From the Director

Dear Friends,

Museum of Glass has made great strides in 2026. In April, we began construction on the first capital renovation project in the Museum’s history, with the ambitious goal to expand and renovate our gallery spaces and build a permanent home for a stunning new Lino Tagliapietra Legacy Gallery. As the renovation reaches new milestones each week, the promise of the benefit it will have on our visitors becomes more tangible, and our vision to provide unparalleled experiences with, and access to, glass, feels one step closer to fruition.

Thank you for your patience and support throughout this important process. Undertaking a project of this magnitude is not easy. It is the culmination of years of hard work, and while we are thrilled to have broken ground, be assured that what lies ahead is even more exciting and extraordinary. We can’t wait to share it with you in the December.

Although our physical gallery spaces are temporarily limited, our commitment to developing world-class programming remains unwavering. In June, we hosted a collaborative residency with Preston Singletary, Martin Janecký, Raven Skyriver, Kelly O’Dell, Charles Parriott, and Joe David that I am sure will hold a place in Museum of Glass lore for years. This collective’s spectacular demonstration highlighted the fundamental importance of collaboration to glassblowing. While they are all individual masters in their own right, by working together, they created a repertoire of work more awe-inspiring and thought-provoking than the sum of its parts. Residencies like these remind me that, despite the Museum’s temporary state of transition, it endures as a place that nurtures artists and consistently deepens its service and connection to our community.

Finally, with our Hot Shop, robust Visiting Artist lineup, and busy calendar of hands-on programming playing such a central role during our renovation, I have been thinking a lot about our museum as a “makers’ space.” For almost 25 years, Museum of Glass has been firmly rooted in the meticulous artistic process, learned technique, and a tradition of the handmade. Anyone can come to our museum and witness how this art form is painstakingly crafted. They can marvel at the finished product, recalling techniques and processes they discovered in a Hot Shop demonstration, and even get first-hand access to the material through one of our immersive workshops. Through these experiences, visitors earn a deeper connection to their own creativity and leave our building enriched with a sense of possibility—what they, too, can create.

With AI seemingly dominating every conversation, the contrast our makers’ space offers is increasingly distinct. This museum is profoundly human. Here, through all the trial and error and learned experience, we cultivate real, human connection through art. When your visit our museum, I hope you feel inspired about what we can make together.

We look forward to seeing you very soon.

Debbie Lenk
Executive Director