Tacoma, Wash. (June 4, 2008)— The Museum of Glass’ Kids Design Glass program will be featured at the 38th Annual Glass Art Society (GAS) International Glass Conference in Portland, OR.  The conference is scheduled for June 19 – 21, 2008.  For the first time, a public Day of Glass is scheduled prior to the conference.  It will take place on June 18 from 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at Elements Glass Studio at 1979 NW Vaughn in Portland and will feature multiple hot glass demonstrations inside and outside the studio, an art glass exhibition by local artists, food vendors and more.  The Day of Glass is free and open to the public.

MOG, Portland’s Doernbecher Children’s Hospital and Children’s Healing Art Project (CHAP) have teamed up to bring the popular Kids Design Glass program to the Day of Glass.  During the spring, Doernbecher and CHAP staff has been encouraging patients to submit designs for the program.  One of these sketches will be selected by the MOG Hot Shop team to be interpreted into glass during the Day of Glass event on the Corning Mobile Hot Shop stage.  This sculpture will be given to the designer to take home.  A second sculpture will be created by the team on June 20 that will be included in the Museum’s permanent collection and upcoming traveling exhibition.

“This program has been a great success in Tacoma, and we are very proud to have the opportunity to bring it to the GAS Conference,” states MOG director of public programs Susan Warner.  “The designs the children submit allow our glassblowers to be innovative and try new techniques.  The process is both thrilling for the child and challenging for the artists.”

The Museum of Glass introduced the Kids Design Glass program in July, 2004 by inviting young Museum visitors to submit drawings.  In 2007, MOG initiated a partnership with Tacoma’s Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital to extend the reach of the program to young patients.  Each month, one design from all of the submissions is selected by the Hot Shop team.  The child and his/her family are invited to the Museum to consult with the team as they create the original sculpture.  “There is an inherent drama with this program,” comments Warner.  “Not only is it exciting for the child, the Hot Shop audience is affected by the spontaneity of the process.”

In addition to the Kids Design Glass program, MOG will send its Mobile Hot Shop to the GAS Conference.  MOG Hot Shop team members will demonstrate glass techniques from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the Day of Glass.