The Corning Museum of Glass is thrilled to share news of an exciting collaboration on the forthcoming Netflix series, Blown Away, which will bring the art and beauty of glassblowing to television screens around the world. A visually compelling process often described as “mesmerizing” and “captivating,” glassblowing has never been the subject of any major TV programming—until now.
The art glass competition show created by Marblemedia, an award-winning entertainment company based in Toronto, Canada, Blown Away features a group of 10 highly skilled glassmakers from North America creating beautiful works of art that are assessed by a panel of expert judges. One artist is eliminated each episode until a winner is announced in the tenth and final episode. A co-production with Blue Ant Media of Toronto, Blown Away will air on the Makeful channel in Canada before coming to the Netflix platform worldwide later this year.
Blown Away producers approached CMoG about a partnership last summer, and we worked to find a creative way to collaborate, culminating in our participation in the final episode. Eric Meek, Senior Manager of Hot Glass Programs, joined Blown Away as a “guest evaluator” for the finale, helping to select the winner of the competition. Also involved in the episode were six of our talented glassmakers—Helen Tegeler, Catherine Ayers, George Kennard, G Brian Juk, Tom Ryder, and Chris Rochelle—who assisted the two finalists with their last challenge.
“The more we learned about the project, the more convinced we became that we should partner,” said Eric Meek. “We at The Corning Museum of Glass aim to inspire people to see glass in a new light, and Blown Away is a global platform. It’s exciting to think about the possibilities of this level of exposure. It’s the perfect platform at the perfect time, and I think Blown Away could change the perception of glass on a large scale.”
CMoG also provided part of the prize package which includes a special Guest Artist experience, which we’re calling the “Blown Away Residency,” in our Amphitheater Hot Shop.
“I hope the glass community sees Blown Away for what it is: A love letter to glass,” continued Meek. “The more people know about glass, the more they will respect it as a medium for artistic expression. The beautiful cinematography of Blown Away presents glass in a respectful way and will get people excited about a material that’s so often taken for granted. I believe there will be nothing but positive outcomes.”
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