Sarah Hall

In 2017, the glass studio under Koen Vanderstukken at Sheridan College founded the Sarah Hall Glass Library. A collection of over 300 glass samples were donated to the Honours Bachelor of Craft and Design (Glass) program. This resource is available to the students of glass blowing at Sheridan College and to the public by appointment.

In 2004, Hall received a Chalmers Arts Fellowship from the Ontario Arts Council to research and include photovoltaic technology in her art glass installations. This initiated a collaboration with Glasmalerei Peters GmbH in Paderborn, Germany. The first demonstration of PV technology was the "Northern Light" project co-ordinated by Concordia University at the Solar Decathlon in Washington, DC in 2005. In 2008, Hall and architect Clive Grout received an award from the American Institute of Architects for "Lux Nova", their photovoltaic art glass installation at Regent College, UBC. Canadian violinist Oliver Schroer composed music for "Lux Nova" and several concerts of his music were held at the studio. Mentorship for her work in solar power has come from physicist Ursula Franklin. A project called the "Wisdom Windows" honouring Rose Wolfe and the women of Massey College was commissioned by Master of the College John Fraser as a result of this mentorship. In 2008, Hall created BIPV for Grass Valley School in Camus, WA. This was followed by "Leaves of Light", Life Sciences Building at York University and "Waterglass" solar art facades at Harbourfront Centre. Hall’s most extensive solar project has been the monumental south windows entitled "Lux Gloria" at The Cathedral of the Holy Family in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, one of the sunniest city in Canada with over 2268 hours of sunlight per year. Although the focus was on solar integration in this period many projects were created in other techniques including glass mosaic, appliqué, screen-printing and fused glass.

In 2004, Hall was awarded a Chalmers Arts Fellowship (Ontario Arts Council): to research and integrate photovoltaic technology (solar energy collection cells) into her art glass installations. This unique fusion is the first of its kind in North America, and first premiered at the Solar Decathlon in Washington, DC.

In 1990, having a large number of commissions forced another move to an exceptional space in the old General Electric warehouse at 1440 Dupont Street. Painted entirely white, this 3000 square foot studio had 30 foot high ceilings, massive skylights and windows. Several craftsmen assisted Hall in her work including John Wilcox, Rosiland Sokolosky, Hap Straker and William Lindsay. Glass techniques were expanded considerably in this time to include large murals based on gold leaf techniques (Scotia Plaza), reverse painted glass, sandblasting and glass etching with hydrofluoric acid. Towards the end of this period, Hall worked with craftsmen at Sattler Stained Glass Studio in Nova Scotia to facilitate larger projects. Her contribution to the built environment was honoured in 1997 by the Ontario Association of Architects "Allied Arts Award." She was elected in 2002 into membership of the Royal Canadian Academy of Art. Sarah Hall is listed annually in Canadian Who’s Who. Projects created in this period are included in the list below.

In 1982, Hall married Jeffrey John Kraegel, a builder of musical instruments and piano technician for The Toronto Symphony Orchestra at Roy Thomson Hall. They have two sons, Jordan Benjamin Hall Kraegel and Jonathan Ezra Hall Kraegel. Both sons have shown strong ability in craftsmanship and design - Jordan in wood and Jonathan in metal. Hall's brother Brad Hall is an accomplished sculptor and blacksmith living in Nova Scotia.

In 1980, Hall established her own stained glass studio in Toronto. For the first four years, the studio was located in an old storefront at 94 Tecumseth Street. Hall then moved to 30 Portland Street with fellow glass artists Robert Jekyll, Steven Brathwaite, Karl Schantz, Andrew Kuntz and photographers Robert Burley and Andre Beneteau sharing the large 4th floor warehouse. An early supporter of Hall's work in glass was June Callwood who commissioned her work for Jessie’s Centre designed by architect Jack Diamond. Numerous projects were accomplished in this studio (1984 -1990) created in the traditional stained glass technique with glass painting and silver stain. In these projects, Hall did the design work and all of the technical work on the glass herself.

In 1974, Hall enrolled in the Creative Arts Department at Sheridan College where stained glass was offered as one of the classes. In a decision to study stained glass full-time she enrolled in the Architectural Glass Department at Swansea College of Art, Wales, UK. Following her Diploma in Architectural Glass from The City & Guilds of London Institute, Hall assisted Lawrence Lee ARCA, Master of the Glass Department at the Royal College of Art in London. Hall's studies were completed with a year in Jerusalem researching Middle Eastern techniques in glass. One of the techniques she learned in Jerusalem was gold leafing on glass.

Born in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1951, Sarah Hall was the eldest of three children of Clifton Leonard Howard Hall and Laura Eveline (Walsh) Hall. In the first year of life she moved with her parents to Dundas, Ontario where they built a house on the ravine overlooking Warren Park. Hall was inspired by the natural surroundings of her childhood home in Dundas. The Niagara Escarpment which encircles the Dundas Valley including Webster's Falls and Tews Falls were important influences in the development of her work. Her father was Chairman of the Building Committee for St. Marks United Church in Dundas. During the design phase of St. Marks, when Hall was 9 years of age, she accompanied her father and his committee to many churches. It was in this time she made the decision to make stained glass windows her life’s work. As no classes in stained glass were offered in Canada during the 1960s and early 1970s, Hall lived and worked in Alberta photographing ghost towns for the Provincial Archives of Alberta supported by an OFY federal grant.