Renovation Begins on Glassmaking Icon

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Corning Museum of Glass

Work began last week to renovate the iconic ventilator building of the former Steuben Glass factory adjacent to The Corning Museum of Glass, in Corning, NY. The building will become the largest space in the world for public glassblowing demonstrations. The renovation is part of a 100,000-square-foot North Wing addition to The Corning Museum of Glass, designed by Thomas Phifer and Partners and opening in 2014. The expansion also includes a new 26,000-square-foot contemporary glass gallery space.

Visitors will be able view the Museum’s daily live Hot Glass Show glassblowing demonstrations and other special glassmaking activities from many angles. The space will accommodate 500 people and offer 360-degree views of the glassmaking show. The venue will have retractable banked seating, and a gallery-level balcony running around the perimeter of the hotshop.

“The design of this new glassmaking venue allows the beauty of the original ventilator structure to shine through,” Phifer said. “The new seating, balcony and hotshop are detailed to never touch the exterior walls. The ceiling has been cleared of pipes so that the original roof truss is fully exposed. When you walk into the space, it will feel as if you are entering an industrial cathedral.”

Corning Museum of Glass Opening New 500-seat Glassmaking Hotshop in 2014.

During the year-long renovation of the ventilator building, the exterior cladding is being removed to expose the underlying steel structure, and the building’s distinctive claw-like shape on the roof of the building (designed to efficiently ventilate massive amounts of heat) will be temporarily removed. The structure, which was built in 1951, will then be reinforced to bring it up to modern building codes, designed to withstand wind, snow loads and earthquakes.

Windows, exterior cladding, and the roof -including the claw- will be rebuilt using modern, insulated, energy-efficient building materials. The building is designed to be LEED-certified.

Renovation of the iconic ventilator building began last week.

“The ventilator building is an icon of mid-century glassmaking factories,” said Karol Wight, the Museum’s executive director. “We are pleased to continue the tradition of glassmaking that has occurred in that space since 1951: to showcase the art of glassmaking to our 400,000 visitors that come to The Corning Museum of Glass each year and to provide international glass artists with one of the best hotshops in the world in which to work.”

The glassmaking facility will include a highly capable hotshop with energy-efficient glassmaking equipment built by Spiral Arts in Seattle, including a 32-inch glory hole, a 1,000-pound furnace for colorless glass, two furnaces for colored glass and four 83-cubic-foot annealers. The glass melting and reheating furnaces are designed to use waste heat to reduce energy consumption.

The hotshop will be supported by a fully equipped cold shop with sandblasting, cutting and engraving capabilities. In addition to the main demonstration space, there will be a smaller, private hotshop for behind-the-scenes activities such as training and private sessions of the Museum’s glass design program, GlassLab.

“We wanted to build a hotshop that any artist would want to work in, so we turned to the glass community for advice,” said Steve Gibbs, senior manager of Hot Glass Programs. “Their dream became our objective: to build the best hotshop in the world in a light-filled, temperature-controlled environment. The large space and equipment will provide our staff and guest artists the capacity needed for large-scale contemporary glassmaking.”

The space will be highly configurable to accommodate special events and demonstrations. The banked seating can retract and additional equipment can be set up to allow for multiple demonstrations to occur at the same time or provide floor space for events. For indoor/outdoor events, the north and south walls can open to adjoining outdoor spaces designed by Reed Hilderbrand Associates.

The live, narrated, Hot Glass Show glassblowing demonstrations have been offered all day, every day, year-round at The Corning Museum of Glass campus in Corning, NY, since 1996. The demonstrations have become one of the Museum’s most popular attractions. Currently, the Museum has a new 150-seat Hot Glass Show theatre, as well as a 141-seat capacity seasonal outdoor demonstration area; both will remain open during construction of the North Wing. The Museum employs almost 40 glassblowers annually who provide glassblowing demonstrations at the Museum, on the road and at sea on Celebrity Cruises.

To learn more about the North Wing expansion project, visit cmog.org/expansion.

The Witch’s Ball: Old traditions on a new stage

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Mandy Kritzeck

The opening of a new hot shop is a grand occasion and last week’s ceremony for the new Hot Glass Show Innovations Stage was a fitting celebration of the long-standing tradition of glassmaking here at the Museum.

George and Don transfer molten gobs of glass

To transition from the old Hot Glass Show stage to the new light-filled Innovations Stage, all of the glassmakers who have worked at the Museum over the years were invited to join the procession. Led by the Finger Lakes Pipe Band and the Veterans of the Foreign War Color Guard, gaffers George Kennard and Don Pierce carried gobs of glass from the old furnaces to the furnaces in the new hot shop. The Innovations Stage is a unique presentation space, with state-of-the-art all-electric equipment. It’s more energy efficient than the natural gas powered furnaces.

