John Walsh works on a piece of glass at the Botti Studio, where professionals ‘work with anything that has
to do with restoring beauty.’ Laura Kelly/The Daily Northwestern

Stained glass windows in various states of disrepair line the walls of the Botti Studio of Architectural Arts, at 919 Grove St., in downtown Evanston.

The Botti Studio, which traces its roots to 17th century Italy, specializes in stained glass renovation and restoration. The windows in the shop – some of them up to 150 years old – come from churches, temples, historical landmarks and government buildings, said Nino Garavaglia, art restorer at the Botti Studio.

Some of the glass is extremely valuable, he said. He pointed to a dusty Tiffany window and estimated its worth between $200,000 and $300,000.

But work at the Botti Studio doesn’t stop at stained glass.

“We work with anything that has to do with restoring beauty – from stucco to marble to painting,” Garavaglia said.

Some of the Botti Studio’s recent projects have involved artwork from the Art Institute of Chicago, the Plaza Hotel in New York City and the Chicago Cultural Center.

As a visitor walks through the studio, it’s easy to see why professionals are key to the success of the business, which Garavaglia said is “the most reputable, most demanded studio in the country.” Every piece must first be documented and photographed. Then, a “working model” is created. All glass pieces are numbered, and the window is disassembled and cleaned. Then, the glazing process – fitting and soldering everything back together – begins.

“It’s very complicated, very tedious,” he said. “You’re dealing with fractions of centimeters because everything has to fit.”

Studio owner Chris Botti emphasized the importance of hiring the best.

“In ecclesiastical artwork, there’s a holistic aspect to it,” he said. “We’re creating artwork to fit in with its architectural surroundings….So we don’t want to put a palm tree in Alaska.”

“You’ve got to give credit to Chris Botti,” said John Walsh, a Chicago native who has worked at Botti Studio for almost a year. “He was born with a piece of glass in his hands.”

Walsh, for his part, has a strong background in wood repair, gold gilding, art renovation and graphic design.

Botti Studio is a multi-cultural place, Garavaglia said.

“The glass here comes from all over the world – Czechoslovakia, Mexico, France,” he said.

Specialists in the studio do, too – hailing from Lithuania, Ukraine, Italy, Mexico and Russia, among other countries.

Anatoliy Khmara has worked at Botti Studio for three years. He holds a master’s degree in fine arts, and his paintings will be displayed in an exhibition at the Ukrainian National Museum in Chicago this June.

Jesus Luz has been in the glass business for more than 20 years. His family owned a glass shop in Mexico while he was growing up.

But all studio workers have at least one thing in common. “These guys are the cr