East Bend, NC - What started as a hobby in the 70's has blossomed into a profession for Al Priest. At that time Priest and his wife had taken up stained glass classes.
In 1985 he along with partner Brad Brown formed Salem Stained Glass. Their work can be seen in churches up and down the East Coast. "We've probably done at least 500, that may be conservative I don't know but we do a lot of churches", Priest says.
From creating new windows to restoring one hundred year old masterpieces, each one is completed by hand and each done with a passion for the task at hand. Priest adds,"It's a very spiritual thing, when you go into a church; regardless of if it's a membership of 50 or 5,000 it doesn't matter. The passion that you put into the work is the same."
And while the bulk of their business is dedicated to places of worship, they also use their creative skills to create one of a kind creations for individuals to use in their homes.
