The Corning Museum of Glass (CMoG) today announced the schedule for GlassBarge, which will offer free public glassmaking demonstrations at each scheduled stop during its four-month tour, launching on May 17 in Brooklyn Bridge Park. It will then travel north on the Hudson, then westward along the Erie Canal before making its way to the Finger Lakes. It will stop at ports in Yonkers, Poughkeepsie, Kingston, Albany, Little Falls, Sylvan Beach, Baldwinsville, Fairport, Lockport, Buffalo, Medina, Brockport, Pittsford, Seneca Falls, and Watkins Glen. A ceremonial last leg of the trip will take place by land, concluding in Corning with a community-wide celebration on September 22.
GlassBarge commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Brooklyn Flint Glass Company—now known as Corning Incorporated—relocating to Corning via the New York Waterways by canal barge. In celebration of this pivotal journey, CMoG is recreating the voyage with GlassBarge—a 30’ x 80’ canal barge equipped with CMoG’s patented all-electric glassmaking equipment. 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.
“Glassmaking innovations in Corning have shaped the modern world, from the first electric lightbulbs for Thomas Edison and the invention of optical fiber for telecommunications, to the glass used in modern flat screen displays,” said Rob Cassetti, senior director of creative strategy and audience engagement for The Corning Museum of Glass. “And that story all began with a voyage on New York State’s waterways. We’re excited to commemorate the 150th anniversary of glassmaking in Corning by sharing our story throughout New York State, and by shining a spotlight on waterfront communities with their own stories enabled by these historic waterways.”
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
Ticketing and Additional Information
GlassBarge will provide daily demonstrations from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. All demos are approximately 30 minutes long, and reservations are strongly encouraged through free timed tickets that will be available at www.cmog.org/GlassBarge. Registration will be live 4-6 weeks prior to each stop. Demos can also be viewed from shore without a reservation.
The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum will invite people aboard the Lois McClure to learn about what life was like on board a canal barge in the 19th century. Tours are first come, first served and do not require registration. The South Street Seaport Museum will also be on hand to talk about their historic tug that will be moving GlassBarge along the waterways.
The GlassBarge journey will also be celebrated back in Corning with a re-installation of the Crystal City Gallery, which will share the story of how Corning became one of the premier centers for glass cutting in the United States.
GlassBarge is enabled through the generous support of grants from I LOVE NEW YORK, Empire State Development’s Division of Tourism; the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA); and the New York State Canal Corporation through Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Council initiative.
For more information, visit www.cmog.org/GlassBarge
About The Corning Museum of Glass
The Corning Museum of Glass is the foremost authority on the art, history, science, and design of glass. It is home to the world’s most important collection of glass, including the finest examples of glassmaking spanning 3,500 years. Live glassblowing demonstrations (offered at the Museum, on the road, and on the water) bring the material to life. Daily Make Your Own Glass experiences at the Museum enable visitors to create work in a state-of-the-art glassmaking studio. The campus in Corning includes a year-round glassmaking school—The Studio—and the Rakow Research Library, with the world’s preeminent collection of materials on the art and history of glass. Located in the heart of the Finger Lakes Wine Country of New York State, the Museum is open daily, year-round. Children and teens, 17 and under, receive free admission.
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