As a Corning native and the younger brother of a glassblower, Dane Jack was exposed to glass from a young age. He has worked diligently for many years to develop his glassmaking skills.
Training on the Hot Glass Show stage under master glassblowers, Dane learned through repetition and gained muscle memory to make objects for demonstrations. “I wanted to learn the foundation of manipulating the material,” he says. By taking classes at The Studio, assisting other artists in the hot shop, and renting the Studio facilities to practice on his own, Dane quickly gained proficiency in the basics.
Over time, his work has become “technique-based rather than conceptual,” and, these days, he focuses on mastering advanced techniques. This dedication and perseverance has paid off, as he now travels for part of the year with the Hot Glass Show aboard Celebrity Cruises, demonstrating glassblowing in exciting places such as the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.
Inspired by the colors at sea and the architecture of the cities where the ship docked, Dane experiments on stage. “The opportunity to make whatever you want in a glassblowing job is priceless,” he recognizes, and, because the Hot Glass Shows at sea can last a couple of hours, the team has the freedom to create more elaborate pieces.
At the end of each cruise, three to six pieces of glass art are sold at an auction, with proceeds benefiting a scholarship fund for Studio glassmaking classes.
Dane himself was a recent recipient of a Celebrity Scholarship. Receiving a scholarship for the Winter 2012 session allowed Dane to take Dan Mirer’s Glassblowing, Design, Production class, which emphasized mold making for faster and more efficient production work. The class spent much of the week-long session in the coldworking shop shaping molds, a process which intrigues Dane as he hopes to incorporate mold blowing techniques to create a production line in the future.
Making a mold at The Studio
The community at The Studio has always been a supportive one. There’s always some one around who can collaborate, bringing a quick bit of glass while he’s working on a piece or offering advice when he’s stuck on a process. Dane has rented time at The Studio to work on his own art, has taken classes, and has even worked in The Studio’s Make Your Own Glass area.
Dane’s story is not unique. The Studio and the Museum work hard to support and develop glass artists, by employing talented artists like Dane, providing scholarships, offering classes and providing a community that encourages exploration of glass.
Who doesn’t love a good story? It is, after all, what draws us to great Museum exhibits or makes us read late into the night to finish a good book. The Rakow Library preserves all kinds of stories about the art and history of glass in many different formats. You might discover interesting historical facts in the thick vellum pages of a manuscript, carefully study yellowed newsprint or black and white photographs filed in archival boxes, or find inspiration from an intricate and artful design drawing in our special collections.
But lately, I’ve been intrigued by a newer collection of stories—our growing body of oral histories recorded with local factory workers, corporate executives, scientists and engineers. All of the interviewees worked with glass…whether designing glass products, cutting, blowing or finishing glass objects, building and repairing the equipment used to make the glass, planning glass product lines, or tending the furnaces used to generate the molten glass.
Many of these interviewees worked at Corning Glass Works (CGW) and Steuben. The recordings are filled with insights and descriptions which illuminate places that have vanished, people who have passed away, and events that now exist only in memory.
Photograph of Main Plant, courtesy of Corning, Inc. Archives
What was the “cave” of Corning’s Main Plant like in the early 1960s, for example? There are some in the community who remember that dark, dank place, but most of us have never seen the inside of the factories that once dominated the downtown Corning cityscape. Those factories were demolished in the 1980s to make way for the new Corporate Headquarters for Corning, Inc, but some people, like engineer Jerry Kersting, well-remember that unique place.
Jerry Kersting, retired engineer for Corning, Inc., interviewed May 2010.
Crusader bowl engraved by Max Erlacher
Or think of Steuben, established in 1903 in Corning and responsible for over a hundred years worth of quality, hand-made glass. Now Steuben, like so many other glass factories, has closed its doors. Who made the glass that has been given to everyone, from heads of state to newly wedded couples? Roland “Max” Erlacher, long-time engraver for Steuben, relates the behind-the-scenes details of engraving the Crusader’s Bowl, which was later selected by Nancy Reagan as a gift for Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. It is not a well-known story, I would imagine, since the original design by Zevi Blum had to be reworked when the bowl cracked during the engraving process.
Max Erlacher, former master engraver for Steuben, interviewed May 2010.
