Top 4 Resources for Teachers at The Corning Museum of Glass

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Corning Museum of Glass

Resources for Teachers at The Corning Museum of Glass Today’s post is from Mary Mills, education programs manager at the Museum.

Teachers: are you eager to take your students beyond the classroom walls and help them prepare for the future? We’re dedicated to helping you. The Museum offers a dynamic and engaging environment for learning. Our school programs align with NYS Common Core standards and enhance literacy by integrating interdisciplinary discovery-based learning with academic and domain-based vocabulary and verbalization.

Here are 4 steps you can take to learn more about our programs and help students excel beyond the classroom.

Come to Evening for Educators on Thursday, November 15, 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm at The Studio. Enjoy this free professional development event for regional educators of all grade levels and subject areas. Education staff will share how the Museum’s school tours address Common Core Shifts and the FOSS science curriculum. We will also give you a glimpse into our exciting North Wing Expansion and discuss upcoming education programs. Be sure to ask your principal if you can receive an hour of in-service credit. Registration is requested. And, stay for our popular free event 2300˚ immediately following.
Visit our website to see School Tour Options, Plan Your Visit, and explore Pre-Visit and Post-Visit Resources. Try making a Collection Set of images, articles and videos for online learning in your classroom. If you don’t see the type of program you have in mind or if you are having a hard time imagining how your curriculum aligns with glass, contact us. We will help you design a tour and age-appropriate activities. We have new exhibitions and program opportunities each year.
Tell your students about Museum programs and encourage them to get involved. Do you have students who are interested in learning more about museums or having careers related to art, history or science? Encourage teens to attend Fire Up Your Future on January 11, 2013 to learn more about our after-school and summer programs. The Families Explore series is great for elementary and middle level students. The program focuses on Science in November, Space in February and Music in March. If you teach high school, we would welcome having your class take a leadership role and share their projects, knowledge and skills with younger visitors. Contact us for more information.
Signup to receive email notifications about Evening for Educators and other educational programs and events at the Museum. Visit cmog.org and scroll down to the footer. Enter your email address under Join our mailing list and select Educator and School Programs.

We look forward to helping you and your students engage in learning at the Museum.

Students visit The Corning Museum of Glass

Students on a visit at The Corning Museum of Glass.

My Senior Project at the Museum by Alexandria Aldinger

Posted on September 27, 2012 by Kelley Elliott

My name is Alexandria Aldinger. I am currently a student of Liberty Jr. Sr. High school of Tioga County, Pennsylvania. As a senior at Liberty, I was given the task of creating a senior project about my future occupation; a project required for me to graduate. In addition, we must also shadow someone for 20 hours in or related to the field we are pursuing, and document our experiences.

The future occupation I have chosen is museum studies and art history (with a curatorial focus). I chose to pursue this career because I have an interest in both art and history. I love art. Learning the history behind art pieces makes it so much more interesting to me; which is why I think the field of museum studies and art history would make be a good fit for me. I was given the opportunity to be able to shadow two different employees at The Corning Museum of Glass; gallery educator Bonnie Wright, and curatorial assistant Kelley Elliott. This was very helpful for me because I was able to see two different jobs that make it possible for the Museum to operate successfully.

Part of Bonnie’s job in the Educational Department is to prepare educational material for different uses and audiences. Bonnie explained to me a bit about marketing, editing, and advertising for the Museum. I observed Bonnie while she edited a page of the Museum’s website. I also was able to attend a Hot Glass Show which helped me understand how glass is formed and fashioned. During the Hot Glass Show there was a drawing to win a vase that was made by the gaffers, and just my luck, I won it! It was very interesting to watch and I would recommend that anyone who visits the Museum should attend a show.

Bonnie also organizes some of the educational events for the Museum. For example, she organizes an event called Glass Camp. Glass Camp is a five day summer camp for children ages 9 through 11. I was able to help Bonnie go over the schedule for Glass Camp. Some of the activities for the children include gallery hunts, themed crafts, and attending Little Gather. Little Gather is a themed performance for children ages 3 and up that explores different types of glass through storytelling, puppet shows, music, and singing. Additionally, I observed Bonnie conducting one of several 3-hour training sessions for the Museum’s Explainer program. Explainers are teens and college students who are stationed throughout the Museum during the busy summer months, sharing information about the glass collection with visitors, and conducting youth tours. Bonnie was so helpful and full of information that I now am strongly considering becoming a museum educator.

