Montville artist turns backyard shed into community glass studio

Heart & Soul, a donation-based art studio, allows families to turn recycled stained glass into collaborative works.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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In a renovated backyard shed in Montville, Connecticut, artist Samara Martin has created Heart & Soul, a donation-based art studio where children and families transform recycled stained glass into collaborative works meant for the wider community. Rather than throw away the scraps and shards left over from her mother's stained glass business, Martin began tumbling the fragments to smooth the edges, making them safe for children to handle. At the studio, kids learn to use simple hand tools to break down larger sheets into smaller pieces, which they then assemble into mosaics.

Why it matters

Heart & Soul provides a community-focused, therapeutic space for families, especially homeschoolers, to come together and create art using recycled materials. By teaching children start-to-finish processes and allowing them to see their individual contributions become part of a larger, permanent work, the studio fosters a sense of pride, belonging, and resourcefulness.

The details

Samara Martin grew up immersed in stained glass, and since 2007 she and her mother have created custom windows, memorial pendants, and other glass art. The scraps and shards left behind from this work would otherwise be discarded, but Martin began tumbling the fragments to smooth the edges, making them safe for children to handle. At the Heart & Soul studio, kids learn to use simple hand tools to break down larger sheets of glass into smaller pieces, which they then assemble into collaborative mosaics. The studio is designed to be family-inclusive, with parents required to stay on site while their children work. Martin sees the studio as a therapeutic space that can help families process grief, as well as an enrichment resource for homeschool families in the area.

  • Heart & Soul studio opened in November 2025.
  • Last summer, before launching Heart & Soul, Martin had a table at the Montville Farmers Market offering a free mosaic project.

The players

Samara Martin

A Montville-based artist who has created Heart & Soul, a donation-based art studio where children and families transform recycled stained glass into collaborative works.

Axel

Samara Martin's 3-year-old son, who was quietly sorting glass pieces at the table during the interview.

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What they’re saying

“I feel like this is a culmination of my life's work as an artist. Instead of focusing on the finished product, it's focusing on the process and the time that it takes to make it.”

— Samara Martin, Artist (theday.com)

“There's so much glass to be used. This is only the beginning. The mission is going to be alive and well for the next few years.”

— Samara Martin, Artist (theday.com)

“We've been talking for 20 minutes, and he's been doing that the whole time. It's amazing how little they need to get so far.”

— Samara Martin, Artist (theday.com)

What’s next

Martin plans to continue expanding the programming and community engagement at Heart & Soul in the coming years, with the goal of using the studio to 'boost beauty in the community'.

The takeaway

Heart & Soul demonstrates how a small, community-focused art studio can provide a therapeutic, enriching space for families to come together and create collaborative works using recycled materials. By teaching children hands-on skills and allowing them to see their individual contributions become part of a larger piece, the studio fosters a sense of pride, belonging, and resourcefulness.