In early 2019, Nzilani Glass Conservation was contacted by Resurrection Church at 17th and Franklin in Oakland. Their 118-year-old, inverted stained-glass dome was in critical condition. Time and previous improper repairs had made the ten-foot diameter structure unsafe, requiring immediate conservation to save it. We invite you to join us for a presentation by Ariana Makau, founder of Nzilani, to learn how she and her team saved this precious Oakland resource and won a 2020 Preservation Design Award. We will also learn about Nzilani as a business and some principles of stained glass conservation.

Nzilani Glass Conservation was established in 2003 by Ariana Makau, (a Kenyan-American who both lives and works in Oakland). Makau hostained glass conservation from the Royal College of Art in London. Nzilani is a highly specialized stained glass company dedicated to making the profession more equitable by being accessible to under-served communities. What started as a small, one-woman studio has expanded to include a full-time core crew of glaziers, artists, project managers and interns.