I also learned a lot while shadowing Kelley. I was able to visit the Museum’s warehouse where collection items not on display in the galleries are stored. While there, I helped Kelley and the registrars unpack a large shipment of Pyrex glass that was donated to the Museum. I also helped do some research for a public inquiry about a Pyrex glass hurricane lamp.

A table full of Pyrex glass at the warehouse waiting to be cataloged.

Shelves full of glass in The Corning Museum of Glass’ warehouse.

Also while shadowing Kelley I was able to attend a meeting with designer Jon Otis at GlassLab, a design program at The Corning Museum of Glass. On July 17 and 18, Jon Otis created some design prototypes for the Museum. During our meeting we talked about which designs were successful, and we discussed the inspirations behind the designs.

Some of Jon Otis’ design protoypes made at GlassLab.

Image caption: From right to left is GlassLab designer Jon Otis, me, G. Brian Juk (gaffer), Hot Glass Show supervisor Eric Meek, and hot glass programs manager Steve Gibbs, at The Corning Museum of Glass.

From right to left is GlassLab designer Jon Otis, me, G. Brian Juk (gaffer), Hot Glass Show supervisor Eric Meek, and hot glass programs manager Steve Gibbs, at The Corning Museum of Glass.

I also helped Kelley with a research project on a glass vase by the famous French artist Émile Gallé (1846─1904). The vase, made sometime between 1890 and 1904, is called Vase with Tomatoes, but when looking at the vase it looks as though the tomatoes might be pumpkins because they are orange. We did research to find out if they were tomatoes or pumpkins.

Vase with Tomatoes, Émile Gallé (1846─1904), Nancy, France, about 1890─1904 (Anonymous gift, 82.3.55)

We researched the archives related to Gallé in the Museum’s Rakow Research Library. We found a photograph of a vase that looked very similar to the Vase with Tomatoes but there was no title on the photograph to indicate whether these were tomatoes or pumpkins.

So we continued our research online by comparing pictures of the leaves of tomato plants to the leaves on pumpkin plants. We decided that the leaves looked more like those found on a tomato plant. We also saw images of yellow and orange tomatoes with shapes very similar to what was on the vase. So we concluded that the piece by Gallé, Vase with Tomatoes, should keep its name based on what we found in our research.

Photograph of a vase by Émile Gallé (1846─1904) similar to the Vase with Tomatoes.

Orange colored Kellogg Beefsteak tomatoes. Source: Urban Farmer

While at The Corning Museum of Glass I was also able to explore the Museum for myself. My favorite part was the Contemporary Gallery of the Museum. The word “contemporary” simply means of the present time (specifically it means made in the last 30 years). I am a huge fan of contemporary art.

Overall my experience at The Corning Museum of Glass was amazing. The staff is wonderful and without them the Museum wouldn’t be as successful as it is. It was such a pleasure visiting the Museum for 20 hours and shadowing Kelley and Bonnie. It was definitely a great experience for me and I have memories I will never forget. I am looking forward to sharing my experiences and new knowledge of the field to my classmates and teachers this fall. I recommend The Corning Museum of Glass as a must visit on anyone’s vacation list.

Being a Junior Curator

Posted on September 18, 2012 by Corning Museum of Glass

Today’s post is from Junior Curator Devin Cook.

Before I began the CMoG Junior Curator program I knew that it was a great opportunity for learning about different art forms (I am looking into making a career out of illustration) and also just something that would look good on my résumé. But I wasn’t so sure about what it would be like to spend several months on such a project.

However, being a person who gets excited about really anything I have in-depth knowledge of, it soon became a fantastic way to spend a Thursday.

For Week One we got a front row seat at the Hot Glass Show and a tour of The Studio (glassworking school) of the Museum. We also learned about glass properties and terminology, which actually gave me a great idea for a band name: Punty Connection.

The Junior Curators’ job is to design a glass exhibit each year at The Studio. We were shown four cases full of a variety of pieces that we were free to use. We looked at these for a few days, and thought of a cavalcade of ideas for themes (pantheon of deities, space travel, the human figure, etc.).