Steve Gibbs

Steve Gibbs, hot glass programs manager, was the master of ceremonies, carrying a mace with elaborate filigree work and the red CMoG symbol, made especially for the event. The new theater was immediately filled to its 165-seat capacity, and after executive director Karol Wight dedicated the new hot shop, the glass demo began.

The first object to be made on the stage was what’s known as a witch’s ball. According to folklore, the witch’s ball originated in 18^th century Europe where it would be hung in windows to keep away evil spirits. As the tradition made its way to glasshouses in America, it was said that witches and other spirits wishing harm would see the glass ball and be attracted to the shiny, sparkly stringers inside. The spirits would get tangled in the strings inside the ball and not be able to escape and cause any harm.

The Rakow Research Library’s holdings cover every topic related to glass, and their files helped shed more light on the traditions surrounding witch’s balls. Raymond Barlow’s A Guide to Sandwich Glass: Witch Balls, Containers and Toys, says that the term “witch’s ball” could be a derivation of the term “watch ball,” small glass balls filled with herbs, or in some instances, mixtures of herbs, urine and sticks meant to ward off evil spirits. Multiple sources also note that witches supposedly fear round shapes, and would stay away.

There are also records of the different colors used. The earliest witch’s balls were clear, then colored frit (small bits of glass) was added, first blue and white, and then pink. Later examples, in the 1820s according to Barlow, show swirls and loops similar to decoration found on glass marbles. If red, white and blue were used, the object is known as a militia ball. These were popular during the Civil War when glassmakers who were in the army would hang them from their muskets for holiday parades. Witch’s balls of a single color were usually meant for hanging in a barn.

In the 20^th century, the witch’s ball became part of a category of glass objects made by factory glassmakers during spare time at the furnace, known as whimsies. Joyce Blake’s Glasshouse Whimsies is a good starting place to learn more about these canes, chains, eggs, paperweights and witch’s balls.

The Michigan Glass Guild Newsletter from March 1988 notes that a witch’s ball can be found in many glass schools, where it is a tradition for each class to make one for the studio. “Not only the piece brings good luck, but the collaboration of the glass workers is as positive as any Good Luck Charm can be.” (Barbara Yearce, “Witchballs.” Michigan Glass Guild Newsletter, no. 21, March 1988, p. 3.)

At the Hot Glass Show Innovations Stage opening, each glassblower added a bit of glass to the piece. The end result is an elaborate be-winged clear glass ball that is truly unique.

The witch's ball made on the new Innovations Stage

“It’s really about recognizing the collaborative spirit of glassmaking,” said Eric Meek, Hot Glass Show supervisor, “everyone has contributed their skills on the Hot Glass Show stage throughout the years, and we wanted a way to honor that and continue that tradition on the new stage.”

Hot Glass Show Glassmakers

The Innovations Stage renovation was one of the first steps in the North Wing Expansion project. Construction will soon begin on the 500-seat Hot Glass Show stage that will open with the new North Wing in 2014. The Hot Glass Show will be live on the Innovations stage throughout the day, every day, during the expansion project.

See the Hot Glass Show: http://www.cmog.org/visit/calendar

Construction wraps up on the Hot Glass Show Innovation Stage

Posted on July 24, 2012 by John Cowden

Today’s post comes from John Cowden, a retired supervisor and narrator of the Hot Glass Show. John works with special projects at the Museum, and is supporting the new Hot Glass Show Innovation Stage construction project. John will be reporting on the progress of the project on an ongoing basis.

Construction on the new Hot Glass Show Innovation Stage is making good progress. The stage is sufficiently completed to accept the new melting equipment. The equipment was built in Seattle, WA by Spiral Arts and shipped to Corning. The owner of Spiral Arts, Fred Metz, came to Corning to make some final adjustments and troubleshoot the installation.

Fred Metz

The furnace was delivered to the Museum at night.

Working in the Museum while it remains open complicates the construction process for the contractors. Having construction on-site complicates operations for the Museum. The Museum has restricted some construction processes to after-hours. For example, most construction deliveries are scheduled outside Museum hours. Any paint which produces odors is applied after hours. Also restricted are noise making and dust producing operations. As a result, there are people working on the new Hot Glass Show Innovations Stage twenty-four hours a day. Some people are working five 8-hour days a week. Some are working four 10-hour days a week. Some are working four 12-hour days a week. A few are working five 12-hour days a week.

The new equipment installed. From left to right across the back of the stage: the furnace (with Fred inside), the iron warmer and color box, the annealer and the gloryhole. All of the equipment is electric.

