It was a busy weekend at GlassLab on Governors Island, with design sessions featuring Keetra Dean Dixon and JK Keller, Chris and Dominic Leong, Leon Ransmeier, Jon Otis, and Judy Smilow.

Unfortunately, we can’t say that the third weekend of GlassLab on Governors Island went off without a hitch! Designers Keetra Dean Dixon and JK Keller came to GlassLab with a new idea for a common trailer ball hitch. The concept was to take something strong and industrial and make it out of glass, a material often perceived to be fragile.

The first section of the hitch was made on Saturday, and the two came prepared with a wooden mold shaped with the ball to make the second half of the hitch on Sunday.

Keetra Dean Dixon and JK Keller make a glass trailer ball hitch at GlassLab

Chris and Dominic Leong returned for a second GlassLab design session, adding color to their design concepts. In their first GlassLab design session, Chris and Dominic explored geometric shapes in glass vessels.

Chris and Dominic Leong with geometric glass shapes

Leon Ransmeier continued his series of glass pitchers.

Leon Ransmeier continued his series of glass pitchers at GlassLab on Governors Island

Designer Jon Otis’ concept was a fusion of wood and glass. The glassblowers pushed hot glass into wooden blocks made by Jon, resulting in unique interactions.

Glass is blown into a wooden mold for Jon Otis' design concept

Hot glass and combustible materials do not often mix well together, and Jon was open to the variety of forms that could result from the fusing of burning wood and molten glass. Judy Smilow’s design concept incorporated copper wire frames wrapped around hot glass, in the form of bowls. Read more about the designer’s concepts and see photos from past Governors Island GlassLab design sessions at http://www.cmog.org/glasslab/designers.

See the full GlassLab on Governors Island schedule for upcoming designer sessions with Peter Buchanan-Smith, Inna Alesina, Paul Sahre, Abbott Miller, David Weeks, and Georgie Stout.

GlassLab, the Museum’s design program, began on Governors Island last weekend. It was hot, but that didn’t keep the crowds, or the good ideas, away.

Crowds watch GlassLab at Governors Island

The first weekend featured mostly graphic and exhibit designers who are represented in the Cooper-Hewitt’s exhibition, Graphic Design: Now in Production, which is showing on Governors Island all summer. It really is a rich experience to see the designers’ work in the show and then see how they are challenging (and being challenged by) the material of glass at GlassLab.

Peter Buchanan-Smith worked in a private design session on Friday for the media and some invited guests. His design concept was a buoy made of glass. You can read more about his design session on the NY Times T Magazine blog.

Glass Buoy designed by Peter Buchanan-Smith

Designer Eric Ku was inspired by the idea of glass bubbles, designing a whimsical piece which looks like a bubble blown on a child’s bubble wand. It looks as if it could float away on a beautiful summer’s day.

Eric Ku holds up his glass bubble

James Victore says he is “a student of chance” and admitted to being challenged by the idea that he could not make the work himself (like many designers he likes working with his hands to explore a material). However, he embraced the opportunity and played with the way glass can capture movement and flowing shapes. His “Drunken Vessels” barely stand up… the way someone who drinks wine from them may feel.

Glassmakers Chris Rochelle and Adam Holtzinger prepare to anneal James Victore's Drunken Vessel

Mike Perry designed a hollow lobed-vessel and explored both shape and color. The second piece was a vibrant, impactful taxi-cab yellow, with four symmetrical lobes, topped by an asymmetrical, slightly curved top.

Designer Mike Perry observes Eric Meek and Adam Holtzinger working on his design

Mike and James will be back this weekend, and we’re excited to see what they want to explore next.

The designers who worked on the Cooper-Hewitt’s Graphic Design show, Chris and Dominic Leong, and often design spaces for exhibits and other installations, played with the idea of project geometric figures in glass.

Chris and Dominic Leong explored geometric shapes in a glass vessel

Finally, the weekend ended on a fun note with illustrate and graphic designer Q Cassetti (designer of the GlassLab logo and many Corning Museum graphics), who played with the idea of ice cream cones and cupcakes in glass. On a hot day, on any island that is shaped like an ice cream cone, it seemed a fitting way to wrap up the weekend.

An ice cream cone made in hot glass seemed an appropriate way to end the weekend