On Ingleside’s stretch of Ocean Avenue, known as Medical Row, one shop is quite different from the dental and acupuncture offices. Inside Cradle of the Sun are hundreds of sheets of stained glass, projects in varying states of completion and longtime owner Dan Gamaldi, an eager teacher who shares his stained glass knowledge with those who enter his door.
The Crocker-Amazon resident, 84, got his start in stained glass in 1972 after taking a class at Sharon Art Studio in Golden Gate Park. Not long after, he obtained a degree in business and art from the University of Nebraska and completed a 14-month-long apprenticeship in the craft. In 1977, Gamaldi opened Cradle of the Sun in Noe Valley. The name was inspired by a sci-fi book of the same title, Gamaldi said. When his rent was tripled in 2015, he moved the shop to Ingleside.
“You can’t have too much glass,” Gamaldi said while cutting sheets for a customer.
He and his team have become a one-stop shop for those interested in the craft. They sell materials and finished projects, and also host classes several days a week.
Gamaldi has also taken on an intern, Bailey Godwin, a recent architecture graduate who grew up attending Gamaldi’s classes with her mom. Godwin said she and Gamaldi are already like family, and having him as a mentor has been a great experience.
“It’s easy, kind of,” Godwin said, who started at the age of 17. “It’s a bit of a learning curve…but it’s been really rewarding.”
The Ingleside Light caught up with Gamaldi to learn more about the stained glass business.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Cradle of the Sun's interior is full of glass and art. | Anne Marie Kristoff/Ingleside Light
What does a typical day look like?
Doing stained glass panels, giving a class. I teach seven classes a week. They're six-week sessions.
Why is a craft like this so important?
It's carrying on a tradition that's over a thousand years old, and it makes life beautiful.
Do you have any insider secrets or things people may not know about the stained glass business?
I have no secrets, and I'm more than willing to help anybody out who has any questions or problems with stained glass. I'm happy to share everything I know.
What’s one piece of advice you have for someone who also wants to get into stained glass?
Be patient. Be perseverant. Try not to use the grinder.
