THE MAGIC OF WORLD CLASS CORNING GLASS

In September, I drove five hours north of Washington, DC to this medium-sized city in New York. Nestled in the rolling hills of the Finger Lakes region, Corning is home to the amazing gem I had visited  as a child – the Corning Museum of Glass (CMoG). The drive up was spectacular because of the colors of the fall foliage. I made the trip to attend the annual #TBEX conference for travel bloggers which was being hosted by the CMoG. It was a treat to find the meeting at a location that I had been to once before.

Strolling down history lane

Like most Americans, I grew up familiar with products made by the Corning company. Known as Corningware, pyrex glass measuring cups, bowls and casserole dishes were common wedding gifts for my parent’s generation in the late 1950’s. Almost every kitchen had some and you can still find updated versions in stores today. They are prized for being durable enough to go from freezer to oven without breaking.

The CMoG houses a number of different sections. In the Innovation Center Optics Gallery, history lovers can trace the making of glass through the ages and see a multitude of examples. From Thomas Edison’s lightbulb and telescope lenses to fiber optics and the gorilla glass that covers your mobile devices, Corning has been involved in pioneering the technological changes that move our world forward.

Glass as art and social statement

One of the newest additions to the museum is the Contemporary Art & Design Wing. In addition to the exterior of the building, the architecture in this area is outstanding. The design is light-filled and airy and the individual pieces are showcased beautifully.

I loved the glass chess set with incredible detail. From the back, the figures on the left were all in black while the figures on the right were all in white. Each piece was unique and the expressions were wonderful.

Another eye-catching piece was a large pale green bunny. The fur was created by countless individual tubes of glass.  It made me wonder if the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland or Peter Rabbit was the inspiration.

Through the ages, art has been a medium for social commentary. One of the most striking examples in the gallery was a broken ruby red glass chandelier made by an artist in Murano, Italy. The plaque on the wall said “This provocative sculpture evokes opportunistic birds eating carrion in a pool of blood by the side of the road, a metaphor for the decline of Murano’s centuries-old glass industry.” Harsh but beautiful at the same time.

If you have never witnessed a blown-glass demonstration, you will enjoy the variety of opportunities at CMoG. Watching master glassblowers begin with glowing orbs of molten glass attached to a metal pipe which they skillfully turn into beautiful colorful vases, bowls and sculptures by the end is mesmerizing. The entire process is narrated and takes about 30 minutes to watch.

If the demonstration inspires you to try your hand at being a glassblower, the museum offers a Make Your Own Glass experience. In the fall while I was there, you could choose sandblasting a wine glass, glass blowing a pumpkin or glass fusing a flower. I chose to make the flower. In winter months, the glass blowing option is a snowman.

Participants  are told to choose two colors of glass. The experienced glassmaker started with a hot orb of molten glass which was rolled in a tray of broken glass pieces in the first color.

Participants sit on a bench with heavy heat-protection gloves on and help the professional turn the pipe so the glass cools slightly. After the glass maker heated it in the oven again, it was rolled in the second color of glass pieces and fired. Working as a team with the glassmaker, the participant was given metal pincers to pull the hot glass in various directions to form the flower petals. The final step was pulling the flower and twisting the end to form a stem. The glassmaker cut the stem as it was laid in a cooler. Each glass creation needed 24 hours to cure and was available for pick up the following day which I did. Some people chose to have it shipped home instead.

The museum houses glass works from around the world and offers artist-in-residence experiences too. The gift shop also provides glass work from both domestic and international artists. I loved the Tiffany stained glass panel and a life-sized glass ballgown which was so transparent it was ethereal.

After wandering through the two-story museum, participating in a glass making experience, and shopping at the largest glass gift shop I have ever seen, I was hungry. Luckily the CMoG offers a cafe both inside and outside. I enjoyed a caramel macchiato and  a chicken salad wrap. Both were delicious! Another bonus was the elevator which came in handy for stroller or wheelchair visitors.

Thanks to the Corning Museum of Glass for the beautiful professional photos used in this post.