A Night with Ben Houtkamp's Stained Glass
One colorful night, I followed my curiosity to Ben Houtkamp’s stained glass show at Hopewell Brewery — and left with a heart full of light.
Yesterday, I went to the opening event for Ben Houtkamp’s stained glass exhibition, The Sun, held at Hopewell Brewery in Logan Square!
The other day, while wandering around West Loop, I stumbled across a piece of stained glass displayed at the front of Foxtrot, and it absolutely stopped me in my tracks.
Source: yelp
Ever since I tried my hand at stained glass making during Alex’s recent workshop, I’ve been spotting glasswork around the city with new eyes — but this piece felt especially colorful, playful, and totally magnetic.
Later on, I realized something funny: I had already followed Ben on Instagram (@bens.website) after seeing his work shared by a local gift shop, but I had completely forgotten!
When I saw the event announcement pop up, I connected the dots — the piece I fell in love with at Foxtrot was by Ben!
I couldn't sit still after that. I practically dragged my husband out to the car so we could go.
A vibrant collection of Ben Houtkamp’s playful stained glass works!
Now that I’ve actually experienced making stained glass myself, I can almost feel the delicate process — cutting each tiny piece, carefully placing and connecting them. It gave me a whole new appreciation for the patience and precision packed into every work.
We even got a chance to chat with Ben himself! He was super friendly and open, talking about everything from his creative process, to what got him started with stained glass, to the nerves and little failures along the way.
Ben’s work has even been commissioned by restaurants and bars all around Chicago. Of course, it’s beautiful on Instagram — but seeing it in person? Nothing beats that glow. I’m thinking... maybe I’ll make hunting down his pieces my new hobby!