Chelsea Artists Bill and Marsi Darwin Exhibit Stained Glass at Pioneer Arts Fair in Dexter

Marsi Darwin first met her husband Bill during a stained glass art class in Chelsea.

“I was very into art growing up, so taking a class about stained glass was only natural for me. I remember Bill would stand up here behind his work desk and instruct us students how to cut the glass or explain different techniques," she recalls. "He was so shy, but one day he asked if I would like to join him on a fishing trip, and I said “Yes!” The rest is history."

The Darwins now own Darwin’s Stained Glass Studio in Chelsea, and enjoy working on a wide variety of art projects, including Bill’s latest hobby, slot machine restoration.

The studio is filled with countless stained glass pieces, many of which can be found around Chelsea and Dexter, at places such as The Common Grill, and Metzger’s Restaurant.

“Bill is always working on multiple projects at once. His specialty is the large glass windows that you see in churches. He is very detail orientated, and what makes his work so beautiful is how precise he is able to cut the glass so everything fits together so perfectly," Darwin said. "He’s been doing it for more than 30 years, and each piece is unique in its own way."

Marsi loves the sight of Bill’s gigantic masterpieces but personally enjoys crafting smaller stained glass pieces for display in home windows.

“People love these smaller colorful pieces because they are easy to buy, make great gifts, and are just beautiful when the light shines threw them" she said. "Theu can fit in any size window and are perfect when it comes time to move. You can just pack it with you to your new home."

In addition to Marsi’s window piece, she also creates unique sand-etched glass coasters that she named SolarCoasters.

“These are unique pieces in that each one is different. I love making them and they are just the coolest thing to have around," she said. "Each individual coaster has its own image etched into the glass, and when you stack them on top of another it looks like one picture. I’ve made tons of these for wedding gifts, birthdays and baby showers. They are perfect for gift giving to someone that has everything."

Bill and Marsi Darwin’s stained glass art can be viewed at the on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at in Dexter.

The studio in Chelsea can be toured by appointment. For more information, call 734-475-9730.