Mary Ann's  fascination with glass began as a child sneaking peaks at the rose window in church. At sixteen, she began to paint on glass, but pursuing a love of literature, received her B.A. in English from CSUF in 1976. Art classes were always in the schedule and in her senior year, a course in stained glass changed her direction.

"I was hooked as soon as I completed my first window. I knew this would be my life's work. I feel very lucky to make a living doing something I love."

The next several years were spent studying glass and design by taking additional art classes. Mary Ann worked for two local studios. One did restoration work for auction houses. This was a valuable lesson in learning why a window fails. Between commissions she worked at the other studio part time when they were pressed for a deadline. Working for them reinforced her incentive to create her own designs and glass selections.

Most of the studio's work is in private homes and restaurants throughout the Southland. Mary Ann always works directly with the client throughout the design phase and glass selection. In the past few years, her sons have been helping in the studio. We turn to reliable production studios for fabrication help when the lead time is too long. Thanks to repeat clients and references from related businesses, commissions have been steady for many years.

Celinder’s Glass Design is affiliated with the Stained Glass Association of America. Mary Ann is a founding member of the International Guild of Glass Artists and serves on the Guild’s Advisory Board. She is also a member of the Huntington Beach Art League and BNI, a business networking group.