An unassuming corrugated studio on the Eastside of Austin is home to Graphic Glass, an enterprise run by Rejina (Reji) Thomas, the only black, female, glass engraving/acid-etching artist in the world. Sheer diligence landed Thomas a sub-contract in the twisted, bureaucratic weave of bids to replicate all of the intricate glass work in the Capitol Building during the recent renovation. The project was intensive: approximately 600 panels of glass, had to be matched to old specifications. Her experience with a rarely used double-acid etching process put her ahead of out-of-state contractors. Thomas had actually replaced panes for the Capitol before when fire damaged some glass during the mid-Eighties. Her art is world-renowned; she was commissioned by the State of Texas to create gifts for both the President of Mexico and Queen Elizabeth of England.
