Museum of Glass explained

Museum of Glass
Coordinates:47.2456°N -122.4337°W
Established:2002
Location:Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
Type:Art museum
Collections:Contemporary glass art
Director:Debbie Lenk [1]
Architect:Arthur Erickson
Publictransit:Union Station/South 19th Street station, T Line (Sound Transit)
Website:www.museumofglass.org

The Museum of Glass (MOG) is a 75000ft2 contemporary art museum in Tacoma, Washington, dedicated to the medium of glass.[2] Since its founding in 2002, the Museum of Glass has been committed to creating a space for the celebration of the studio glass movement through nurturing artists, implementing education, and encouraging creativity.[3]

History

The idea for the Museum of Glass began in 1992 when Dr. Philip M. Phibbs, recently retired president of the University of Puget Sound, had a conversation with Tacoma native and renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly. Phibbs reasoned that the Pacific Northwest's contributions to the studio glass movement warranted a glass museum, and he outlined a plan for the Museum of Glass to the Executive Council for a Greater Tacoma. The timing of his proposal corresponded with the idea to redevelop the Thea Foss Waterway, an industrial site. The chairman of the council, George Russel, concluded that the Museum of Glass would be the perfect anchor for the renewed waterway.[4]

The site for the museum, directly adjacent to the Thea Foss Waterway, was secured in 1995. The Museum of Glass was established as a nonprofit organization in 1996.[5] Canadian architect Arthur Erickson was chosen to design the museum's building in 1997. Construction of the museum began in June 2000, and the steel frame of the iconic hot-shop cone was completed in 2001. Shortly thereafter construction began on the Chihuly Bridge of Glass to link the museum to downtown Tacoma. The museum opened on July 6, 2002, to thousands of visitors and worldwide accolades.[6]

Since its opening, the Museum of Glass has become a collecting institution, and has introduced a mobile hot-shop.[7] [8]

In 2024, the Museum of Glass made history with its first permanent installation of a functional glass pipe, "Triceratops" by Ryan (Buck) Harris, known as Buck Glass. The "Triceratops" was donated to the museum by an anonymous private collector. The Museum of Glass took to Instagram breaking the news and stating in a post: " “Triceratops” is an example of this complex, and once taboo, art form. It bridges the gap between functional and fine art and is the first example of functional glass pipes to be accepted into the Museum's Permanent Collection, the tip of an iceberg of innovative and avant garde glassmakers. "

Architecture

The Museum of Glass was designed by Canadian architect Arthur Erickson[9] and was his first major art museum in the United States. The museum totals in area, featuring in gallery space and a 7000ft2 hot shop. This hot shop, shaped as an angled cone, is the museum's most striking architectural feature. The cone, inspired by the wood "beehive burners" of the sawmills that once dotted the waterway, is composed of 2,800 diamond-shaped stainless steel panels and is in diameter at its base.[10] Also featured in the Museum of Glass’ architecture are a sweeping concrete stairway that spirals around the exterior of the building, and three rimless reflecting pools featured on the museum's terraces. Connected to the museum is the Chihuly Bridge of Glass, designed by Arthur Erickson in collaboration with artist Dale Chihuly, to connect the Museum of Glass to downtown Tacoma.

Exhibitions

Permanent collections

Current exhibitions

Past exhibitions

Hot shop

The Museum of Glass features a 7000ft2 hot shop amphitheater that provides seating for 145 guests to watch live glass blowing demonstrations. The hot shop contains both a hot glass studio for blowing and casting glass and a cold working studio. Hot shop activity is streamed live through the Museum of Glass’ website and is also archived online. The Museum of Glass hot shop also provides residencies for both visiting and featured artists.

Visiting Artist Program

The Museum of Glass hosts internationally acclaimed and emerging artists through its Visiting Artist Residency Program. The residencies range in length from one day to several weeks, and a piece is selected from each residency for inclusion in the Museum's collection. Most residencies are streamed online through the museum's website and conclude in a Conversation with the Artist lecture. Since its opening, the Museum of Glass has partnered with Pilchuck Glass School to produce the Visiting Artist Summer Series in which artists who attend or work at Piilchuck are invited to a residency at the Museum of Glass.[16] The first ever visiting artist to the Museum of Glass was Dale Chihuly at the museum's opening in 2002.[17]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Senior Staff. Museum of Glass. 7 June 2013.
  2. Web site: Noll. Anna. Museum of Glass by Arthur Erickson. Architecture Week. 7 June 2013.
  3. Web site: About Museum of Glass. Museum of Glass. 7 June 2013.
  4. Web site: Farr. Sheila. Glass houses: Tacoma's Museum of Glass is ready to open this week. Seattle Times. 7 June 2013.
  5. Web site: 2013-05-09 . Museum Of Glass - Nonprofit Explorer . 2023-02-13 . ProPublica . en.
  6. Web site: Ponnekanti. Rosemary. It's time for some maturity: Museum of Glass at age five. https://archive.today/20130624183612/https://www.thenewstribune.com/2007/07/04/102486/its-time-for-some-maturity-museum.html. dead. June 24, 2013. The News Tribune. 7 June 2013.
  7. Web site: Mobile Hot Shop. Museum of Glass. 7 June 2013.
  8. Web site: Permanent Collections. Museum of Glass. 7 June 2013.
  9. Web site: Updike. Robin. Architectural Plans Are Unveiled For Glass Museum. Seattle Times. 7 June 2013.
  10. Web site: The Museum of Glass in Tacoma by Arthur Erickson Architects. Arc Space. 7 June 2013.
  11. Web site: Permanent Collections. 2014. 5 November 2014. Museum of Glass.
  12. Web site: Exhibitions . 2023-08-07 . Museum of Glass . en-US.
  13. Web site: Exhibition Archive . 2023-08-07 . Museum of Glass . en-US.
  14. Web site: 2016 . Current Exhibitions . 29 October 2014 . Museum of Glass .
  15. Web site: Exhibition Archive. Museum of Glass. 5 November 2014.
  16. Web site: Museum of Glass Presents Eleventh Annual Visiting Artists Summer Series. Tacoma. 7 June 2013.
  17. Web site: Harrington. Madeleine. In sign of renewed relationship, Dale Chihuly to host Museum of Glass hot shop event. Glass Quarterly. 7 June 2013.

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