SAN JUAN — Voices murmur and echo off the walls of the Gelman Stained Glass Museum here, mimicking the sounds commonly associated with the historic cathedrals of the northeast United States and Europe.
However, in the north transept of the 16,000-square-foot building, electronic music could be heard Thursday as a Brazilian and Russian model had their make-up applied in preparation for a private photoshoot for Tiscareno Bridal Couture’s latest fashion campaign, Tiscareno 2022.
A clothing rack with the 19 bridal couture looks stood nearby as a worker applied a garment steamer, all while Manuel Tiscareno, dressed in a tan suit, walked hastily through the museum — overseeing all aspects of the preparations being made ahead of his new campaign.
He referred to the partnership between his brand and the Gelman museum as a first collaboration.
“We’re going to have a production today for our new lookbook — this lookbook will be sent internationally to Mexico City,” Tiscareno said Thursday. “We’ll be using it in the national bridal market in Chicago, and also we’ll be using some photos for our New York Fashion Week Show to promote our show in September.”
The Tiscareno brand has been designing internationally recognized wedding dresses for five years. He’s a second generation bridal designer following in the footsteps of his parents. At his studio, located at 7001 N. 10th St. in suite F-1 in McAllen, clients are able to share their ideas for their dream wedding dress, and Tiscareno helps bring them to life.
Tiscareno said that his brand has participated in numerous runway shows and presentations, but nothing compared to the scale of his brand’s current campaign.
“Today we have 19 bridal looks,” Tiscareno said. “They’ve been created with the modern bride in mind, so it’s modern silhouettes with classic materials like laces, beautiful layers of chantilly lace, layers of sparkle. We have ball gown silhouettes, trumpet silhouettes, mermaid silhouettes, we have all types of silhouettes for every bride type.”
The production was the culmination of six months of planning; and yet, even as seemingly last-minute work was conducted for the photoshoot, preparations were simultaneously ongoing for the guest star of the production — the Gelman Stained Glass Museum.
“We’re super grateful to the Gelman museum,” Tiscareno said. “We’re super grateful to be here collaborating with them in such a breathtaking space. It’s going to be the perfect frame for our bridal couture pieces.”
Since work first began on the building six years ago, many questions have arisen about the large, medieval, gray building located across Virgen de San Juan Boulevard from the Basilica Of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle.
Miriam Cepeda, the museum director, took a few minutes from overseeing the ongoing construction of the museum to give an exclusive tour to The Monitor ahead of the museum’s planned opening this fall.
“A lot of people think this is a church,” Cepeda said about the museum. “We are the largest collection of stained glass art on display in the United States. Our patron has been collecting for over 30 years. What began as just something inside his garage grew into something more.”
Numbering more than 140, the collection includes 19th and 20th Century American and European stained-glass art pieces from Tiffany Studios, John LaFarge, Lamb Studios, Mary Tillinghast; as well as art pieces from German Munich styles by Franz Meyer and F. X. Zettler.
The museum also features rescued religious relics, including altars and two organs.
“We’re trying to save the art of stained glass windows because it’s underappreciated, unfortunately, and also bring something to the Valley that will put the Valley on the map as far as an arts and cultural destination in the United States and the world,” Cepeda said.
The Gelman Museum is the largest collection of stained glass art on display in the United States. (Delcia Lopez | [email protected])
Many of the museum’s artifacts were saved from cathedrals and churches throughout the United States that have fallen into disrepair. Many of the multi-colored and detailed art pieces contain the names and dates of individuals of whom the works were dedicated to.
“It’s just fascinating,” Cepeda said. “There’s so many things about this museum as far as saving the artwork, as well as saving the history of America when you look at it. Not only are we saving these pieces, but we’re also saving the names of the families that these pieces were commemorated for since the late 1800s.”
As the museum nears completion, workers continue to install the last few stained glass windows, which sit behind LED lights mimicking the effect of natural sunlight.
“We really wanted to give a true cathedral feel when you come into this museum,” Cepeda said. “We are designed to be replicating a cathedral. That’s why a lot of people confuse us as a church. That being said, we are recreating that sacred feel when people come into our museum and feel at peace.”
The museum already has two events scheduled for November of this year. Internationally renowned concert organist Dan Miller will be conducting two workshops on Saturday, Nov. 27, one for adults and another for children. On Sunday, Nov. 28, Miller will be performing a concert at the museum.
For more information about the museum, visit www.gelmanmuseum.org. More information about Tiscareno can be found at www.tiscarenobride.com.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect that Dan Miller will be performing a concert at the museum on Sunday.
View the full photo gallery below:
Photo Gallery: Tiscareño private photoshoot at Gelman Stained Glass Museum
