In our recent discussion of notable people from Chester, one name was missing, Artist Trena Cox born in 1895 and studied at the Laird School of Art in Birkenhead. She came to Chester in 1924 and her career spanned 50 years. With early commissions at Chester Cathedral, her career blossomed and Trena moved to her own studio on Watergate Street where she lived until her death in 1980. She was a fellow of the British Society of Master Glass Painters and an outspoken advocate for Chester.

Largely forgotten outside of artistic circles a series of events this year aims to celebrate Trena’s life and work, whose stained glass creations appear in churches across Chester, North Wales, the North West of England and beyond. Aleta Doran, the Cathedral’s artist in residence has focused her studies on the legacy of Chester’s renowned female stained-glass artist.

Aleta began her interest in Trena Cox in 2020 when she was planning a stained-glass project at the Cathedral and came across a photograph of Trena’s work. As Aleta’s studies began to unfold, she realised that Trena’s story could be told visually through exhibitions but also through writing her Master’s of Research project. 

Aleta said: “I kept going back to this one particular image and thinking that’s such a beautiful window. The more I started looking into it the more I realised that although Trena Cox is known to specialists her name has been lost from the public realm. This seemed irresistible to me – someone who had made stained glass in Chester throughout her career and who should be part of the story of the city and the Cathedral. That was the start of my research and I didn’t imagine it would come to the point where I would be doing this for postgraduate study.” 

Aleta added: “Trena was unusual as other female stained-glass artists tended to be based in the South of England. Her work also allows us to look at women in business as artists in the first part of the century too. 

Aleta will be taking part in Talking Chester, the opening event of this years Chester Heritage Festival https://www.chesterheritagefestival.co.uk/ . On the 26 June at 2pm she will also be exploring the fascinating collection of Trena Cox’s work at St Werburgh’s Church on Grosvenor Park Road. The highly decorative set of windows was made during the 1930s, at the peak of Cox’s career.

Trena’s first recorded commission was for the University’s Chapel on Parkgate Road. As part of the University’s Festival of Ideas on Friday, July 5 (2pm to 3pm) Aleta will discuss Trena’s first piece and the three further windows she created for the chapel which span 40 years and illustrate the evolution of her style. 

Finally, coming in the autumn an exhibition at the Cathedral will celebrate the Trena Cox’s huge artistic contribution to the area. Trena Cox: Reflections 100 has been funded by £27,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and will run from 7th October – 8th November 2024. https://chestercathedral.com/news/cathedral-to-host-first-exhibition-exploring-the-legacy-of-chesters-renowned-woman-stained-glass-artist

All of these events will provide a fascinating insight into the life of a Cestrian who deserves much wider exposure and recognition.

For more information see https://www.aletadoran.co.uk/research