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Photographing Glass: Revisiting the Morgan Cup 30 Years On

I recently had the opportunity to photograph one of my favorite pieces from our collection, the Morgan Cup (52.1.93), which is a beautiful example of Roman cameo glass. The cup was once in the collection of J. Pierpont Morgan, from whom it got its name, and was given to The Corning Museum of Glass in 1952 by Arthur A. Houghton, Jr. For more information on the Morgan Cup, read this detailed history by David Whitehouse, former director of the Museum.

The last time the Morgan Cup was fully photographed was in 1990, six years before I started at the Museum, when it was captured on 4×5 transparency film. The transparencies were later scanned, but technology has advanced considerably since that time and I was excited to see how well the cup could be captured with the highly advanced digital equipment we have today—both for detail and color fidelity.

Blown Away Season 2 Contestants Reflect on their Netflix Experience

Blown Away Season 2 has been lighting up TV screens for more than two months now and the buzz shows no sign of slowing down. We checked in with many of the contestants to find out how the show has changed their lives.

*Blown Away* Season 2 contestants line for for episode 1 (photo courtesy of David Leyes for marblemedia).

**How have things been going for you since Blown Away launched?**

“Things have been going well! I just moved into a new studio space in Melbourne and have been developing some new designs. I’m working towards some exhibition proposals and am doing a live demo at the Virtual Glass Art Society Conference in May this year.” Tegan Hamilton – Melbourne, Australia (Instagram: tegan.hamilton)

The Corning Museum of Glass is deeply saddened by the passing of Jane Shadel Spillman, our former curator of American glass who retired in 2013 after a CMoG career that spanned nearly five decades. Jane joined the Museum’s 13-person staff in June 1965 as a research assistant and curator of education and became an internationally recognized expert on American glass, developing the impressive collection we have today.

During her tenure at the Museum, Jane was a prolific author, beginning with Glassmaking: America’s First Industry (1976), a 35-page catalog in conjunction with an exhibition of the same name in celebration of the nation’s bicentennial. It was the Museum’s first major exhibition after the 1972 flood. This was followed by numerous books and catalogs, countless speeches and lectures, and the acquisition of thousands of objects for the Museum’s American glass collection and The Rakow Research Library holdings. Not to mention, the friendships forged across the globe, with glass amateurs and professionals alike, cementing Jane’s reputation as an expert in her field.

“Jane was a force within the glass and museum communities and helped shape our Museum for nearly half a century,” said Karol Wight, president and executive director. “Her contributions—in nearly every area—were numerous, and her impact in the field continues to be felt today.”

The Adventure Trail: A Story of Surprising Local Partnerships

Cars and glass have long been a good fit. The evolution of glass windshields and other glassy elements inside and outside the car has helped make travel on our roads safer and more enjoyable. But a glass art installation at a car dealership was something new, even for us.

Robin and Don Ferrario at a member’s event at The Corning Museum of Glass.

So, when local business owners Don and Robin Ferrario came to The Corning Museum of Glass in January 2018 to meet with Eric Meek, senior manager of hot glass programs, and I, about an idea they had for a new showroom just down the road, it was the start of a great partnership.

I had heard ads on the radio, so I knew who Don Ferrario was, but my family was new to the area and we didn’t yet know the local lore. I was pleased to find out that behind the image of this successful business with a reputation built on expert automotive sales and service, there was also an active, artistic, and philanthropic couple who are well known as supporters of musical and visual arts in the region.

New Glass Review 43: An Outside Perspective on the Best of Contemporary Glass

Get excited and check the mail, because New Glass Review returns this month for its 43rd issue.

An annual exhibition-in-print, New Glass Review features 100 of the most timely, innovative projects in glass produced during the year. Artworks include sculptures, vessels, installations, and other works in glass by emerging and established artists.

A flagship publication of The Corning Museum of Glass since 1980, New Glass Review is a cyclical reintroduction into the world of contemporary glass and the artists who inhabit it; artists who continually push the boundaries of the material and the limits of their expression.

Following an open call for submissions that receives hundreds of entries every year from countries across the world, New Glass Review is curated by the Museum’s curator of postwar and contemporary glass and a changing panel of guest curators. While the search for the Museum’s next contemporary curator was underway this past summer, Samantha De Tillio was invited to lead the selection process. De Tillo was joined by Davin K. Ebanks, Kim Harty, and Kimberly Thomas.

Amy Schwartz & William Gudenrath Honored with 2023 James Renwick Alliance for Craft Award

The Studio’s Amy Schwartz and William (Bill) Gudenrath were honored on Saturday, May 6 in Washington DC with the James Renwick Alliance for Craft (JRA) Distinguished Craft Educator Award for excellence and innovation in education. The biennial award was celebrated at the JRA Spring Craft Weekend with a Symposium, Gala, and Awards Brunch. Recognized for their influence on future artists and significant contributions to American education in the craft field, Amy and Bill’s selection as honorees was the first time in the ceremony’s 20-year history that both makers and educators were honored at the same time.

William (Bill) Gudenrath and Amy Schwartz with their award at the Smithsonian Museum, Washington DC, May 6, 2023. Photo courtesy of the James Renwick Alliance.

Amy and Bill are the latest on a long list of distinguished honorees—the JRA Award has recognized some of the most influential craft artists in American history. This year, the other nominees included ceramic artist, social activist, and spoken word poet Roberto Lugo (the youngest artist to ever receive the Master of the Medium award); furniture maker Kristina Madsen; and curator, quilter, author, art historian, and aerospace engineer Carolyn Mazloomi.

CMoG Named One of the “7 Glass Wonders of the World”

Capping a truly momentous year for glass, The Corning Museum of Glass has achieved a new distinction: being named one of the “7 Glass Wonders of the World.”

The announcement was made during the closing festivities of the United Nations International Year of Glass (IYOG) 2022. The year officially concluded with a Conference and Ceremony at the University of Tokyo, Japan, on December 8-9, which was attended by our very own President and Executive Director Karol Wight. This event was followed by an official debriefing held at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on December 14.

Lino Tagliapietra in the Museum’s Amphitheater Hot Shop, May 13, 2022.

Lino Tagliapietra may be retiring, but not before one final visit to The Corning Museum of Glass. Last weekend was a monumental one for Lino, the glassblowers and staff at the Museum, and all the guests who filled the Amphitheater Hot Shop to see the Maestro at work during what will be his final performance in Corning.

To celebrate Lino’s enduring legacy, we asked those lucky enough to know and work with him, to describe the impact he has made on the glass world. To no surprise, the response was fervent and unanimous: Lino’s impact is, and will always be, extraordinary!