The Stained Glass Bridge- Thomas Buechner
We are heading off this morning for a memorial service for the late Tom Buechner, a man of many talents ( including those as an artist, writer, curator, art historian and teacher) who passed away on June 13th. The memorial is being held at the beautiful Christ Episcopal Church in Corning which, with its great stained glass windows, brings to mind one of Tom’s dreams that never reached fruition, unfortunately.
The Chemung River cuts the city of Corning into two halves and there are two active bridges that span the often lazy river. There is also a third bridge, the old Centerway Bridge that sits right next to the newer Centerway Bridge, that was built in the 1970’s, leaving the old bridge to sit idly by acting only as a wide pedestrian bridge between the downtown Market Street district on one side and the Corning Museum of Glass on the other.
Buechner saw this idle bridge and its scenic perch above the river as a waste of an asset. In his creative mind he saw it as something more, as a foundation for a structure rising from it, one that would celebrate Corning’s glass heritage and fame. Stained glass, in particular. He saw the bridge holding a world class museum and facility for the study of stained glass, a natural extension of the present Glass Museum which draws glass scholars from all over the world.
It would sit above the river and have glass panels on each side that would permit the freeflow of light through the panels on display, giving the outside of the building a colorful gleam. At night, it would glow above the river in the glorious colors of so many stained glass windows. It would have been quite a sight to see and would have become, no doubt, a great addition to Corning’s lure as a tourist destination.
But it was a big dream for this small city and never came about. Money, structural concerns, etc. They all conspired to leave the stained glass bridge as a seed in Tom Buechner’s mind. This past year, at his October exhibit at the West End Gallery in Corning, he displayed the painting above which showed his concept for the museum. I remember being excited at seeing this piece because the idle bridge always seemed to be sitting there, waiting to be transformed into something. A phoenix hovering in the ashes.
There’s still hope that someone will recognize the beauty of this dream and let the phoenix rise. But it’s doubtful now that Tom has passed, taking with him his vision and his passion. But at least the idea and the dream still remain.
Imagine a lazy summer evening and, as dusk breaks, the deep colors of many stained glass windows cast their rich light over the river …
Present Day Old Centerway Bridge in Painting from Tom Buechner
Redtree Times 