Or what about the economic conditions and employment practices of earlier times? Dan Keyes, a Corning Glass Works employee and a Steuben gaffer, describes in his interview how he began his career as a glassmaker. The practice then was to wait outside the factory, in case extra hands were needed that day. If you “worked out” then you might be lucky enough to get a permanent position at the factory.
Dan Keyes, former gaffer for Steuben, interviewed October 2010.
And if you were talented enough, as were Keyes and interviewee Harry Phillips, you could work your way up, from a carry-in boy to the highest position in a glass shop, that of gaffer.
Harry Phillips, former gaffer for Steuben, interviewed May 2011.
The Houghton family was well-known to the employees in the Corning Glass Works factories. In his interview, Gordy Casterline describes how the “old-timers” in the factories would often go to the Houghtons with personal or family problems.
Gordon Casterline, retired from Corning, Inc.
And generations of families worked in the glass factories of Corning. Bill Anderson, a former Corning Glass Works employee, talked about his uncle and father, who came to Corning from Norway in 1914 to blow glass. Back in his father’s hometown, Anderson says boys as young as 8 years old worked in the local glass factories, a practice well-documented in the United States as well.
Bill Anderson, former Corning Glass Works employee, interviewed May 2011.
During World War II, women began to work in more significant numbers for Corning Glass Works and other manufacturing companies. And of course, even after the war ended, many women continued to work outside the home. Yet, workplaces often had a different set of rules in place for women employees. In her interview, Elizabeth Barenthaler, a Corning Glass Center staff member, humorously describes the dress code for women, prior to the 1970s as somewhat restrictive!
We weren’t allowed to wear pants. And then I finally found out that we could wear nice pantsuits. But it was in the 50’s I think or early 60’s because I can remember shaking my head, after the flood, after we got in E-Bldg, seeing somebody in jeans, sitting on the floor sorting something and I’m thinking, “Girl, if you only knew”.
Not many of us today take the time to record our stories or write letters to family and friends describing the important events of our lives. These oral histories offer us a way to preserve those voices and take a snapshot of a vanishing time, before the opportunity slips away.
The Library is interested in conducting oral history interviews during Corning’s GlassFest (May 24-27, 2012). If you would like to share your story with us, please contact us at rakow@cmog.org.
The CMOG Celebrity Solstice lady glassblowers. Laurie Kain, Ryan Doolittle, and Helen Tegeler.
A fond hello to everyone as I have happily returned to my ship home away from home on the Celebrity Solstice! After several trips on the ship it has become a seamless transition getting used to living and blowing glass on a floating city that takes you to beautiful locales around the world.
Helen pulling a winning ticket during one of our spontaneous raffles with her flower vase in the foreground.
In the past my glassblowing team of three has always consisted of one or two boys and me. I know that when there is a team of all males they often get asked if females blow glass at all. For the very first time I find myself paired with two other female glassblowers and it has been absolute girl power dynamite. By sheer coincidence my first cruise began a couple days before Valentine’s Day and we embraced it with an explosion of girlie glass the likes of which I’ve never seen or experienced before. We created hearts with arrows, a cupcake goblet, flower vases, and to top it off a unicorn/pegasus sitting on a pink cotton candy cloud with a rainbow behind it.
Helen putting the finishing touches on her Unicorn of Unity
Let me take you back and explain the creative inspiration for this gallantly gaudy unicorn piece that brings back fond memories of my delightfully tacky trapper-keepers from long ago. Every cruise we have an entertainment meeting with our Cruise Director, musicians, production cast, singers, AV operators, and activities staff. On the Celebrity Equinox the Hot Glass Show team made a very special piece of glass sculpture called the “Starfeesh” that would be handed off each cruise to a new person to recognize their exemplary performance or random act of kindness. The Starfeesh winner then gets to enjoy the glass sculpture for a cruise until they award it to the next deserving individual. Our wonderful Cruise Director, Stuart, thought it would be amazing to start this somewhat cheesy but beloved tradition on the Solstice, but with a new glass sculpture that he titled the Unicorn of Unity. This reminds me of our Captain who tells the passengers that our 1300 crewmembers come from 70 different countries and through all of our cultural differences manage to unite and work together in harmony. He then recommends that the UN should come and see how it’s done.
