Document from the KJA Barbara Winick Bernstein Archives of the Jewish Community of East Tennessee.
Artist Jean Jacques Duval was a French-born American and a pioneer of the abstract use of faceted glass in stained glass works. He received a lifetime achievement award in 2005 from the Stained Glass Association of America (originally the National Ornamental Glass Manufacturers Association). His work for Heska Amuna Synagogue was completed in 1969.
Duval was one of the first stained glass designers to use Dalle de verre, a thick, faceted glass created with a hammer and anvil rather than cut. Inspired by the lyrical abstraction of Nicolas de Staël’s paintings, he was also one of the first to introduce an abstract aesthetic into ecclesiastic settings. His use of both transparent and translucent glass allowed nature or the surrounding environment to be included in his designs. His choice of faceted- or cut-glass was determined by the building design and, throughout his career, Duval worked equally within the two media. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Duval)