At the turn of the century, the small town of Corning, New York was known as a hub for scientists and researchers in the glass industry, creating everything from lightbulbs to scientific lenses and cookware. Corning Glass Works (now Corning Incorporated) started the Corning Museum of Glass in 1951 on their company’s 100 year anniversary. Part research library and science lab, part art studio and part history museum, the entire Corning Museum of Glass facility is large enough to spend an entire day learning more about the viscous liquid material that has enhanced so many aspects of our lives. The museum has over 700 pieces of glass on display and the contemporary wing, a maze of white walls and bright natural light, is a highlight. After making your way through the museum, stop in to watch a live glass blowing demonstration by the professionals in the museum’s theater. Then, head across the street to the museum’s glass studio. Here, you can make your own glass creation (with a little bit of help from a professional gaffer, of course). You’ll feel your face flush from the heat radiating off of the 2000ºF oven as you work with pliers to pull the sticky molten blob into something that vaguely resembles a flower. While you can’t leave with your glass immediately (it needs to cool for a couple days) the suspense of waiting for it to arrive in the mail and the surprise of what the final color of your creation will be makes the process all the more exciting.
Marie Frei
Marie Frei
Marie Frei
Marie Frei
Marie Frei
Marie Frei
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The Corning Museum of Glass: The Intersection of Art and Science
At the turn of the century, the small town of Corning, New York was known as a hub for scientists and researchers in the glass industry, creating everything from lightbulbs to scientific lenses and cookware. Corning Glass Works (now Corning Incorporated) started the Corning Museum of Glass in 1951 on their company’s 100 year anniversary. Part research library and science lab, part art studio and part history museum, the entire Corning Museum of Glass facility is large enough to spend an entire day learning more about the viscous liquid material that has enhanced so many aspects of our lives. The museum has over 700 pieces of glass on display and the contemporary wing, a maze of white walls and bright natural light, is a highlight. After making your way through the museum, stop in to watch a live glass blowing demonstration by the professionals in the museum’s theater. Then, head across the street to the museum’s glass studio. Here, you can make your own glass creation (with a little bit of help from a professional gaffer, of course). You’ll feel your face flush from the heat radiating off of the 2000ºF oven as you work with pliers to pull the sticky molten blob into something that vaguely resembles a flower. While you can’t leave with your glass immediately (it needs to cool for a couple days) the suspense of waiting for it to arrive in the mail and the surprise of what the final color of your creation will be makes the process all the more exciting.
