Cracked EP 38: Be Safe, Have Fun, Do Excellent Work with Ariana Makau of Nzilani Glass

Podcast
Written By Rebecca Power

January 10, 2023
Cracked

Today’s episode is with Ariana Makau of Nzilani Glass. She is the second person in the world – and the first woman – to receive a Master’s Degree in Stained Glass Conservation from the Royal College of Art in London. Equally comfortable on a job site, at a board meeting or in a museum, Makau has over 25 years of experience with art and architectural preservation.  She is a Board Member and Health and Safety Chair of the Stained Glass Association of America and is a Fellow of AIC. Before she started Nzilani, she worked at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, London’s V&A Museum, and the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Makau’s presentations at national conferences bridge the gap between health & safety regulators and those involved in stained-glass. Approachable and non-judgmental, Ariana enjoys sharing her professional experience in classroom and public talks. Highlights include a better awareness of personal safety combined with a deeper appreciation of the art form. 

I could have spoken to Ariana for 2 more hours and still only scratched the surface of her extensive experience and knowledge of glass conservation and preservation. One thing I intended to ask her about but we simply ran out of time was her own work which is incredible too. If you have time please check that out as well, it’s another layer of her craftsmanship and artistry I really appreciate. To see more of that and so much more her instagram is @nzilani_glass and her website is nzilaniglass.com.

Join me as I crack it all wide open!

Honorable mentions from this episode:

Asbestos testing /Respirator fit tests-
Ariana recommends you do a local search with the key words "asbestos material testing company" and "respirator fit tests".  In some cases, people might be able to get the latter sourced through a museum.  Local paint companies sometimes teach one day lead certification classes as well.

"Nzilani is hoping to roll out hosting contracted respirator fit and BLL testing next year as a service to local artists. I encourage individual artists to network and do the same in their areas. Joining together can reduce costs, build community and empower folks to be accountable to their own health and well-being."
-Ariana Makau

Cascade Metals - cascademetals.com
Ted Sawyer- Bullseye lead scientist - bullseyeprojects.com
Mesh drain strainer - amazon.com
Tyvek Suit - pksafety.com
Hope Crew - savingplaces.org/hope-crew

Thank you to this episode’s sponsors:

The Stained Glass Association of America
The Professional Trade Association for Architectural Art Glass

Paul Wissmach Glass Co.
Your Source of Colored Sheet Glass

Canfield Technologies
Canfield sets the standard for the Stained Glass industry.

Listen to the original publication here

Rebecca Power
Front End Developer student at MCTC in Mineapolis, MN.
http://www.rebeccapower.me
Next

Fillet Panel