Floating Glassmaking Studio Comes To DUMBO

DUMBO, NY — A floating glassmaking studio plans to dock at the Brooklyn Bridge Park in May to celebrate the history of the art in the state.

The Corning Museum of Glass will take a large canal barge filled with glassmaking equipment to cities around the Hudson River and Erie Canal for a tour commemorating the company's 150th anniversary in Corning, NY.

"Glassmaking innovations in Corning have shaped the modern world, from the first electric lightbulbs for Thomas Edison and the invention of optical fiber for telecommunications, to the glass used in modern flat screen displays," Rob Cassetti, senior director of creative strategy and audience engagement for the museum, said in a statement. "And that story all began with a voyage on New York State’s waterways."

The floating studio, dubbed the "GlassBarge," kicks off its four-month tour at Brooklyn Bridge Park on May 17 with free public glassmaking demonstrations daily until May 28.

Each display will be about 30 minutes long and attendees can buy tickets to watch the glassmaking on the barge or view them for free at the shore, according to the museum.

The barge will then dock in town around the state, including Yonkers and Poughkeepsie, before it heads back home to Corning on Sept. 22.

The tour commemorates the anniversary of when the Brooklyn Flint Glass Company, which later became Corning Incorporate, left the city to relocate to Corning on a canal barge, the museum said.

Image: Corning Museum of Glass, used with permission