For more than three decades, Hershey has been home to an artist whose work quite literally brightens the world around her. When Luise Christensen‑Howell moved to town 30 years ago, she quickly fell in love with its small‑town warmth and the comfort of being close to larger cities. What she didn’t yet know was how deeply she herself would become woven into the creative fabric of the community. Luise’s journey into stained glass began far from Pennsylvania, in Utah in 1984, when she signed up for a stained‑glass class on a whim. That single decision sparked a passion that would shape the rest of her life. Though she spent years working in retail management, stained glass became her creative refuge — a hobby that grew into a calling. She honed her skills piece by piece, learning new techniques, experimenting with materials, and slowly building a reputation for craftsmanship and artistry.

     By 1995, her hobby had blossomed into a full‑time endeavor with the opening of her own stained‑glass store. There, she sold supplies, taught classes, and created original works for customers drawn to the color, texture, and emotion of her pieces. In 2001, she transitioned her business into a home studio — an addition built specifically to support her growing creative practice. The shift allowed her to focus more deeply on design and creation, and it opened the door to a new chapter: participating in art shows alongside her daughter, Claudia, a fiber and mixed‑media artist. Together, they’ve become a mother‑daughter creative duo whose talents complement one another beautifully.

     Luise’s work is rooted in traditional Tiffany‑style stained‑glass methods, using hand‑rolled art glass from renowned makers such as Youghiogheny, Wissmach, and Oceanside. These richly colored sheets — created by blending minerals, feldspar, and sand in roaring furnaces — become her palette. Decorative metals, copper foil, and solder complete the transformation from raw material to luminous artwork. Each piece is a balance of precision and imagination, craftsmanship and intuition.

     Among her many accomplishments, one project stands out as especially meaningful: the glass butterfly installation at the Hershey Gardens Welcome Pavilion. Selected for the commission, Luise spent nearly a year bringing the vision to life with Claudia by her side. The result is a vibrant, uplifting display that greets visitors with color and movement — a celebration of nature, artistry, and community. Small replicas of the butterflies are sold in the Gardens’ gift shop, and Luise continues to create them regularly.

     At the heart of her work is a simple but powerful hope: that stained glass brings joy. Whether incorporated into traditional designs or contemporary forms, Luise believes art glass has a unique ability to lift the mood of a space — and the people in it.