Laurie and her cupcake goblet
My team leader, the wonderful Helen Tegeler who I dub the glass sculptor extraordinaire, took this idea and ran a glass circle around it. During the last Hot Glass Show of the cruise we crafted this hilarious piece and the audience was coaxed into sharing our contagious giggles and high spirits. Of course us girls simply had to come up to our stage on a formal night and have an impromptu photo shoot with our beloved Unicorn of Unity before gifting it to our fellow entertainers. We promised everyone that to counteract the extreme girlie glass fest we would make a manly monster truck next cruise.
Jim Hess and his sister Sharon Aumick at February’s 2300°: Mardi Gras Snow Day
There’s a good chance that if you’re at 2300° tonight, you’ll see Jim Hess and Sharon Aumick. In fact, the brother and sister have not missed a 2300° event for the past ten years. They enjoy getting together; he drives down from Buffalo, and she’s in Addison, so it’s a nice chance to catch up. They bring other family when they can make it, and Sharon gets to meet up with fellow retired teachers. But what keeps them coming back year after year, they say, is the Hot Glass Show. Sharon says, “We love it! We like seeing the different artists.” From Anne Gant’s pyrographies to Paul Stankard’s paperweights, they’ve seen a mix of glassmaking techniques at demonstrations by both local gaffers and visiting glass artists.
This month, we’re sure they’ll be at the Hot Glass Show watching Philadelphia-based artist Christopher Lydon make organically inspired sculptural and vessel forms with intense color contrasts.
I’m standing in a small narrow hallway in the lower level of the Museum with Rob Cassetti, senior director, creative services & marketing. On one end is the loading dock for the entire Museum, on the other end is the GlassMarket, the Auditorium is to the right, and on the opposite side, the kitchen for the Museum’s GlassMarket Café. It’s a small, high traffic area used by all departments of the Museum. Shipping and receiving for the GlassMarket, food deliveries, mail, and collection loan objects all make their way down this corridor.
Rob Casetti and Chris Morelli explain how the renovation is helping improve the flow of the space.
We’re joined by Chris Morelli, a project engineer on the construction management team. He’s one of the last of the crew here on a late Friday afternoon, and it’s a good thing that things have cleared out a little. He explains that the Café construction site has been a buzz of activity since the project began, with over 40 people onsite working this week. I can’t imagine how that many people fit to work in this back space, but it makes it clear why the renovation is necessary, not only for visitors dining at the Museum, but also to improve overall circulation and space management in the kitchen, storage and catering areas.
Rob looks over the Café renovation site plans
With the renovation, the flow of the kitchen transitioned from a long rectangle to a larger square. There is a new giant walk-in freezer, added storage, a new dishwashing station and added kitchen workspace. Construction included building a small addition to the side of the existing Museum for a tray return station, and relocating pipes under the kitchen floor to open up space. This renovation is only the first of many changes happening within the Museum as the North Wing expansion is underway.
Installing wiring for the digital menus in the new GlassMarket Café.
As we walk into the main dining area of the café, I’m reminded why I love to have lunch here. The floor to ceiling windows are always stunning. Rob points out where there will be a glass canopy over the servery stations. He notes that the translucent glass will look like it’s always been there, fitting into the existing architectural design. However, the glass also serves an important function in ventilation and improving the air quality of the Museum. This helps make sure that the smell of pizza doesn’t end up wafting into the galleries.
I can see the new brick pizza oven, but it’s still wrapped up in plastic. Once it’s installed, it will be one of five new menu stations. When you walk into the Café, you’ll be able to grab a tray and choose from a variety of options. New digital menus will provide daily meal options, pricing, and display vegetarian/dairy free/allergy information. The stations include international cuisine, Italian, pizza, soups & salads, and sandwiches. Grab n’ go and kids’ options will be available at each of the stations.
The dining area of the GlassMarket Café (reopening April 1)
It is no small feat to make this all happen in a few short months, and crews have the added difficulty of working within a museum, a place typically not used to the sounds and smells of drilling and welding. Most of the work happens at night to prevent disruptions when the Museum is open during the day. Chris said that a project like this would usually take five to six months; but when the Café reopens on April 1, it will have been completed in just three.
