Local artist recognized by Concordia University

Stained glass work by Larry Gardner has been recognized in an online publication put out by Concordia University out of Montreal. The image is a collection of works and was supplied to the River Town Times by Gardner and his wife Bille.

An Amherstburg artist has been recognized in an online publication put out by a Montreal-based university.

Concordia University has recognized the work of Larry Gardner, a long-time stained glass artist from Amherstburg. The online publication by the Jarislowsky Institute for Studies in Canadian Art has included Gardner and he is featured in the third volume of the three-volume online publication, on Page 101.

Gardner said his inclusion is in “Craft & Craftivism: A Biographical Dictionary of Contemporary Ceramic, Fibre and Glass Artists in Canada.” The research went into profiling and cataloging Canadian artists in ceramics, fibres and glass.

It was an honour Gardner didn’t see coming.

“I was amazed,” Gardner. “When I got the word of the recognition, I said ‘oh my goodness. I can’t believe it.’ I was this little artist in little Amherstburg at the bottom of Canada.”

Gardner has done a lot of work in Amherstburg, Essex County, Windsor and even into Michigan, but was humble about his accomplishments.

His outlook on his work increased over the years when he would attend Art by the River. He believed he could measure up and kept working at it. It was largely a second career, after working at Ford then with a vacuum company.

When he put up displays at the former Fort Malden Mall, where the Walmart plaza stands today, he would get noticed both there and when he went to Art by the River. Early in his artistic career, he said Mount Beulah Church ordered ten windows in his first week.

Gardner has created windows for other churches, homes and businesses, with the aid of Meloche Windows who helped with thermal sealing the windows.

“I’ve been fortunate enough my work has been good enough for people to want it,” he said.

Noting he has enjoyed art most of his life, Gardner took a stained glass course with his wife Bille and was hooked. With the help of Bille, stained glass creations have been made for years and when he tried to retire in 2019, the public had other ideas. An ad was placed in the River Town Times announcing his retirement but the public responded with stained glass orders before it was too late.

“That was the best ad I could have ever put in,” he said with a laugh.

The phone isn’t ringing as much now as Gardner is cutting back and, as of Dec. 31, 2025, his company has officially ended. He still does get calls and is grateful for everyone who has been interested in his work.

“I appreciate everyone who has trusted me to do work for them,” he said, adding the RTT and the Gibson Gallery who also have been good to him over the years. “It’s been very good. My wife and I have had a lot of fun doing it. So many things fell into place, which was good.”

To read the Concordia University piece, visit https://www.concordia.ca/research/jarislowsky/publications.html

Local artist recognized by Concordia University

By Ron Giofu