Grit City Explores the Glassy Highlights of the Motor City
By Rebecca Engelhardt, Collections/Exhibitions Manager
Recently, Rebecca Engelhardt and Katie Buckingham of the MOG curatorial team, along with Executive Director Deborah Lenk, took off for a short but action-packed adventure in Detroit, Michigan.
To start out the adventure, we were led through a labyrinth of darkened gallery spaces at Habatat Galleries by co-owner and partner Aaron Schey. We were super thankful to Aaron for taking the time, especially since he had just returned from Glass Coast Weekend in Florida – so recently, in fact, that the light fixtures that usually illuminate the galleries were still packed in the crates.
Curator Katie Buckingham, Collections/Exhibitions Manager Rebecca Engelhardt, and Executive Director with Chandelier Dress by artist Susan Taylor Glasgow (American, born 1958) at Habatat Gallery.
Selection of Stern’s Stilettos by Rob Stern (American, born 1968) in storage at Habatat Gallery.
After a day of gallery exploration, we were charmed at dinner by our colleague, independent curator Davira Taragin. It was a wonderful chance to retell stories from our 2017 exhibition Linda MacNeil: Jewels of Glass, which was guest-curated by Taragin in Tacoma. As the museum and history enthusiasts we are, we were thrilled to learn that she had hosted us for dinner at the restaurant which local lore claims is infamous of the site of the arrest of American labor union leader Jimmy Hoffa.
As museum professionals are wont to do, we reached out to our sister organizations to get exclusive visits, and hit the jackpot, thanks to our colleagues at The Henry Ford Museum. Toured by a team of curatorial and collections staff, we explored every corner of the facility.
In the Davidson-Gerson Modern Glass Gallery, the Henry Ford team has transformed outdated, decorative arts halls of curiosity into sleek, beautiful galleries to highlight their recently-acquired Bruce and Ann Bachmann Collection. One of our favorites was a Luccio Bubacco creation, Devils Blowing Glass, a goblet resplendent in devilish characters performing all types of glassblowing activities, directed in their work by a tiny Chihuly figurine.
Lucio Bubacco (Italian, born 1957), Devils Blowing Glass, 1997. Glass; 19 x 15 x 15 inches. From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Bruce and Ann Bachmann.
Davidson-Gerson Modern Glass Gallery, The Henry Ford.
Strolling through the galleries of the Ford’s Museum of American Innovation, we made our way to the machine built for manufactured light bulbs. This, of course, is a must-see for those of us in the glass family! Plus – would you believe it – we even found our very own Museum of Glass office chairs in the Fully Furnished exhibition.
Corning Glass Works. Corning Glass Ribbon Machine, 1928. Iron, steel, and wood; 6 x 6 x 34 feet. Collections of The Henry Ford.
On display at The Henry Ford are chairs found in the offices of Museum of Glass. Don Chadwick (American, born 1936). Aeron Chair Production Model, 2005. Plastic, pellicle, mesh, and metal; 41 x 28 inches. Collections of The Henry Ford, gift of Herman Miller, Inc.
Across the 250-acre facility, housed in a former machine shop, the Gallery of American Glass is a treasure. The building, recently renovated in 2017 by James Carpenter Design Associates (also an important glass figure), is planted right in the middle of Greenfield Village. In this gallery, selections from their glass collection of over 10,000 pieces tracing from 18th century through the present. When we travel to other museums, we are always on the lookout for tricks of the trade – snapping a quick picture of the lighting system in this new building is important information!
Small sampling from the collection of 10,000 glass bottles and flasks on view in the Gallery of American Glass, The Henry Ford
Curator Katie Buckingham admiring the entry vestibule of the Gallery of American Glass designed by James Carpenter (American, born 1949) with staff from The Henry Ford.
Gallery of American Glass in Greenfield Village at The Henry Ford traces the history of American glass making from the 18th century through present day.
The curatorial team at Museum of Glass is always looking for good examples of lighting systems. We found some in the Gallery of American Glass at The Henry Ford.
As we entered their hot shop, we felt right at home. Liberty Craftworks’ Glass Shop, just like the MOG Hot Shop in Tacoma, is set up for visitors get a chance to watch live glassblowing. Later, we were excited to learn that Blown Away (Season 4, Episode 6) winner Ryan Thompson was part of the team at this facility, and that he will be in Tacoma as a Visiting Artist in October! Can you see him peeking out from the corner of this photo?
Inside the Liberty Craftworks Glass Shop with the team at The Henry Ford.
We continued our journey through Greenfield with our hosts and were amazed to find ourselves with exclusive access! At this time of year, the Village portion of the facility is closed to the millions of people that visit annually (winter in Detroit, of course). How special we felt when our hosts took out their keys to lead us on a private viewing of Thomas Edisons’s Menlo Park laboratory filled with hundreds of glass bottles and scientific equipment!
Scientific glassblowing station inside Thomas Edison’s Menlow Park Glass house.
In case we weren’t already feeling like we were on a tour fit for royalty, we were let into one of our favorite museum spaces: the storage vault. When you’re at a museum where their collection numbers at 26 million objects, this is a big place! We strolled through rooms of cars (of course), more glass, ceramics, Americana, and then we stumbled on a great find: work by MOG Hot Shop Director Benjamin Cobb. This piece joined the collection last year when he visited The Henry Ford Museum as part of their nascent Visiting Artist Residency program.
Curator Katie Buckingham discovers work by MOG Hot Shop Director Benjamin Cobb in the storage vault with registrar from The Henry Ford.
To fill out the day, we took advantage of the evening hours at the Detroit Institute of Arts. We were so glad to discover that they honored our NARM membership (a benefit of our Museum of Glass membership status). We entered the Beaux-Arts building containing over 100 galleries and works of art spanning the globe and reaching back 4000 years. Even in this expansive collection, we still found glass highlights, including 19th century American glass, Egyptian vessels, and work by Pacific Northwest favorite Preston Singletary.
On view at Detroit Institute of Arts, we found Preston Singletary (Tlingit-American, born 1963). Spirit Box, 2009. Cast and sandblasted glass; 23 x 27 ¾ x 14 inches. Museum purchase, gift of Clan Crawford, Jr., by exchange.
Dipslay of early American Glass at Detroit Institute of Arts.
Some examples of the earliest forms of glass art from Egypt at Detroit Institute of Arts.
Thank you, Detroit! Your art was wonderful, your people were so friendly, and, for a small window in February 2024, your weather was beautiful. We will certainly be back.