Monthly Archives: January 2011

Greener Galleries

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Recently, the Museum completed the installation of a Burne-Jones stained glass panel, St. Matthew (2009.2.31) in the Modern Gallery. A new case was designed and constructed, and after a number of months of prototyping by the Curatorial and Operations departments, the display was lit completely with LED lights, with the desired lighting effect achieved using a combination of both cool and warm LED fixtures.

This is our first glass collection display to use LED lighting, and we hope to retro-fit a number of other displays in the coming years with these cool and efficient lights. There are approximately 2,600 standard light fixtures directed at objects in our galleries, and every day we change about 20 bulbs. With an estimated lifespan 100,000 hours, moving to LED lighting will result in savings for the Museum in both energy costs and staff time.

-Warren Bunn, Registrar

Introducing “Gemini”

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When The Studio opened in 1996, Spiral Arts built two furnaces, one 1,000-pound day tank for continuous melting of clear glass, and one 200-pound pot furnace for melting colored glasses, as an accessory for the glassblowing classes. Frank Woolley, a retired Corning Incorporated scientist, helped standardize some of The Studio’s first color recipes, and we have been melting colored glass ever since.

Our original pot furnace has finally reached the end of its life and has been dismantled, but a new furnace is nearly complete to take its place. Nicknamed “Gemini,” the new pot furnace will contain two 80-pound pots, each containing a different color, and each with its own door. Due to its custom design, the furnace will take only a few more inches of precious space, but will allow access to each pot from the main hot shop.

Unlike previous furnace rebuilds, this furnace was designed and built totally in-house. The Studio’s technical team worked for months before the re-build began, pre-cutting and assembling (without mortar) many of the bricks and components that would make up the furnace. The combustion system from the previous furnace was re-used, but a new low energy blower and heat-recuperator were installed to save electricity and natural gas.

Still in progress, the new color melting furnace is slated to be completed in time for the 2011 winter classes at The Studio.

Submitted by Harry Seaman, facilities manager at The Studio of the Corning Museum of Glass

Teens: Explainers, Jr. Curators and Tour Assistants

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Imagine you are enjoying an exhibit at a museum, but you would like to learn more from a real person. Also, you would like to actually touch objects to make your sensory experience complete. Enter the Museum Explainers! 

Explainers at The Corning Museum of Glass are high school and college students who interact with Museum guests. They teach visitors about the art, history, science, and technology of glass via themed educational carts and youth tours in the galleries during the summer.  If you happen to be in the Ancient Gallery, for instance, and you’d like to learn more about ancient glass techniques, visit the Explainer cart located there. The cart includes examples of glass made via key ancient techniques. The Explainer can give you details about these processes in a fun and educational way.

 Summer youth tours wouldn’t happen without our collection of Explainers. These young adults lead youth tours through the galleries, play gallery games, and go to Hot Glass Show demonstrations.

Other programs for teens at the Museum include a Junior Curator after-school program for middle school and high school students. Junior Curators get a behind-the-scenes look at the Museum and also curate their own exhibit. 

New this year is the Tour Assistant program for 14-16 year-olds who are interested in eventually becoming a Museum Explainer and are willing to volunteer their time as they train.

Teens interested in becoming a Museum Explainer or learning about other programs can attend our free informational Fire Up Your Future event on January 7, from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., in The Studio Lecture Room. Our special guest will be Denise Stillwaggon Leone, an artist who works with architectural, sandblasted, sculptural and painted glass. RSVP at fireup@cmog.org or 607.937.5371.