Friday, July 6, 2012

Shattering glass: The Museum of Glass 10th anniversary celebration


The Museum of Glass is celebrating its 10th anniversary with two days of festivities featuring food, music, and - get this - shattering glass.

It's also celebrating the opening of a new exhibition featuring recent works by master artist Lino Tagliapietra.

The celebration runs throughout the day and night on July 13 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. There will be food and drinks and fun activities on the plaza. Choripan by Asado and Social Bar & Grill will serve up a selection of street food and assorted beverages, including a new signature Museum of Glass beer from Engine House No. 9 that has been crafted with input from the Hot Shop Team. Fair-style games, including a "shatter box" for breaking glass, will be available for visitors to play. Music will be provided by Friends and Family, Nolan Garrett, Hot Bodies in Motion, Joy Wants Eternity, Miles Max and Rumble Pack, and Not From Brooklyn; and there will be break dancing by Fab-5 on the plaza both days.

Now ... about that glass shattering. Are we talking slinging hammers into sheets of glass? No, we're talking shattering wine glasses with the sound of music. The Sound of Music, you may ask. Wow, are we talking about Julie Andrews singing in the Swiss Alps or are we talking about screaming guitars or high notes from a chorus of mezzo sopranos or maybe all seven bands playing at once? Be there Friday night to find out.

Here's how the shattering box was described to me: It is a custom made box - plywood base with a clear plexi vitrine on top. The wine glass is fully contained - very safe.  It will be staged on the plaza. There is one for guests to "play" ($5) and one for the bands.

Kids activities on Friday are the cone head party hats and a glass etching activity.  There will also be entertainment Friday night with the Fab-5 Break Dancers (pun intended?).

Saturday is Family Day with fun activities from 1 to 4 p.m., including painting a mini gondola with artist Jennifer Adams and more Fab-5 Break Dancers in the Grand Hall at 1 and 3 p.m.

The main event will be the opening of  "Maestro: Recent Works by Lino Tagliapietra."  The exhibition showcases 65 glass masterpieces created by Tagliapietra during the past decade (2002-2012). The works demonstrate the artist's evolution to larger works and use of bolder colors and patterns over his nearly 50-year career.  Five large-scale installations, featuring butterflies (Borboleta), vessels (Avventura), boats (Endeavor), seagulls (Gabbiani) and shields (Masai) are central to the exhibition. An artist and member reception celebrating "Maestro" will be held beginning at 7 p.m.
Admission for the weekend is $10 per person per day (children 12 and under are free). For more information, visit the MOG website at www.museumofglass.org.

The anniversary celebration is sponsored by The Weekly Volcano and Creature.

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