Now, fast forward to May 3^rd – our motley group of misfits have settled on the theme of “Cups” (I have very few hard feelings for my space and pantheon of the gods themes being turned down). We then commenced our numerous votes to determine things like the title and signage. As for the title, we decided on, Cups o’ Plenty: Half Full or Half Empty?

The signage involved figuring out what to say, how to say it and what illustrations and colors should be used to drive the point home. This occurred directly after the laborious task of arranging the glass pieces in our case.

Now was time for the grand opening! The signs all looked great, and the food we chose for the event was delicious!

At the exhibition opening for Cups o' Plenty

I wish the best to anyone planning on going into an art career (glass or otherwise) and also to anyone planning on taking this class next year!

Learn more about the Museum’s teen programs, including Junior Curators.

Researching Child Labor in the American Glass Industry

Posted on August 8, 2012 by CMoG Explainers

Today’s post is from Museum Explainer Carolina Downie

I am an Explainer at The Corning Museum of Glass, working alongside 24 other high school and college students every day to teach visitors about glass. I learned about the Explainer program after participating in various other teen programs at the Museum, including the Junior Curators and the teen volunteer program. My involvement also exposed me to the Juliette K. and Leonard S. Rakow Research Library, which has abundant resources about glass. Thus, when I had to write an extended research paper for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, I decided to write about the use of child labor in the American glass industry after finding resources and support from the librarians there.

Blower and Mold Boy, Seneca Glass Works, Morgantown, W. Va. Lewis Hine

Blower and Mold Boy, Seneca Glass Works, Morgantown, W. Va., October 1908. Lewis Hine. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA.

While conducting my research, I learned there is a long history of child laborers in the American glass industry. Initially, young boys worked as apprentices alongside their male relatives to learn the family trade of glassblowing. Therefore, although children were working, the skills they learned led to a future career.¹

However, the invention of the mechanical press around 1825 and the subsequent industrialization of the glass business brought an end to the apprenticeship system. The mechanical press meant that less-skilled workers could be employed in glass factories. Therefore, children were not trained to learn glassblowing, but were instead hired as cheap sources of labor in the bottle and tableware sectors.

By the mid-1800s, production teams in glasshouses were made up of 2 to 3 boys as young as 10 years old, and an older glassblower. As Harriet Van der Vaart described in a report for the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC), “…The glassblower pours the molten glass into the molds; a boy sits and closes the molds; another one picks the bottle out of the molds and puts them on a long stick or handle, and puts them in front of a small furnace….called ‘the glory-hole,’ where the top or neck of the bottle is finished….the boys carry them into the annealing furnaces, where they are gradually cooled.”²

The "Carrying-in Boys," Midnight At an Indiana Glass Works, August 1908. Lewis Hine. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ncl2004000107/PP/

Although child labor and compulsory education laws were enacted during the 1830s in an attempt to end child labor in many industries, most “legislation enacted before 1880 generally contained only weak restrictions and little provisions for enforcement.”³ In addition, some glass factories were specifically exempted from child labor reform; this exemption existed most infamously in Pennsylvania until 1915.⁴

Ten Arm Owens Automatic Bottle Machine. Courtesy of Owen's Automatic Bottle Machine Co., Toledo, Ohio. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ncl2004001184/PP/

It was not until the development of fully automatic machines that child labor was eliminated from the glass industry. Michael Owens’ automatic bottle machine was more economical than the system of glassmaking based on teams of employees, thus making it unnecessary to hire boys. In 1913, the NCLC sent Michael Owens a letter congratulating him on “eliminating more child labor than they had through legislation.”⁵

Although children can’t work in glass factories today, they can still become involved in the glass world, and in ways that are much more rewarding. The Corning Museum of Glass allows area youth to become involved in the glass world through its many teen programs. I took advantage of these programs: Little Gather, the Junior Curator program, volunteering, and the Explainer program. Moreover, I learned how to use the excellent resources at the Rakow library for my paper. These programs have really helped me grow as a student and young adult.

As an Explainer, I meet children who come to the Museum curious about glass. I find it fascinating to think that a hundred years ago, some of these children may have been working in a glass factory instead of learning about glass in a museum. I love teaching children about the interesting history of glass and introducing them to all the wonderful youth programs that The Corning of Museum of Glass has to offer.

1. Fones-Wolf, Ken. “Child Labor in the American Glass Industry.” The World of Child Labor: an Historical and Regional Survey. Ed. Hugh D. Hindman. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2009. 468. Print.

