Museum of Glass
The Museum of Glass is known to be a 7,000-square-meter or 75,000-square-foot art museum related to the strong medium of glass in Tacoma, Washington. Since its inception in the year 2002, the famous Museum of Glass was referred to as the developing artists, providing education, and stimulating innovation to celebrate the studio glass movement.
History
The retired president of the University of Puget Sound known as Dr. Philip M. Phibbs, had a chat with a Tacoma renowned native glass artist, Dale Chihuly, in 1992, which resulted in the creation of the Museum of Glass. Dr. Phibbs told that the Northwest’s Pacific contribution to the glass or studio movement deserved to be recognized, and he showcased his arguments and plans for the Museum of Glass in front of the Executive Council for a beautiful Tacoma just a few weeks later. The duration of his request coincided with plans to rehabilitate George Russel, the Chairman of the Council, and Thea Foss Waterway, who felt that the Glass Museum was the ideal part for the revitalized waterway.
In 1995, The museum’s location, right opposite to the Thea Foss Waterway, was obtained and noted by Arthur Erickson, a Canadian architect, who announced his plans for the glass museum, two years later. The museum’s construction started in 2000. The renowned hot-shop cone’s steel frame was finished in 2001. The museum to Tacoma, Downtown is connected by The Chihuly Bridge of Glass, which began construction shortly after. Hundreds of travelers and international acclaim greeted the museum’s opening on July 6, 2002. The Museum of Glass has launched a mobile hot-shop and a collecting institution since its inception.
Construction
The MOG was the only one art museum in the US created by Canadian architect Arthur Erickson[8]. The museum has a total size of 75,000 square feet, a 650 m2 hot shop, and up to 13,000 square feet or 1,200 m2 of gallery space. The most distinctive architectural feature of the museum is the hot shop, which is formed like an inclined cone. The cone came from the sawmills’ wood “beehive burners,” it measures 100 feet diameter of the base and is made out of 2,800 stainless steel panels of diamond-shaped materials.
The architecture of the MOG also includes a beautiful sweeping stairway that rotates around the facade of the building, as well as three reflecting water pools on the museum’s terraces. Arthur Erickson created the Chihuly Bridge of Glass in partnership with the artist Dale Chihuly to attach downtown Tacoma to the Museum of Glass.
Hot Shop
A 7,000-square-foot (650-square-meter) hot shop amphitheater at the Museum of Glass seats 145 people to see live glass blowing demonstrations. A hot glass studio for blowing and casting glass, as well as a cold working studio, are both located in the hot shop. The Museum of Glass’ website broadcasts lives Hot Shop action, which is also archived. The hot shop at the Museum of Glass also offers residencies to both visiting and featured artists. The majority of residencies are broadcast live on the museum’s website and end with a Conversation with the Artist lecture.
