Courtesy Smith Museum of Stained Glass
Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows
Chicago
Perhaps the most common art glass in the country, stained-glass windows adorn thousands of buildings around the world. At Chicago’s Navy Pier, the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows is the first stained glass museum in the country.
The museum exhibits a permanent collection of 150 stained-glass windows in an 800-foot-long series of galleries on the pier. Dating from 1870 to the present, the windows come from residential, commercial and religious buildings around Chicago and represent the various ethnic styles of the city’s European immigrants.
The collection includes works by famous artists such as Louis Comfort Tiffany and John LaFarge, and has some windows depicting famous figures like Michael Jordan and Martin Luther King Jr.
Corning Museum of Glass
Corning, N.Y.
In a town known worldwide for its glass, the Corning Museum of Glass gives visitors an overview of glass art covering more than 35 centuries of history.
“We show the history of glass, the art of glass and the science of glass,” said group sales manager Sally Berry. “We learn about things like fiber optics, glass heating properties and the glassmaking process.”
Among items on display is a small shard of ancient glass that is said to be one of the oldest pieces of glass on record. In the modern glass gallery, highlights include one-of-a-kind sculptures and artistic glass installations.
Groups can watch live daily hot-glass shows at the museum, where glassblowers demonstrate and narrate the glassmaking process. The museum also offers hands-on activities for groups, such as the opportunity to create fused glass art or to sandblast a wine glass.