2. Van der Vaart, Harriet. “Children in the Glass Works of Illinois.” American Academy of Political and Social Sciences Annals. Vol. 29. 1907. 77. Print.

3. Whaples, Robert. “Child labor in the United States Economic History Services.” EH.Net/ Economic History Services. Web. 01 Apr. 2011. http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/whaples.childlabor.

4. Flannery, James L. The Glass House Boys of Pittsburgh: Law, Technology, and Child Labor. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh, 2009. Print.

5. Skrabec, Quentin R. “A Revolution in Bottle Making.” Glass in Northwest Ohio. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2007. 75. Print.

The Museum’s newest teen program: Junior Scientists

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Amanda Kiesl

Ever wanted to learn more about the science of glass? Here at the Museum, a group of area students are doing just that in the Junior Scientists program, new this year.

Junior Scientists at the corning museum of glass

Junior Scientists learning about the properties of glass

The small group of students from local Corning middle and high schools are in grades 7 through 9. The program began in March, and is wrapping up on June 12. Through hands-on experiments and behind the scenes tours of the Museum and Corning Inc. labs, the students are learning about science through the process and properties of glass.

Seventh-grader Pearl describes why she wanted to become a Junior Scientist:

Pearl making a Prince Rupert's drop

As a visitor to The Corning Museum of Glass, I have been amazed by the glass artwork. When I was younger, I always thought glass was super fragile since I broke glass dishes often. Now I know that this isn’t always true, and that it can be very strong. For example, fiber optics are super thin glass that can bend without snapping. I think this is outstanding and proves my old belief, that glass is nothing but an easy-to-break decoration, wrong. There are many different types of glass and they are used for different things. To illustrate, glass is found in everyday objects such as tables, windows, cell phones, and jars. Not only is glass pretty, but it is useful.

Students in the program are learning all about glass and what it can do by investigating the material through experiments and research. The focus of their research this year is stress and tension in glass. In their weekly after-school meetings, the Junior Scientists have toured the Innovations Center at the Museum, watched a special glass breaking demonstration, and gathered information for their research at the Rakow Library.

: Breaking a Prince Rupert’s Drop

: Hitting the glass with a hammer

: The glass shatters into thousands of pieces

In an experiment that quickly became a favorite experience for many of the students, the group had a hands-on workshop at The Studio where they made – and more importantly, destroyed – their own Prince Rupert drops.

Each Junior Scientist was tasked with designing, creating, and carrying out their own experiment over the course of the program. To assist in their research, the students met and worked with scientists from Corning’s Sullivan Park on the concepts for their experiments. The Junior Scientists will present their findings at a finale event on June 12.

Ask Me

Posted on December 4, 2011 by CMoG Explainers

Today’s post comes from Emily Tifft, Senior Explainer

Two words. Two words have shaped the majority of my summers for the past three years: “ASK ME.” Working as an Explainer at the Corning Museum of Glass, it is my job to lead tours and answer questions about the Museum and its collection. Whether I am walking through the Museum or standing behind expository carts that read “ASK ME,” I field questions that are as diverse as the guests who ask them. Every day is different, and whether I am discussing the coloring techniques of Tiffany with glass experts or fantasizing about wearing a glass dress with a 6 year old, each day as an Explainer is an opportunity for me to grow and learn far more than I teach when guests “ask me.”

“What would you be if you could be any object in the world?” This is the question with which I was greeted on the first day I became involved with the Museum’s youth programs four years ago. I enrolled in the Museum’s Junior Curators program, a weekly program in the spring that allows students in grades 8 through 12 to curate their own exhibit for display in The Studio. When I entered the program, I was nervous and shy, expecting the mentor to do most of the instructing. That is, therefore, why I was not only shocked, but also more than a bit confused by imagining myself as an object; converting a gaggle of nine kids into a road sign, a bead, two Rubik’s Cubes, an Eiffel Tower, a rock, a horse, a pencil, and ballet shoes is certainly a non requisite for creating an exhibit in a museum. Learning to think about art in all forms, to appreciate the work an artist creates, and to explore the world around oneself, however, is essential for all good museum curators. That is what becoming involved in the Museum has given me. Entering as a student who knew next to nothing about art history or glass, I have learned to see the world in a new way. I have grown into a role that requires confidence and leadership: a Corning Museum of Glass Explainer.

