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Virtual Journeys into our Collection: Behind the Glass with our Curators

This recurring blog series will feature virtual gallery walks with staff members from The Corning Museum of Glass. Everyone at our Museum interacts with the collection in different ways depending on the job they do and the perspective they bring. Hear from fascinating people and learn about their favorite objects as they provide a virtual peek at some of the treasures in our collection—and make plans to come see them in person when we reopen! This next comes from the curatorial team.

The curators at The Corning Museum of Glass come from backgrounds as diverse as their specialties. But something they have in common is their love for the collection and being able to share and talk about it with our guests; through the exhibitions they curate, the tours they give, and the lectures they present.

The Museum’s curators. Left to right: Alexandra Ruggiero, Christopher Maxwell, Susie J. Silbert, Katherine Larson, Marvin Bolt, and Linnea Seidling in front.

So, if you’ve already binge-watched everything on Netflix or simply can’t remember the last time you geeked out on an unusual topic, then our curators have some ideas for you. Several times a year, the Museum hosts a lecture series called Behind the Glass and invites amazing artists, researchers, and deep glassy thinkers to the Museum to give cool talks to our members and guests. Fortunately for us, many of these talks were recorded and are available on our YouTube channel for times just like these when we can’t stray far from the couch. We asked our curators to share their favorites.

There and Back Again, A Steuben Story

In the glass world, the words “Steuben crystal” prompt numerous nostalgic reactions. Some may think of brilliant sculptural pieces gifted by U.S. presidents for decades; some may have fond memories of visiting the flagship Steuben store in Manhattan; some may reflect on the prismatic champagne flutes used on their wedding day, and some may think of how disappointed they were when Steuben ceased operations in 2011. However, what some people may not realize is that the Steuben brand was reacquired by Corning Incorporated in 2011, licensed to The Corning Museum of Glass in 2013, and is very much alive and well in 2020.

A brief history of the Steuben brand

Founded in 1903, Steuben, under the leadership of Frederick Carder, originally focused on producing colored glass much like other European glass companies at the time. Corning Glass Works (now Corning Incorporated) acquired the brand in 1918. In 1932, the proprietary formula that Steuben is best known for was developed. The glass produced from this formula has a high refractive index, causing cascades of rainbows to emit from the glass when hit by light. The development of this hallmark crystal led to all colored glass eventually being phased out of production in favor of this new, clear alternative. This signified a seismic shift in the Steuben brand – one that remains intact to this day.

Virtual Journeys into our Collection: Thoughts from a Librarian

When I first came to The Corning Museum of Glass over a decade ago, I was familiar with just one glass artist—bingo, it was Dale Chihuly. It wasn’t long after I arrived, however, that I began to learn about a “local” glass luminary named Frederick Carder.

I first encountered his name when I was looking for a house. The realtor told me the house I was considering was in the Carder school district. Then on my introductory tour of the Museum, my guide took me into the Carder Gallery, filled with Carder’s colorful, elegantly shaped glass. As a reference librarian at The Rakow Research Library, over the years I have been able to research and learn more about the fascinating person behind this glass and his connections with the Corning community.

Exploring Carder’s story has led me to discover some of my favorite library objects as well.

From CMoG with Love: Five Feel-Good Stories

The Corning Museum of Glass may be closed temporarily to guests and staff alike while the COVID-19 pandemic affects our community, but that doesn’t mean the work stops. Our staff and their families have been hard at work in many wonderful ways to ensure that they are doing everything they can to protect our institution, our collections, our communities, and ourselves while maintaining our position as a world leader on glass.

Here are just a few of the things that we’ve been up to.

Masks and gloves boxed up and ready for donation.

1. When the Museum temporarily closed to the public on Monday, March 16, 2020, and asked its staff to work from home, an assessment was made of ways that we could continue to operate and send aid to the local community. Our Operations team searched the campus and located 2,000 masks, 1,000 gloves, and some safety glasses, that could all be donated.

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!