Century-Old “Mountain Landscape (Root Memorial Window)” Will Be Relocated from Sunset Ridge Church and Collective in San Antonio, As a Shared Commitment to Preservation and Public Access
“Mountain Landscape (Root Memorial Window)”
BENTONVILLE, Ark., May 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art has acquired Mountain Landscape (Root Memorial Window), a monumental stained-glass masterpiece created by Tiffany Studios in 1917. The historic window will be relocated from a San Antonio, Texas, church and undergo a careful conservation process prior to arriving at the museum. It will be displayed as a key element in the museum’s fully reimagined collection presentation, driven by a major building and campus expansion, opening in 2026.
Measuring 110 x 93 inches, this significant addition to the museum’s growing collection of American craft shows Louis Comfort Tiffany’s signature effects of vibrantly colored glass to depict a cascading waterfall framed by lush foliage. Activated by changes in natural light over the course of the day, the window’s subtle shifts of color evoke the spiritual experience of a wooded landscape.
Crystal Bridges has acquired the work from Sunset Ridge Church and Collective in San Antonio, Texas, where the window cast its glow in the chapel for 94 years. In a joint initiative to preserve the window for future generations and ensure it continues to inspire the public, Crystal Bridges and Sunset Ridge have collaborated closely on the project of relocating the work to the Museum, reflecting the dedication of both institutions to stewardship, accessibility, and community storytelling.
Jess Lowry, Executive Director and Pastoral Leader of Sunset Ridge Church and Collective, said, “We believe beauty makes transformation possible. The Mountain Landscape window has shaped the soul of our community for nearly a century—and now, it will have the chance to do that sacred work far beyond our walls. We’re grateful to have been part of its story.”
Originally commissioned by the Woodmen of the World organization as a tribute to its founder, Joseph Cullen Root, the window was first installed in the company’s headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1917. The window is attributed to pioneering designer Agnes F. Northrop, who worked for Tiffany for half a century. The window was relocated in 1931 to the Fraser Chapel of the Woodmen of the World Memorial Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. The Fraser Chapel building was acquired by Sunset Ridge Church of Christ in 1959, where the window remained a cherished element of the sanctuary.
In fulfillment of a re-envisioned mission that was confirmed in 2021, the Sunset Ridge Church and Collective will soon renew its chapel as a place for vocation, connection, and community and has looked to Crystal Bridges to become the steward of Mountain Landscape.
For Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, acquisition of the window is an outstanding opportunity to enhance the intersection of art, architecture, and nature at the museum and highlight its commitment to showcasing American artistic heritage.
“The acquisition of Mountain Landscape is an important milestone for Crystal Bridges as we continue to expand our holdings in American craft and provide access to art that offers an inspiring vision of nature,” said Jen Padgett, Windgate Curator of Craft. “Tiffany’s work has an enduring appeal, captivating audiences across generations. This window is a remarkable example that combines artistry, spirituality, and the tradition and innovation of American craftsmanship, helping us to highlight craftspeople and educate audiences about Tiffany’s unique contributions to American art.”
Crystal Bridges will embark on a meticulous conservation process before unveiling the window to the public in Bentonville, ensuring that this historic piece is preserved for future generations. The process is grounded in collaboration, drawing on the expertise of multiple contributors. Bryant J. Stanton and his team at Stanton Studios in Waco, Texas, led the process of removing the window from its architectural setting. Ariana Makau, founder and principal conservator of Nzilani Glass Conservation, joined for the removal and will lead the extensive assessment, cleaning, and conservation of the work with her Oakland, California-based team.
In addition to acquiring Mountain Landscape, Crystal Bridges will receive the generous gift of a second Tiffany window —known as the Arkansas State Window—from Sunset Ridge. The work is part of the program of additional Tiffany windows created for the chapel in 1931, when Mountain Landscape was relocated from Omaha to the San Antonio site. Woodmen of the World commissioned lancet windows from Tiffany Studios representing each state where the organization conducted business, which included Arkansas. The gift of the Arkansas State Window will further expand the story of Mountain Landscape in the museum galleries, showing the rich history of the larger window’s movement and unexpected connections across time and place.
