Photo of the day: Stained-glass panels at Capitol show the best of humanity

The Roots of Humanity Foundation on Tuesday set up a display titled the “7 Pillars of Humanity” in the Capitol rotunda in Salt Lake City during the 2022 general session of the Utah Legislature.

The seven stained-glass panels depict seven key, noble characteristics of human capability: knowledge, creativity, faith, love, unity, freedom and courage. The pillars were designed and created by Tom Holdman, of Holdman Studios, along with other artists and historians for the nonprofit Roots of Humanity Foundation.

The display coincides with 2022 as the International Year of Glass, a celebration of the role of glass in society, and more specifically the role glass has played in the artistic cultures of the world.

The pillars are original pieces of art glass created as a thesis for the Sphere of Light, an artistic project that will be created and placed in Lehi. The structure will be home to the largest stained-glass art creation in the world and will serve as a place of personal inspiration, reflection, healing, and growth, with a purpose to educate, unite and connect individuals by expressing all the commonalities of humanity.

“The seven pillar windows are a wonderful presentation to some of the greatest stained-glass art imaginable,” Tom Holdman said in a statement. “More importantly, they depict the characteristics found in the best of humanity throughout the world. The pillars inspire and uplift as people see the tenets of these characteristics through different scenes from the history of the world. The pillars are inspiring, but also full of fun and educational origins of discovery such as an actual piece of the moon found in the Knowledge pillar window.”

Each of the seven panels are 3 1/2 feet wide by 7 feet tall. Each panel has landscapes of one of the seven continents. For example, the love panel has scenes from Africa. At the center of the panel is Mother Earth nurturing the human race. The outer arch above her head is a montage of mythological and cultural stories regarding the creation of the Earth and the origins of humankind. Mother Earth is surrounded by children of the world, each of which is representing human experiences.

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