According to a number of art journals, the earliest known instance of glass as an artistic medium can be found in beads created by ancient Egyptians in the third millennium B.C.

You are not likely to find glass art that old anywhere in Chestnut Hill, but starting April 27, 4 to 6 p.m. at Matines Café, the charming authentic French café that opened last November at 89 Bethlehem Pike, you will be able to see the stunning glass art created by Flannery Cronin of Friend of All Glass, a collective of local artists specializing in handmade glass art. Cronin recently moved her studio from Brooklyn, N.Y., to Manayunk, and pieces from her Spring Suncatcher Collection will be on display at the café for six weeks or until sold out. 

The event is the café's first to partner with other small businesses within the community. “Les Apéros de Matines,” or “Aperitifs at Matines,” will take place once a month and will feature pop-up shops from other businesses in the area, as well as live music, complimentary rosé and petits choux (small French baked treats filled with cream). 

“We are so grateful for the Chestnut Hill community,” said Amanda de Bruc, who owns and operates the cafe with her husband Arthur. “Everyone has been so warm and welcoming to us since opening our doors. We planned this series of events to say thank you for their continued love and support.” 

From lighting to architectural details such as transom windows and stained glass panels, room dividers and lamps, Friend of all Glass is known for high-quality work. “I truly believe that light and color are the most powerful tools you can use to transform a house into a home,” Cronin said last week. 

“This is the starting point of my design process and why I began working with stained glass,” she continued. “It warms my heart to know that the pieces we spend painstaking hours upon hours making by hand go on to light the homes of people all over the world. Like a long distance hug with a person you have never met! It provides us with an endless supply of joy to think our little lamps are helping people to feel happy, intimate and relaxed in their own space!”

A lover of functional art, Cronin began her artistic career by making a dozen lamps and signing up for a holiday craft fair in New York City. “This was my first time selling my goods in public, and I sold out!” she said. “That encouraged me to dive in head-first. A few months later I gave notice at my day job and began transitioning to dedicate myself full-time to my glass art business.”

Matines Café is open daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and offers take-out and delivery, as well as indoor and outdoor (pet-friendly) dining. 

See more of Flannery’s work on Instagram at @friendofallglass or on friend-of-all.com. For more information about the café, visit matinescafe.com. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com