Plan for the menu stations in the new GlassMarket Café
Carole and her sister Georgia took a cruise earlier this year on board the Celebrity Solstice, where her nephew Zac is a glassblower in the Hot Glass Show live glassblowing demonstrations. The two attended every show, and were inspired to share the following limericks.
Carole and Georgia with the glassblowing team
There is a glassblower named Zac
Who joined with another, Dane Jack.
With Laurie Kain on the team,
They earned great esteem
Blowing glass art all the way out and back.
One glass artist is named Zac Gorell,
Who demonstrates and explains it so well.
His “Dream Pitcher” came true
From a dream he did view;
Creativity, night and day, one can tell.
Another glass artist is Dane Jack,
Raised in Corning and now going back;
Cruises done for a while;
He’ll demonstrate his great style
At the Museum–now, how cool is that!
Zac with a dragon stem goblet
Laurie Kain comes from Washington State;
Her Sunset Series of gold did create.
The shapes were pure molten;
When cooled, she would hold them
And viewers exclaimed, “Beyond great!”
Sparkling dragons, seahorses and swan-o’s
Support goblets more beautiful than Murano’s;
Laurie’s Lego Man was so cute,
Dane’s hatching turtle, to boot,
And Zac’s fish on its fins balanced just so.
They gather glass, blow it and wacky wrap it;
They explain how they form it and adapt it,
Then on charity’s behest
They auction the best,
Raising thousands, having fun while they’re at it.
Georgia on board the Celebrity Solstice
To anneal this glass tale edition,
Send Dane, Laurie and Zac on their mission:
Give it up for the three
Who create art at sea,
And continue the CMoG tradition.
You can see for yourself on a cruise ship,
Celebrity Solstice, Equinox and the Eclipse;
Or on land it’s a snap:
Find New York on a map
And visit Corning Museum of Glass.
– Carole P. Smith
Carole added, “The Solstice is a beautiful ship. The crew and staff were friendly and helpful; the entertainment was spectacular, especially the show on the first night. Food was everywhere and delicious and available at any hour of day or night. We went to every one of the glass shows and Dane gave Georgia the title “President of the Glass Blower Groupies“. People recognized her in different places on the ship and even one time during a shore excursion.”
Georgia agreed that the live glassblowing demonstrations were the highlight of the cruise. “We went to every show, and stayed for the whole show, we just had to keep watching!” She also added, “I didn’t know anything about CMoG before. I was fascinated to learn that the Corning Museum’s research developed the all-electric furnace and glory hole, when other companies who were approached didn’t think it could be done. I loved the CMoG shop and the way it was set up with bios of each artist, to actually touch the tools, and the glassblown work displayed was incredible.”
Beth Lipman creates a pineapple out of hot glass at the Norton Museum of Art.
For the opening of her exhibition, Beth Lipman: A Still Life Installation, at The Norton Museum of Art, contemporary glass artist Beth Lipman joined The Corning Museum of Glass team on the Hot Glass Roadshow stage for a special glassblowing event. Lipman worked with the team to make one of the objects included in her large blown glass sculpture One and Others, commissioned by The Norton Museum. A somber piece, the group of blown glass objects jumbled together refers to still life paintings in the museum’s collection. Gazing balls, pineapples, glasses, a rabbit and more all sit atop a black coffin, made to the measurements of the artist herself.
Beth Lipman and the Hot Glass Roadshow team discuss what they will make
Traditionally, the pineapple is a sign of hospitality and welcome. It seemed fitting then that Lipman chose to make a glass version at the opening event. However, another story of the fruit’s significance surfaced during our visit to the museum.
Creating the stem of the pineapple
Woodlawn Cemetery sits directly across the street from The Norton, located on South Olive Avenue in West Palm Beach, FL. Supposedly, as we were told, there are still graves that were never relocated from under the museum. One of these secret graves is reported to be Richard Hone, the owner of a pineapple plantation in West Palm Beach who was murdered in 1902.
Beth Lipman works the hot glass to the shape of a pineapple
Was the pineapple then a symbol of hospitality or homage to the murdered pineapple grower? As Lipman’s work addresses themes of material culture, life and death – it could be both.
Finishing touches
The Hot Glass Roadshow is providing daily glassmaking demonstrations at The Norton Museum of Art, in West Palm Beach, FL through March 25.
