Opera, illuminated
UNT alumna's creativity adds elegance to Lyric Theatre,
raises scholarship support
Tim King met UNT alumna Christie Wood while searching for a glass sconce to make repairs at Winspear Hall.
Opera patrons who visit the Lyric Theatre in UNT’s Murchison Performing Arts Center have likely noticed the intricate stained-glass sconces around the theatre’s interior. They depict the world’s favorite opera, and they are one-of-a-kind. So is their story.
The Murchison Performing Arts Center opened in 1999 and inside the Lyric Theatre, perforated steel sconces were used to cover the house lights. They had a cold, industrial look about them and did not fit the theatre’s “feel.”
Tim King, facilities manager for the Murchison Center, searched in 2002 for someone who could replace a damaged glass wall sconce. In the yellow pages he came upon Art Glass Ensembles, a stained-glass studio just off the square in downtown Denton. There, King met UNT alumna and stained-glass artist Christie Wood, who graduated in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in Music Education.
Wood was unable to help King with the damaged glass sconce, but the stage was set, so to speak, for a future idea.
As King walked from Winspear Hall – the Murchison’s other performance venue – into the adjacent Lyric Theatre one day, the Winspear’s glass sconces stuck with him. He figured having stained-glass sconces in both venues would provide some continuity. But not just any stained-glass sconces. These would represent what the Lyric is all about – opera.
King sketched a picture of his favorite opera, Carmen. As he sketched, he remembered the stained glass studio he had visited downtown and he remembered Christie Wood.
He sat down with her and shared his idea of depicting great operas in stained glass for display in the Lyric Theatre. She looked at King’s sketch and drew her own view of the opera.
The two then devised a plan: stained-glass sconces could be created to represent the world’s most famous operas. UNT patrons could sponsor a sconce depicting an opera and the money raised could be used specifically for opera scholarships for UNT’s College of Music.
The concept resonated with the college.
“I totally believe in the UNT music department program,” Wood said recently. “I was a scholarship recipient as a UNT music student and I want to give back.”
The initial panel, depicting Carmen, debuted in 2005 at the Opera Gala dean’s dinner. At the Lyric’s entrance, a life-sized poster depicted the stained glass sconce of Carmen with information about the project and sponsor opportunities.
That night, patrons sponsored three more sconces.
“This is an entire opera displayed in one piece of stained glass,” said King. “It’s an original, custom piece and for Christie, it is a labor of love.”
Wood started her stained-glass studio in Philadelphia, before returning to Denton in 2001. Stained-glass work is a hobby-turned-profession for her. Today, she has a full-service studio and provides custom artwork nationwide.
Creating a stained-glass sconce for the UNT project takes Wood as long as five months, depending on her schedule.
Elida Tamez, director of development for the College of Music, has been a champion for this project, King said. She assists in locating patrons for the stained-glass project. For a $500 donation, the supporter selects an opera from a list. Tamez then contacts Wood with the order.
Wood uses old opera posters for inspiration or asks for assistance from John Priddy, director of music and arts at First United Methodist Church in Denton. Sometimes, Priddy helps Wood select the most significant scene in an opera.
Once Wood designs the image, the sponsor gets to approve the draft. Then the work begins in earnest.
“She is able to express in a medium she loves, a theme she loves.” King said. “The sconces of Carmen and Madame Butterfly are both so expressive. You can just look at the sconce and know the story – it’s the little things and intricate details she adds.”
Each piece of glass is intricately cut by hand, edged in copper and pieced together to form the sconce. Each sconce is unique; some include hand painting similar to that found in the stained-glass windows in places of worship.
The sconces are only on display during special events or performances. King usually installs them the day before a performance or event. He takes great care storing and displaying these one-of-a-kind works of art.
“The sconces radiate a warm glow of creativity and artistic excellence at its best,” he said. Sixteen sconces have been sponsored, with room for 24 more. Sponsorships have raised more than $6,000 for opera scholarships.
To sponsor a sconce to benefit UNT opera scholarships or for more information, contact Elida Tamez at (940) 565-2243.
See the UNT Art Glass Ensembles project.