As part of its current expansion project, Crystal Bridges will display Mountain Landscape prominently in a newly reimagined gallery experience set to be revealed in 2026 when the museum opens its fully expanded space. The installation will employ a carefully designed lighting system to bring to life the window’s intricate details and dynamic color shifts.
Crystal Bridges’ Commitment to American Craft
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art seeks to raise the profile of American craft by creating broad access to the field at the museum and beyond. The museum champions artists, scholars and collectors, and facilitates partnerships, while leveraging its curatorial expertise and art historical knowledge to position craft within the museum’s educational programs. Its growing collection includes important examples by David Drake, Toshiko Takaezu, Leon Niehues, Consuelo Jimenez Underwood, Betty Woodman, Lenore Tawney, Melissa Cody, and George Ohr. In 2023, Crystal Bridges appointed Jen Padgett as Windgate Curator of Craft, the museum’s first endowed curatorial position, made possible by a $17.5 million gift from the Windgate Foundation to advance craft through an endowed curatorship, research, programming, and the acquisition of craft objects for the Museum’s collection. In 2021, Crystal Bridges organized Crafting America, co-curated by Padgett and renowned scholar Glenn Adamson, which featured over 100 works from 1940 to the present that highlighted the various backgrounds and perspectives in craft, from the vital contributions of Indigenous artists to the new skills and points of view brought by immigrants to the United States.
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About Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
The mission of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is to welcome all to celebrate the American spirit in a setting that unites the power of art with the beauty of nature. Since opening in 2011, the museum has welcomed more than 14 million visitors across its spaces, with no cost for admission. Crystal Bridges was founded in 2005 as a non-profit charitable organization by arts patron and philanthropist, Alice Walton. The collection spans five centuries of American masterworks from early American to current day and is enhanced by temporary exhibitions. The museum is nestled on 134 acres of Ozark landscape and was designed by the world-renowned Safdie Architects. A rare Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house was preserved and relocated to the museum grounds in 2015. Home of the prestigious Don Tyson Prize for the Advancement of American Art and Tyson Scholars of American Art Program, Crystal Bridges offers public programs including lectures, performances, classes, and teacher development opportunities. Some 478,375 school children have participated in the Willard and Pat Walker School Visit program, which provides educational experiences for school groups at no cost to the schools. Additional museum amenities include a restaurant, gift store, library, and five miles of art and walking trails. In February 2020, the museum opened the Momentary in Downtown Bentonville (507 SE E Street), conceived as a platform for the art, food, and music of our time. In 2026, Crystal Bridges will complete a 114,000 square foot expansion that will allow the museum to expand access for all. For more information, visit CrystalBridges.org. The museum is located at 600 Museum Way, Bentonville, Arkansas 72712.
About Sunset Ridge Church and Collective
Sunset Ridge Church of Christ is a faith community in San Antonio, Texas, reimagining what it means to be a good neighbor. In 2021, the church established Sunset Ridge Collective as a distinct 501(c)(3) nonprofit to serve as its missional expression, activating church-owned assets for the flourishing of the neighborhood. Through creative placemaking, Sunset Ridge Collective transforms underutilized spaces into vibrant community assets that cultivate connection, opportunity, and environmental stewardship. Core initiatives include Charis Park, a former parking lot turned public green space; One Another Coffee, a social enterprise; and a dynamic campus hub offering a nature-based preschool, coworking space, commercial kitchen, artist studios, and incubator for local entrepreneurs and nonprofits. Together, the church and Collective are part of a growing movement of communities revitalizing sacred places to nurture belonging, spark imagination, and serve generations to come.
Attachment
- “Mountain Landscape (Root Memorial Window)”
CONTACT: Amanda Horn Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art 7756362567 amanda.horn@crystalbridges.org
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