Owner
Alan Toy has been involved in glass since 1970. After starting with traditional stained, leaded and etched glass he used his engineering background to develop a deep technical understanding of what happens to glass when it is heated and cooled and has become a leading instructor in this area.
As the owner of the Stained Glass Connection, Alan teaches day and evening classes in all aspects of cold and warm glass. He also hosts guest teachers in classes on traditional mosaics and hot glass. Alan works with his customers to source the perfect glass for their projects and uses his art background to help them create just the right design
An accomplished artist, Alan recently was awarded a third place medal in the US Veteran Administration’s annual national art competition. Because of the volume of work involved, Alan collaborates on many projects with his life partner Susan Corbett, with Alan specializing in the design and Susan in the construction.
Alan believes strongly in helping the communities where he has lived. He is currently the artist-in-residence at 5 schools in Sarasota.
Artistic Director
In June 2006 Csaba Osvath was awarded a Doctorate of Art and Theology degree from Wesley Theological Seminary (WTS), in Washington, D.C. where he also attained a Master of Theological Studies degree. While a student in Hungary, Csaba received ordination and theological training - the equivalent of a Master of Divinity degree.
For ten years, he implemented various forms of art into the community and touched lives through his artistic interpretation -- in Hungary, Wales, and America. He has presented over 46 lectures and workshops on art and theology; taught, designed, and participated in solo and group art exhibitions nationwide. Osvath served the Hungarian Reformed Church in Washington, D.C., and he continues to serve in Sarasota, Florida. He also served as artist-in-residence at Arlington (Virginia) United Methodist Church and has dedicated his life to the prophetic voice through the visual arts, specializing in oil painting, pen and ink, mixed media, artistic performance, and sculpting.
Osvath has been represented by galleries nationwide. He has current exhibits in Martha's Vineyard, Hungary and Sarasota’s Bliss Gallery. He will open a two year show of fifty oil paintings at the Amsterdam-Whitney Gallery in Manhattan, NY on August 20th. His works appear in private collections, corporate offices, and current exhibitions. Osvath’s paintings are being shown in the world exhibition in Budapest, Hungary at the Buda Castle gallery to commemorate the Anniversary of the 1956 Revolution.
As our Art Director, Csaba is responsible for our overall artistic direction. He also is a key part of our design team working directly with customers. He interprets customer’s needs and helps actualize them in both design and color (with his assistance in glass choice). Csaba also teaches beginning, intermediate and advanced design classes and is available for private consultation for custom work. His innovative and creative ideas have been very well received by our customers.
Born in Canada, Terry has lived all over the world and brings her worldview into her art. An accomplished oil, charcoal and pastel artist, Terry has more recently moved into the world of glass. Her design capabilities are extraordinary as is her ability to choose colors and how best to blend them in a piece. We are selling her fused works at our store and on the internet. We welcome Terry to our staff.