Bold

Bright

transformative

Stained glass artwork depicting father and daughter figures, surrounded by creeping fungi and flaming background. muted earth tones, bursts of flame, tawny gold, fungal greensand brown shards entwined in light. mythic symbols.

The artistic collaboration between Xiumei and Jim Velasco is a rare blend of two very different, but deeply complementary lineages.

Xiumei shapes the visual with the depth of a painter’s eye and imparts color, line and detail.

Jim develops the narrative as he brings cultural resonance to each panel of glass.

Broken Glass Loft reimagines myth, story and modern culture in both glass and light.

Xiumei Velasco

A woman wearing sunglasses and a patterned jacket, sitting in front of a colorful artistic background.

Xiumei, educated as a graphic designer in Shanghai, is a stained glass artist and painter who has been an important part of the vibrant Chicago art scene for more than thirty years.

Her painter’s eye brings a mastery of composition, color, harmony and expressive figure work to each of Broken Glass Loft’s panels.

SCROLL DOWN TO VIEW DETAILS OF XIUMEI’S OIL AND ACRYLIC WORK.

Jim Velasco

Jim is a stained glass artist, a retired litigator and a former teacher of Classical Greek, Latin and English Literature.

Jim’s lifelong immersion in language, story and myth gives each panel its conceptual backbone.

Jim sees each stained glass creation as a luminous well-told narrative.

SCROLL DOWN TO VIEW SOME OF JIM’S PHOTOS.

A man and a woman taking a selfie on a city street with cars and buildings in the background.

A woman with curly hair leans forward with her face close to a large stone sculpture of an elephant's head.

A woman with a backpack smiling and waving while standing next to a winding road sign in a black-and-white forested area.

A woman with short curly hair, sunglasses, black and white top, beige pants, and heels, standing under a series of large, weathered stone arches in an urban setting. She is holding a leash attached to a small white dog with brown markings sitting on

A woman holding a blue parasol, wearing sunglasses, standing next to a red wall with golden decorative elements.

Xiumei and Emmy Velasco in Barcelona Spain

A woman sitting on a sofa with a bear-shaped plush or sculpture in the background inside a museum or exhibition space.

A woman with dark hair and a colorful top looking out from a vintage aircraft cockpit window, smiling and holding onto the window frame.

A woman with a ponytail and a red and black jacket standing by a calm lake with a mountain in the background, reflecting in the water.

Woman sitting on a rabbit-shaped playground spring rider in a park.

Woman wearing a colorful wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and a white shirt looking at pastries displayed in a bakery window, pointing at the labels for Tirolada and Bread of God.

A woman and a young girl posing in front of the Colosseum in Rome, Italy.

A woman with dark, wavy hair sitting on a brown couch, holding a magazine, wearing a beige satin-like shirt, beige pants, a black choker, and a black bracelet.

A woman in a pink hat, white top, and blue pants standing under a large zebra-patterned sculpture holding an umbrella.

Woman sitting on cobblestone street next to white wall, wearing a straw hat, sunglasses, white top, red skirt, black sandals, with a building and archway in the background on a sunny day

Two women standing beside a large souvenir buoy marker at the Southernmost Point in Key West, Florida, with a sunset sky in the background.

A woman with long, dark, curly hair leaning her head on her hand outdoors near a body of water, with trees in the background.

A woman in a white shirt, red skirt, black vest, and wide-brimmed hat standing on a rooftop terrace with a large stone church tower with a pointed spire in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

A woman standing outside a store holding a black umbrella. She is dressed in a black quilted jacket, red backpack, and gloves. She is standing on a sidewalk, with a display of handbags visible through the store window behind her.

A woman wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, a black vest, striped pants, and tan shoes standing next to an outdoor abstract art sculpture.

A woman wearing sunglasses, a black and white floral dress, and a white cardigan standing under an architectural structure with a mosaic pattern.

A woman wearing a black and white striped hat, a floral dress, and a white knitted cardigan standing in front of intricate black wooden panels with a stained glass window behind her.

Woman with black hair, sunglasses, white sweater, and backpack standing among colorful flowers in a garden with trees and a building in the background.

A woman squatting next to a young boy who is sitting on the floor, holding a camera to his face, taking a picture.

Two men in white tuxedos with black embroidered collars and white hats with black bands standing on either side of a woman wearing sunglasses and a patterned shirt, outdoors in front of a building.

Two women standing in front of the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, with the museum's glass pyramid structure overhead. One woman in a green jacket and sunglasses is holding hands with a woman in a blue jacket and red shirt.

A woman in a white cardigan, dark pants, and a black Beret hat stands in front of a blue stained glass art installation inside a building.

Woman in a yellow jacket taking a photo of a layered dessert topped with green garnish at a restaurant.

Woman standing on grassy area by Lake Michigan with Chicago skyline in background, smiling and holding a small black bag.

A woman standing in front of a large painting of Mao Zedong, pointing and looking up.

A woman sitting in the driver's seat of a silver convertible with red seats, holding a small dog, in a wooded area.

A couple and their dog standing beside a railing along a waterfront at sunset.

A woman sitting in an airport terminal, holding a water bottle and reading a book. She has curly dark hair and is wearing a long-sleeve brown shirt, beige pants, and orange shoes. Next to her on the seat is a black purse and some small personal items

Woman with short dark hair taking a selfie with her smartphone in front of a mirror in a room with dark walls and a marble counter.

Woman wearing a colorful straw hat taking a selfie with a tablet in front of a backdrop of a large 100,000 dollar bill.

A woman hugging a young girl in a shopping mall. The girl appears to be asleep or resting with her head on the woman's shoulder.

A man taking a selfie in mirror with a woman standing behind him, both in a room with cream-colored walls, crown molding, and framed artwork.

Two women taking a selfie in front of Stonehenge during daytime, wearing sunglasses and yellow jackets.

Two young women standing outdoors near a staircase and greenery. One is leaning against a tree, wearing a yellow shirt, jeans, and sneakers, and holding a camera. The other is lying on the stairs, wearing sunglasses, a purple jacket, and red sandals.

Three people standing in front of a brightly illuminated traditional Asian pagoda at night. The person on the left is a woman wearing a yellow T-shirt and striped shorts, making a peace sign. The person in the middle is a man in a pink polo shirt, an

emmy Velasco

From the start, Emmy Velasco, Xiumei and Jim’s daughter, has helped immeasurably by creating the cartoon upon which BGL depends.

stained glass Reimagined with a narrative flair

A stained glass window depicting a woman with long white hair, accompanied by three horses, with a colorful background and a large orange flower in the upper left corner.