“I love that building a stained glass window basically hasn’t changed in centuries. It’s one of the few building elements that functions as a practical piece of architecture and fine art. The transformative quality of switching out a plane window with stained glass or preserving an existing piece by returning it to its original functional glory is what drew me to the profession.”
— Ariana Makau, Founder of Nzilani Glass Conservation and Board Member of the Stained Glass Association of America
In the tradition of the Akamba people of Kenya, a child is given one name when they are born, and a second when they come into their own later on in life. “My father bestowed my grandmother’s name, Nzilani, to me the day I received my Master’s Degree in stained glass conservation from the Royal College of Art in London,” says Ariana Makau, Master Glass Conservationist and Founder of Nzilani Glass in Oakland, California.
I want to leave a legacy of creating a more diverse group of people who can preserve and create stained glass.
— Ariana Makau
Makau is every bit dynamic and nuanced as her chosen craft. She is passionate about leaving, in her words, “a legacy of creating a more diverse group of people who can preserve and create stained glass.” After perfecting her skills in glass conservation in museums around the world, Ariana knew there was a need to continue its legacy. She wanted to do so in a respectful, enjoyable, and safe way. “We make and preserve monumental artistic works…with our hands!” she remarks, “It’s thought-provoking and labor-intensive. Our work will physically survive for generations and contributes to the cityscape in which it’s located.”
Ariana’s more profound understanding of the intricacies that play into a greater whole comes as no surprise. Whether she is conserving monumental pieces of history, creating art, or preserving the community she serves, her ability to focus on the details with high levels of thoughtfulness and discernment provides a refreshing lens to past, present, and future craft. Though it might be a safe assumption that these qualities are inherent, Ariana has spent nearly two decades acquiring her expertise and embracing her unique approach and all the while, paving the way for more women to follow her lead. She was the second person in the world and the first woman to receive a master’s degree in stained glass conservation. An accomplishment that Ariana’s Grandmother and company’s namesake, Tabitha Nzilani Makau, is sure to be very proud of. “She’s still alive, nearing 100 years old and lives in rural Kenya…but she knows there is a company in California named after her!” Ariana proudly exclaims.
In addition to the name’s celebratory offerings, Ariana admits that she’s “found that the name is a great litmus test for potential clients. If they are curious about it, we’re probably a good fit. If it’s ‘too hard to pronounce,’ maybe not.” Like many women of color, Ariana has spent unnecessary time trying to prove her company’s worth. And although on occasion those clients have come around, she has “learned that sometimes you can’t convince a potential client your company is the best choice for the job if they can’t see past the fact that it’s run by a woman of color.” And so, she says that she “no longer spends an exorbitant amount of time trying to change someone’s mind when there are other clients who immediately see [her company’s] uniquely qualified services.”
However, Ariana does not limit her views of equality to her own experiences. “The nature of our work is often at the intersection of the sacred and the secular,” she says, “I tell my team that it doesn’t matter what their individual relationship is to religion, we need to be respectful to our clients when we are in their spaces, be it a home, a place of worship, or public building.” It’s not hard to imagine how welcomed this frame of mind is with a client list that includes the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, and London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. It’s a tremendous responsibility that Ariana fully embraces all of its challenges.
One such challenge is reforming safety protocols, which can often be pricey. Ariana states that “we have actively pursued training the entire team as well as educating our clients about the safe way to conserve stained glass windows.” Thankfully her commitment to public safety has since been rewarded by her Worker’s Compensation Insurance with assistance from a grant to offset costs for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
It’s fun to see those imaginary light bulbs turn on when they realize I look like their mom, sister, auntie or them AND I am the boss
— Ariana Makau
Much like her work with stained glass, Ariana “expect(s) what is represented in the art will shift and expand.” So, in true trailblazer fashion, Ariana has been working with local Bay Area nonprofits to pave the way for more BIPOC, which includes providing paid internships where they receive hands-on experience in the hopes that they might consider a profession they never knew could be made available to them. A career that Ariana would love to support through permanent employment at Nzilani Glass. Additionally, Ariana fully embraces the implicit bias of her appearance and uses it to further her mission by visiting elementary schools in Oakland to talk to children about her work. “It’s fun to see those imaginary light bulbs turn on when they realize I look like their mom, sister, auntie, or them, AND I am the boss.” She makes sure to share her collegiate path into glass conservation but also makes sure to emphasize that everyone doesn't have to go the same route she did. “I want to show you can have a viable and valuable skill set, she explains, and, “I think it’s so important to highlight diverse ways of learning and contributing to the workforce.” Ariana also admits it would have been easier without the challenges of business ownership but emphasizes that she “can’t envision another path.” Nzilani Glass has allowed her to create a company that embodies her mission: to be safe, have fun and do excellent work, providing a solid foundation for her work and principles to live on past her time.
.jpg)
