STORY BY Alyssa Klimek
PHOTOS BY Tim Pott, Aaron Daugherty, David Haggar

Glasswork artists adorn homes and venues in Kansas City and beyond with breathtaking designs.

STEW LANGER
Stew Langer’s knack for handling glass evolved into opening his own glass design company, UroGlass Design (1611 Genessee St., Ste. 100). As an internationally known glass artist, he meticulously works with glass sheets by molding them in a fiery furnace as he adds custom textures and colors.

Using his expertise in kiln-formed glass products, Langer has put his creative touch on residential kitchen projects including sinks, countertops, bars, backsplashes, windows, cabinets and pantry doors.

Langer’s innovative art spans the world and can be seen locally at Hotel Phillips. For him, glass morphs into more than a pretty fixture. “It’s not just about decorative and functional elements. It’s about the experience and the effect of light on the final product,” Langer says. “We sell the experience.”

KATHY BARNARD
Kathy Barnard grew up in Kansas City with an inherent knack for design. She started her eponymous glass company, Kathy Barnard Studio (1605 Locust St.), in 1980 and specializes in stained, carved glass.

Barnard’s intricate carved glass starts as a sketch and is carefully transferred to glass with hand-etching before getting sand-blasted into the glass. Her work has graced kitchens and venues across the country and can be seen locally at the Midland Theatre. Barnard also lends her expertise to transform cabinets, doors, tables and backsplashes of kitchen spaces.

“I hope that people find something new every time they look at a piece of my art,” Barnard says. “If you can look at a window and feel alive, then I believe I have created art.”

DIERK VAN KEPPEL
Kansas City native Dierk Van Keppel has been interested in art ever since his father introduced him to welding. To keep his passion alive, Van Keppel created Rock Cottage Glassworks (6801 Farley, Merriam), nestled in five acres of dense woods.

Van Keppel combines two techniques, glass blowing and fusing glass, to create custom light and window treatments and has installed his custom chandeliers and light and window treatments in residential kitchen spaces.

His work can be seen locally at Jasper’s and Starlight Theatre. “The first time a client sees a finished piece, I want them to truly enjoy it ... allowing it to enhance each of life’s precious moments,” Van Keppel says.

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