Museum of Glass facts for kids
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| Established | 2002 |
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| Location | Tacoma, Washington, U.S. |
| Type | Art museum |
| Collections | Contemporary glass art |
| Architect | Arthur Erickson |
| Public transit access | Union Station/South 19th Street station, T Line (Sound Transit) |
The Museum of Glass (MOG) is a big art museum in Tacoma, Washington. It's all about amazing art made from glass. Since it opened in 2002, the Museum of Glass has been a place to celebrate glass art. It helps artists, teaches people, and encourages creativity.
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Discovering the Museum of Glass
The idea for the Museum of Glass started in 1992. Dr. Philip M. Phibbs, a retired university president, talked with famous glass artist Dale Chihuly. They thought the Pacific Northwest needed a glass museum. This area is known for its contributions to glass art.
Dr. Phibbs shared his plan with a group in Tacoma. At the same time, people wanted to fix up the Thea Foss Waterway. This used to be an industrial area. The group decided the Museum of Glass would be a perfect main attraction for the new waterway.
The museum's location next to the waterway was chosen in 1995. The Museum of Glass became a nonprofit group in 1996. A Canadian architect named Arthur Erickson was picked to design the building in 1997.
Building the museum started in June 2000. The steel frame for the famous hot-shop cone was finished in 2001. Soon after, work began on the Chihuly Bridge of Glass. This bridge connects the museum to downtown Tacoma. The museum officially opened on July 6, 2002. Thousands of people visited, and it received praise from all over the world.
Since opening, the Museum of Glass has collected many artworks. It also created a mobile hot-shop. In 2024, the museum added a special glass sculpture called "Triceratops" by Ryan (Buck) Harris. This was the first time a piece like this joined the museum's permanent collection. It shows how complex and innovative glass art can be.
Museum Building and Design
The Museum of Glass was designed by Canadian architect Arthur Erickson. This was his first major art museum in the United States. The museum is very large, with lots of space for art galleries. It also has a huge hot shop.
The hot shop is shaped like a slanted cone. This cone is the most eye-catching part of the museum's design. It was inspired by the "beehive burners" from old sawmills that used to be along the waterway. The cone is made of 2,800 diamond-shaped stainless steel panels. It is 100 feet wide at its base.
The museum also features a curving concrete staircase. This staircase spirals around the outside of the building. There are also three reflecting pools on the museum's terraces. The Chihuly Bridge of Glass is connected to the museum. Arthur Erickson and artist Dale Chihuly designed this bridge together. It links the Museum of Glass to downtown Tacoma.
Art Collections and Shows
The Museum of Glass has many different art collections and exhibitions.
Permanent Art Collections
These are artworks that the museum owns and keeps forever:
- 20th and 21st Century Glass Collection
- Kids Design Glass Collection
- Visiting Artist Residency Program Collection
- Cappy Thompson: Gathering the Light
Current Art Exhibitions
These are shows happening right now:
- Kids Design Glass | 2009 – Ongoing
- Illuminate: Glass Art For Early Learners | April 29, 2023 – March 2024
- Out Of The Vault: Family Meal | July 1, 2023 – 2024
- She Bends: Redefining Neon Legacy | February 11, 2023 – October 29, 2023
- Boundless Curiosity: A Journey With Robert Minkoff | April 2, 2022 – September 24, 2023
The Hot Shop Experience
The Museum of Glass has a large hot shop amphitheater. It has seats for 145 guests. Here, visitors can watch live glass blowing demonstrations. The hot shop has a studio for blowing and casting glass. It also has a cold working studio.
You can watch the hot shop activity live on the Museum of Glass website. Past shows are also saved online. The hot shop also hosts artists who come to work there.
Visiting Artist Program
The Museum of Glass invites famous and new artists to its Visiting Artist Residency Program. Artists stay for different lengths of time, from one day to several weeks. A special piece from each artist's time is chosen for the museum's collection.
Most of these artist visits are streamed live online. They often end with a "Conversation with the Artist" talk. Since it opened, the Museum of Glass has worked with Pilchuck Glass School. They have a Summer Series where artists from Pilchuck come to the Museum of Glass.
The very first visiting artist at the Museum of Glass was Dale Chihuly. He was there when the museum opened in 2002. Australian glass artist Clare Belfrage was a visiting artist in 2007 and 2009. Some of her artwork is now part of the museum's collection.