Emily Tifft, Senior Explainer

The Museum’s Explainers are high school and college students, 16 and older, who lead Summer Youth Tours and stand at mobile carts throughout the Museum to do exactly what their name implies—explain. While the Junior Curators program is entirely separate from the Explainer program and is not required before becoming an Explainer, it was a natural progression for me; after making friends and developing a love of glass and art, I could not have been more excited to not only have the opportunity to spread my enthusiasm for and love of the Museum, but also to get paid to do so. I started training as an Explainer because I wanted to become more involved in the Museum. I did not realize I would gain a second family and a passion in the process.

When I drive into the Museum parking lot every morning, I do not always know what will happen. As an Explainer, I could go from talking about objects on a cart dedicated to ancient glass—complete with replicas and props—to playing “I Spy” with a group of kindergarteners, just in the course of an hour. I am proud to say, however, the people with whom I work are able to handle any challenge. They are bright, capable and interesting. That is not to say that they are boring. A true Explainer can easily transition from debating typical teenage concepts, like the latest Harry Potter movie, to discussing the Museum’s newest glass acquisition. While this characteristic is certainly admirable, the trait I love most about my coworkers is the way they support each other. Working as an Explainer is entering into a family, one that is quick to help in times of need and is always united by a single passion: the Museum itself. We work at the Museum because we love it, and we are always ready to share that love with others.

Throughout my three years working as an Explainer, I have shared the joy of Cinderella’s glass slipper with countless youth tours. I helped a blind woman accomplish her goal: to “see” the works in the Museum. I had the honor of giving a tour to a group of senior citizens, people who, I quickly learned, had been looking forward to the trip, their big outing, for months. I have made lasting friendships and have met visitors from around the world. So, whether I am coloring with kindergarteners or explaining an especially difficult question on a cart, I am proud to be an Explainer, a job that teaches so much more than facts about glass.

If you or someone you know would like to become involved with one of the Museum’s youth programs, there will be an informational event called Fire Up Your Future at the Museum’s Studio from 6:00 p.m.- 7:30 p.m. on Friday, January 6, 2012. It is an opportunity to talk to teens who are already involved at the Museum. And don’t worry: you can ask all the questions you want. The Explainers are used to giving answers.

For more information about the Museum’s teen programs, check our website at http://www.cmog.org/get-involved/teen-programs. Explainer training starts in January, so apply now!

Q&A with a Museum Explainer

Posted on November 9, 2011 by CMoG Explainers

One of the many ways to volunteer at The Corning Museum of Glass is through the Explainer program. Open to teens and college students, candidates who are accepted to the program train from February through June to learn the art, history and science of glass. In the summer, Explainers are found throughout the Museum giving youth tours and providing hands-on experiences in the galleries.

Today’s post comes from Kim Price, a former Explainer who learned not only about glass, but also leadership during her time at the Museum:

Kim Price

What was your experience as a teenager in the Museum programs?
I started volunteering at the Museum (through the education department – Explainers and Families Explore) at the end of my sophomore year of high school as part of the International Baccalaureate program. Even though I dropped that program three days into my junior year, I loved working at the Museum, and started training to be an Explainer for the following summer. I learned so much during the training program. We had wonderful lessons each week from Kristy and/or a curator. But when the next June rolled around, and it was time to start working, I still wasn’t sure I could do the job. (Which leads me to the next question…)

What, if any, skills did it help you develop?
Until I began working as an Explainer, I was painfully shy. But eight hours on the American cart (cut vs. pressed glass) will cure you of that quickly! It’s in the very job title — you have to explain things to Museum visitors — I finally had to speak up. I learned so much about public speaking that summer (and the following four was employed there), both through sharing information on the hands-on carts and giving tours to school groups. My third year there, Kristy started the “Senior Explainer” program, and I learned how to be a leader. The other Explainers would look to me for guidance. I coordinated, managed, and problem-solved. And it was a fantastic experience. I also got to do quite a few Hidden Treasures tours with adult visitors to the Museum, and I very much enjoyed that and miss it! (I’ve been thinking about doing the docent program at some point because I miss it so much!)

