A local craftsman with decades of stained glass expertise shares how his traditional process creates art that’s both practical and stunning

Jamie Jones jokes that when he started cutting glass at 12 years old, the glass cut him more than he cut it. Today, those same hands that struggled with a makeshift carbide steel cutter now create stunning works of art across Kansas City.

Jones’ business, The Leaded Glass Studio, found its start in 1979 when Watson Memorial Methodist Church in Independence Square was being demolished. “They called my dad up at work when they were getting ready to tear down the chapel and said, ‘Hey, if you want any stained glass windows out of here, you better come get it now,’” Jones says. 

That salvaged church window glass turned into what would become a lifelong passion for the family. “Next thing you know, [my parents were] kind of piddling around with stained glass, trying to figure out how to do it themselves.”

Despite flourishing technology, Jones maintains an analog approach to the craft: He still sketches by hand, even after studying computer-aided design in college. “We are so efficient already at doing it by hand that we’d have to stop and try to relearn a whole new system,” he says. “I can just draw it in, you know, 20 minutes, as opposed to trying to figure out how I’m going to make it right on a CAD system.”

When Jan Bentley needed stained art glass for her historic bungalow, she simply sent Jones stained glass art photos that called to her. The result was a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired design that found a home in her dining room, featuring a geometric design and small jewel pieces that Jones added in strategic places to make the art more three-dimensional.

The second project that Jones did in Bentley’s home was an organic floral design in greens that perfectly matched her kitchen. “They are both unique, masterfully handmade and organic,” Bentley says. “They are perfect additions to a craftsman-style bungalow.”

Much of Jones’ residential work centers on beveled glass—a technique using thicker plate glass with polished, angled edges. “It gives a nice sparkle, still lets the majority of the light come in, but it does give you a degree of privacy so you don’t have people living in fish bowls,” he says.

For Melony Bergen, trusting Jones’ expertise with glass selection proved to be the right decision. Her European-inspired bathroom window features cathedral-like arched motifs, red and amber accents and a mix of textured and clear glass that creates privacy while flooding the space with natural light. 

“We love world travel, and so the Italian look is throughout our house,” Bergen says. “[The stained glass window] is not only tied in the bathroom with the rest of the house, but it’s also a focal point.”

Beyond residential work, Jones continues the tradition that started with those salvaged church windows, working with churches across the metro.

“The Catholics have been very good for us,” he says with a smile. “Not in just maintaining existing glass, but also if they are expanding and putting in another parish or a new building or whatever, then we’ve had some very nice jobs.”  

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