Celebrate the history of glassmaking in NYC and NY State at the special GlassBarge floating exhibit space and workshop in Brooklyn Bridge Park in May and in Yonkers in June.
GlassBarge is the Corning Museum of Glass’s mobile glassmaking studio.
It is visiting NYC this month to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Brooklyn Flint Glass Company, now known as Corning Incorporated, which relocated from Brooklyn to Corning via the New York Waterways canal system, part of which is the famous Erie Canal.
In celebration of this pivotal journey, CMoG is recreating and expanding the voyage with GlassBarge, a 30’ x 80’ canal barge presenting live glassmaking demonstrations in waterfront communities from Brooklyn to Buffalo and the Finger Lakes.
In addition to sharing the story of glassmaking in Corning, the GlassBarge tour emphasizes the continued role of New York’s waterways in shaping the state’s industry, culture, and community.
GlassBarge is the 2018 signature event for the statewide celebration of the Erie Canal Bicentennial.
GlassBarge is offering FREE family-friendly glassblowing demonstrations at ONE°15 Marina Brooklyn, May 17-28.
FREE demonstrations are every hour on the hour, and require registration to ensure space.
See expert glassblowers demonstrate how to shape glowing globs of molten glass into vases, bowls, and sculptures, while hearing about the intertwined story of glassmaking and the Erie Canal in New York State.
Also at this special event in Brooklyn Bridge Park, you can also visit the Lois McClure, a historic schooner from the collection of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, to learn about what life was like on the Erie Canal in the 19th century.
She’s part of a flotilla of historic vessels accompanying the GlassBarge to New York City, along with a historic tug from the collection of the South Street Seaport Museum making the trek across the East River.
GlassBarge Weekend Schedule
May 17-28: Brooklyn Bridge Park
June 1-3: Yonkers
June 8-10: Poughkeepsie
June 15-17: Kingston
June 21-24: Albany/Troy/Waterford
June 30-July 1: Little Falls
July 7-8: Sylvan Beach
July 13-15: Baldwinsville
July 20-22: Fairport
July 28-29: Lockport
August 3-5: Buffalo
August 11-12: Medina
August 17-19: Brockport
August 24-26: Pittsford
September 1-3: Seneca Falls
September 14-16: Watkins Glen
September 22: Corning
What do you think about this? We welcome your comments.