What did that experience mean to you?
Being an Explainer at the Corning Museum of Glass was really the jumping-off point for everything I’m doing now. I went to college for journalism, and have worked for Star-Gazette, The Leader, and Life in the Finger Lakes magazine. If someone had told me early in high school that I’d soon be conducting interviews and writing articles, I would have thought they were insane! But the Museum’s education programs really made me come out of my shell and prepared me for future opportunities.

What are your plans for the future?
I recently became the Communications Manager at the Steuben County Conference & Visitors Bureau. I’m taking journalists on tours of CMOG now! I truly believe I would not have been able to do this job had it not been for the Museum’s Explainer program. I grew so much as a person during those six years I was involved with the Museum’s education programs. And for that, I’ll always be grateful.

For more information on the Museum’s Explainer program, visit http://www.cmog.org/get-involved/teen-programs/explainers

Application deadline: December 9

Open to candidates who will be at least age 16 by late June 2012.

Dung-Core Vessel Making: Explained

Posted on July 14, 2011 by CMoG Explainers

This week’s post is by Museum Explainer Anne Rich.

You know you’re an Explainer when you leap at the chance to spend a free afternoon shaping slightly aged animal poop. The afternoon in question occurred on Tuesday, May 22, when the Explainers were invited to a core-forming workshop hosted by The Studio’s Resident Adviser, Bill Gudenrath. An authority on ancient glassmaking techniques, Bill helped us recreate the process of core-making.

Bill explains the history of core-formed glass vessels.

For all the non ancient glassmaking experts out there, a core is a form attached to a rod on which glass is applied to make a non-blown vessel. A core needs to be made out of a heat resistant and relatively porous material, because after the glass vessel surrounding it has cooled, the core is scraped out to leave behind a hollow space. Historically, the core was made out of clay and, the part that manages to capture everyone’s attention, animal dung.

The animal dung

The dung was allegedly used because it contained undigested grass and straw, which burned away when fired. While the clay and dung covered the heat resistant requirement, the small holes left behind by the grass and straw covered the porous requirement.

When explaining the content of the Ancient Cart in the Glass Collection Galleries, someone always grabs the core from the cart, and says “What’s this?” All of the Explainers, past and present, understand the feeling you get when you have to explain that they’re holding fired poop on a stick. For the Explainers, core-forming has served as a sort of inside joke as well as a crucial glassmaking technique that is taught to us from the very beginning of our training. You can only imagine my excitement when I got the news that Bill Gudenrath invited us to make some new cores for the Ancient Cart. Still away at college at the time, my roommate thought I was insane when I tried to explain what I was going to do the week I got home. My parents produced a similar reaction when I told them my plans for May 22^nd.

The core forms

By the time everyone had arrived at the Mold Room at The Studio, so had the ingredients. On one side of the sink stood the clay, and on the other side lay an ominous looking bag of unopened horse dung. Certain resources revealed that our supply of dung had spent the past few hours in the back of a hot car. It wasn’t until the bag was opened that two things hit me…1. The smell, and 2. That this wasn’t going to be a fairytale tea-party (with interesting tidbits of glassmaking history). We were embarking on a truly hands-on experience, one in which we would spend half an hour kneading a poop-like play-dough a few inches away from each other’s faces.

A job well done!

This was a bit trickier than expected, and most of us Explainers spent a relatively long time fashioning our cores into neat and historically accurate shapes. After an inspection, they were ready to be dried for a few weeks. We Explainers were invited back on June 14 to file them into their final shapes before they were to be fired in the kiln. I thought that it was a big deal to have to work with wet dung, but then I spent time filing dried cores. Powdered poop filled the air in the Technician’s Room which hosted the second half of our core-making experience.

Filing the core forms

Glamorous, right? In a weird kind of way, I think it was. Don’t get me wrong here; I’m so grateful that I was able to attend the workshop and engage in a process that I’d so frequently explained yet never seen. We Explainers laugh about making cores, but we made them basically the same way they were made as early as the 16^th century B.C.E. Glassmaking, though sometimes unsavory, is a process marked by centuries of tradition, and is just a part of what makes glass so special.

For more information on Museum Explainers, visit http://www.cmog.org/dynamic.aspx?id=242.

Teens: Explainers, Jr. Curators and Tour Assistants

Posted on January 1, 2011 by Yvette Sterbenk

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.

Corning Museum of Glass

Behind the Glass

Tag Archives: teens