"New church window designed By a Door county artist" from the January 28, 1969 Door County Advocate
By FRANCES BADTKE
COUNTY ARTIST Andy Redmann is shown with the window at St.Peter's Lutheran church in Forestville which he designed. Instead of the usual glass, the church window is made of an acrylic material (translucent plastic) and is believed to be the first of its kind attempted.
—Harmann
New church window designed
By a Door county artist
By FRANCES BADTKE
Sunday's bright sunshine glowed through the new church window at St. Peter's Lutheran church in Forestville, each beam turning the many parts of the creation into glowing jewels.
As each sunbeam penetrated the acrylic panels. it gleamed on the textured surface, each separate section reflecting its colors like the splendor of a many-faceted gem.
Artist-creator of the basic contemporary design is Andy Redmann of Fish Creek. According to its designer, the window was a "happy challenge" and is believed to be the first window created for a church of the 5/8 inch thick acrylic plexiglass material, new to the use to which it has been put.
The window itself was manufactured by Creative Builders, Inc. of Urbana, Ill., according to the design and pattern worked out by Redmann.
Like other offerings of the church, the window has a message of its own, the artist trying to bring out what he considers the most essential message today — Peace, and Jesus Christ as symbolic of this hoped-for Peace.
Six feet wide and 13 feet high, it features in its contemporary design the head of Christ, a dove depicting both Peace and the Holy Spirit. The window has been so designed and placed in the front wall of the newly-dedicated addition to the church that parishioners leaving worship services down the center aisle will find that the head of Christ is looking right at them.
Large letters at the bottom further proclaim the theme "Mankind, Thy Brother."
While everyone looking at the newest work of art (now an integral part of the building itself) will have his or her own interpretation, artist Redmann has used the theme and symbols of peace.
The large circular orb is the world, with the branch referring to that part of Scripture where Christ likened Himself to the vine and each Christian as branches thereof.
As the artist gave his personal interpretation of the design — "We are all brothers, we are not limited to any one category or race, and as soon as you try to accept everyone and realize they are your brother, the better it will be for everyone."
The artist-philosopher continued, "The number one problem is war and its useless destruction . . . our goal must be peace among all the peoples of the earth."
The plastic-type material is stronger than the stained glass ordinarily used in church windows and one workman advanced the theory that he thought it could have been thrown off the truck onto the ground and never damage it a bit. However, it was not put to this drastic test.
Another workman helping last week with the installation of the window into the opening left for it, commented that he thought the purchase price was altogether too much money for one window, and said, "No window is worth that kind of money."
As it was fastened in its niche, the workmen and Pastor Gade stepped back to get the total effect. At that moment a bright sun broke through the gray clouds which had been hovering all day and the narthex of the church was filled with soft, glowing colors — the design gleaming in the late afternoon sunshine.
Said the workman with awe, "It's worth every penny it cost.''
Over the noon hour Sunday as parishioners waited upstairs for their turn to enter the dining room in the basement for the dinner prepared by women of the church, one young husband stood upstairs in the entrance to the church proper and pointed out the various parts of the window and described their symbolism to his wife who bounced an infant on her shoulder.
He described the dove and what it meant and exclaimed over the head of Christ portrayed in a contemporary manner, so unusual in a small rural area church. He ended with, "Isn't it beautiful?"
His wife looked at the window, still bouncing the child to keep it quiet and replied, "Yes, it is beautiful, but I still can't see the head of Christ in it."
It would have been most gratifying to the artist if he had remained at church following the dedication service to hear for himself the many remarks made by visitors and congregation alike.
The children looked up and said quietly, "Gee, it's pretty," and their mothers agreed, that it indeed was a beautiful design and the colors were lovely.
It was a perfect day for the public unveiling of the window, the sun glowed after a week of gloomy weather and it was as if somewhere a Hand had turned on the sun just for this occasion.
Courtesy of the Door County Library Newspaper Archive