There are a lot of signs that the project is coming to the end. The scaffolding which was erected to work on the ceiling has been dismantled and the ceiling is nearly complete. There is a painter doing touch up which you can see in the foreground of the picture of the equipment. The cooling equipment has been installed under the stage. The walls are finished. You can see the new paneling behind the exhaust vents.

The furnace was turned on last night and it is performing very well. The initial temperature rise is slow to get the moisture out safely (perhaps as slowly as 15° F/hour). Any initial firing of a glass furnace produces odors. The first trial of the ventilation system removed all of the initial firing odors. It will soon be time to add the glass to the furnace.

The electricians are making a few last minute adjustments.

The carpet is being installed and all of the brackets for the seating are installed.

Join us in celebrating the opening of the Hot Glass Show Innovation Stage Thursday, July 26 at 10am. Drop by (no reservations necessary) and watch as a procession of glassmakers make their way through the Museum (with much fanfare!) and transfer molten glass to the new furnaces using a hot glass torch.

Museum Expansion Work Begins

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Yvette Sterbenk

If you’ve driven past the Museum recently, you’ll see signs of our expansion becoming a reality. We couldn’t be more excited!

The work on our new 150-seat Hot Glass Show theatre, slated to open in July, is almost complete. We’ll be very happy to remove the plastic covering on the outside wall to showcase the full beauty of that space to the outside world. When the theatre is complete, visitors will be able to see hot glassmaking both inside the theatre and through the many open walls that will look into the theater.

Rendering of the new 150-seat Hot Glass Show Theater

The completion of this slightly larger new Hot Glass Show space will allow us to provide our popular Hot Glass Show glassblowing demonstrations without any interruption to our visitors during construction. We’ll then tear down the old Hot Glass Show stage and begin the renovation of the former Steuben factory building into an additional (and amazing) 500-seat Hot Glass Show and hotshop space.

On the north side of the building, the fences went up last week to restrict access to the construction area. On Wednesday morning, a crane came in to change out air handling units. All buildings, and especially Museums, need good air handling.

Part of the old building on the north side will be demolished to make room for the new North Wing contemporary glass gallery. On that building stands a unit which our operations staff lovingly refer to as Penthouse 4 and which contains two working air handlers that will no longer exist once the building is demolished. The crane was here to remove some old air handlers, and replace them with a new, larger air handler.

Loading in the new air handler

See the Hot Glass Show in a new light-filled theater, open this summer

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Mandy Kritzeck

One of the most common questions we hear at the Museum is “Where do we see the live glassblowing?” The tradition of glassmaking has been a part of the Museum campus since the opening in 1951. Our glassblowers put on more than 15 Hot Glass Show glassblowing demonstrations a day, and even more show times are added in the summer. With the North Wing expansion soon underway, one of the first major changes is a newly renovated theater to continue our daily schedule of the Hot Glass Show.

Hot Glass Show at The Corning Museum of Glass

The new theater will be located just above the Museum Admissions Lobby, in what used to be the Museum’s orientation film theater. The space was originally designed by architects Smith-Miller + Hawkinson, who revisited their 1999 design to transform the theater into a new venue suited for glass demonstrations. Watch this clip of architect Laurie Hawkinson talking about the use of glass in architecture.

Renovations began in January, right after the removal of Brian Clarke’s The Glass Wall. The theater will open this summer to ensure that construction on the North Wing will not affect the schedule of our popular live glassblowing demonstrations. In fact, one day you’ll see the Hot Glass Show in its current space, and, if you came back the next day, you’d be able to see it in this new space.

The Hot Glass Show is so popular that we’re adding more space. An additional 50 seats are being added to this new theatre, and stadium-style seating ensures that there won’t be a bad view in the house. You’ll be able to sit right up front and feel the heat from the new all-electric furnaces, or sit further back, relax, and enjoy the show and the view of Corning through floor-to-ceiling windows.

View of the new hot glass show theater under renovation

The renovation in progress.

A major part of the renovation project is the removal of the eastern interior wall. Once completed, the theater will almost resemble our outdoor Courtyard stage. The open sides will allow you to see out to Center Way (the road in front of the Museum) from inside the theater, or watch the show as you wander by on the way to the Glass Galleries. You’ll also be able to see a live video stream of the Hot Glass Show in the Admissions Lobby.

Rendering of the new Hot Glass Show theater looking toward the stage.

The theater is scheduled to open early July. Come see a show then, now, or later – the Hot Glass Show happens all day, every day and now open until 8pm. See a full schedule of the Hot Glass Show: http://www.cmog.org/visit/calendar.

