance on yourself. I had assumed the stained glass era would return once I matched the typical demographic of old ladies. I believed in myself and had a beautiful community of supporters who helped me get going. With all of that being said- advice to other artists would be to not be afraid of reaching out for help. Shoot me an email at glass.brodz@gmail.com if you'd like to chat more with me about the glass world, the unexpecteds of being an artist, or just to say hi. 

Thank you for taking the time to learn about this artists story. If you’re in, near, or just passing through chicago, think about shopping local and supporting a soul more focused on creation than consumption.