Tribute to manned flight

“Flight,” the stained glass window above the Bolling Club’s entrance greets visitors with a celebration of manned flight from ambition, to the Wright brothers, to Space Shuttle Columbia (OV-102). The lead glass window was designed by artist Joseph Pisani who has worked in illustration, painting, sculpting and design. Pisani joined the Army in 1962 after which he continued to serve as a member of the civil service with the Department of Defense, first as an illustrator, then as a design consultant and art director. At the pinnacle of his service he worked as a division chief managing more than 50 artists and designers before ultimately retiring in 1988. During his career he distinguished himself with the design of “Flight” for the Bolling Club, as well as other fine pieces of art for the Fairfax County Courthouse; the Eisenhower Rotunda of the C.W. Abrams Building in Frankfurt, Germany; and a bronze of Gen. of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Pentagon. While designed by Pisani, glass artist Mark Anderson executed the window’s design. Composed of eight individual panels, the overall window measures 9 feet 8 inches by 11 feet 2 inches, and encompasses 589 individual pieces of glass in 63 different colors. Club management expects the window to last for more than 150 years.