One lucky member’s design selected for Making Ideas preview GlassLab session

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Mandy Kritzeck

A summer of Making Ideas kicks off tonight with the Member’s preview of Making Ideas: Experiments in Design at GlassLab. GlassLab, the signature design program of the Museum, offers a unique opportunity for designers to work with hot glass. Historically, access to glass has been limited for artists and designers. Through GlassLab, nearly fifty international designers from various disciplines, including product, industrial, graphic and fashion design, have worked with the Museum’s artist-glassblowers to create prototypes of their design concepts and work with glass in ways never possible before. In lieu of a glassblowing production factory, designers work on a mobile glassblowing stage at museums and design events across Europe and the United States including Design Miami, Art Basel, Vitra Design Museum, and Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum.

Designer Nacho Carbonell at GlassLab design session

Designer Nacho Carbonell assists GlassLab gaffers during his design session at Vitra Design Museum

Members of the Museum have exclusive access to one of the world’s best collections of glass design. The GlassLab program has increased access to the material of glass for designers and artists. In the spirit of this summer’s exhibition, we invited our members to become designers themselves in a live GlassLab session.

Museum Members at the Friend level and above were asked to submit a design concept to be made in glass during a special Hot Glass Show at the Member’s-only reception for Making Ideas. Designs could be functional vessels, lighting, or sculptural explorations. After receiving many sketches and unique concepts, a winner was selected.

GlassLab Member's preview design concept

Dr. Wayne C. Templer's design concept

Dr. Wayne C. Templer, a member of the Museum for nine years, submitted this design for an Atlantic salmon fly. Museum glassmaker Eric Meek said, “This design will be fun to see come together onstage because of its shape. It’s not a typical vessel – it was the most unusual design that was submitted.” He noted that a fly fishing lure is something that is universally identifiable, but not necessarily when made in glass.

This summer, visitors to the Museum will have the opportunity to see GlassLab in action at design sessions at the Hot Glass Show every Tuesday and Wednesday from May 29 through August 29 (see the full schedule). Designers will work with glassmakers to explore and prototype their design concepts live. If you missed your opportunity to submit a design for the Member’s reception, You Design It; We Make It begins on May 25^th, and become a Museum Member for special access to events throughout the year.

Update: see the finished piece on our Facebook wall.

Artist Christopher Lydon inspired by B.B. King’s Lucille at 2300°: Blues

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Mandy Kritzeck

Philadelphia-based artist Christopher Lydon makes organically inspired sculptural and vessel forms as well as works with intense color contrasts that reference street art and anime. At the March 2300°: Blues, Lydon was inspired by the theme of that night’s event – the blues, and special guest Tony Coleman, drummer for the legendary American blues guitarist B.B. King.

For his Hot Glass Show demonstration, Lydon challenged himself to sculpt something fun and recognizable to the audience, all within the two hour time limit of the event. Working closely with his team of glassblowers, he created a glass guitar modeled on B.B. King’s signature Lucille. See the demonstration and hear from Lydon on how he’s progressed as an artist and the importance of working with a good team.

See more photos of Christopher and the band Howling Waters at 2300°: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjzroaZ6

Local glassblower Dane Jack receives Celebrity Cruise Scholarship

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Lindsay Woodruff

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.

Learn more about the Celebrity Cruise Scholarship fund, and others.

A Ten Year 2300° Tradition

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Mandy Kritzeck

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.

2300°: Blues is tonight, Thursday March 15 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. Visit http://www.cmog.org/event/2300-blues for more information.

See you there, Jim and Sharon!

Surprise Valentine’s Day Proposal

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Corning Museum of Glass

Gian and Christine

She said yes! Christine Sullivan thought that she was spending Valentine’s Day just visiting The Corning Museum of Glass with Gian Mastroianni, but she had no idea that they would be leaving engaged to be married.

Said Gian, “The ring took forever to plan, but the proposal only took about a week.” With the help of Rene Miller, guest services supervisor here at the Museum, they planned the perfect spot for the proposal. “We talked and she sent pictures of different areas in the Museum, but we finally decided on the Tiffany window.”

Visiting from the Buffalo, NY area, this was the couple’s first time to the Museum. They started off the day touring the galleries and watching the Flameworking Demo. Then, with Christine unaware of Gian’s plans, they went to see the live Hot Glass Show. With the help of the Hot Glass Show team, Christine was selected as the winner of a drawing for a piece of glass and instructed to go to the Modern Glass Gallery to claim her prize.

When Christine unwrapped her “prize,” a pink handkerchief glass vase, just like the one they had seen made at the Hot Glass Show, the ring was hidden inside.

Congratulations and best wishes to the happy couple!

Corning Museum of Glass

Behind the Glass

Tag Archives: Hot Glass Show