The Quapaw Quarter Association is hosting its next “Preservation Conversation” tonight.

Jay King’s talk will cover history of stained glass, the care and maintenance of antique windows, what a basic repair job entails as opposed to full scale restoration,and the commission process.

The program starts at 6pm, with a 5:30pm reception preceding it.  It will be in the Mixing Room at the Old Paint Factor in the East Village (1306 East 6th Street).

Jay King began his career in glass repairing antique stained glass windows in Chicago’s Old Town. In 1974 he moved to Austin, Texas where he learned the art of constructing windows while working at Renaissance Glass Co. and several other local studios. In 1988 he set his sites for Eureka Springs, AR, but found too much to fall in love with in Little Rock, so has been here ever since. He decided to start up his own stained glass studio, Arkansas Glassworks, in 1993.

As Arkansas Glassworks, Jay has built stained glass windows for numerous homes and churches around the state. These days, churches are his main focus, but he continues to both build and repair windows for homes as well. He still manages to make the occasional window that calls him to build, regardless of commission. He’s also known to teach his craft to the few who are still around who want to learn it.