I watched with fascination as a young woman and assistant who served as our host created a pitcher during a half-hour Hot Glass Demo.
At the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, the one-of-a-kind experience left me in awe.
The skilled artisans, true masters of their craft, take molten glass and transform it with precision and artistry into works of art.
Cameras are situated throughout the demonstration area, even in the 2100°F furnace, allowing guests to get a close-up view of glass blowing and its complexities.
This experience along with the many galleries, offered me an interesting, educational, and cultural afternoon.
The Museum is nestled in the heart of the picturesque Finger Lakes region.
My tour began in the Contemporary Galleries. These galleries feature more than 70 works from the Museum’s permanent collection, thematically curated into galleries that refer to nature, the body, history and material, and international design from the past 25 years.
The 35 Centuries of Glass Galleries show the world’s most comprehensive and celebrated glass collection. The galleries explore Near Eastern, Asian, European, and American glass and glassmaking from antiquity through the present day.
As the website says, “Glass changes the world—see how in our award-winning, state-of-the-art, interactive science and technology exhibit called the Innovation Center. Activity stations let you bend light, bend glass, and bend your imagination.”
The Heineman Gallery focuses on vessels, objects, and sculptures made by international artists from 1975 to 2000, a 25-year period that changed the face of glass.
After touring the Museum, make time to shop in the gift shop. The sprawling area features local artists, international works of art, and locally made Corning ware. There is also a cafe.
For more information about visiting this excellent museum, click here.
I stayed close by at the Hilton Garden Inn Corning Downtown. In the heart downtown, it is close to all attractions, and within easy walking distance of restaurants and shops. For more information click here.
