Glass by Lino Tagliapietra (Courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art)
See Philadelphia in a new light as museum education consultant Sheila Pinsker opens doors to unsuspected opportunities to view glass in a wide variety of places and forms. She guides participants to four special sites: a museum, a spectacular Tiffany mosaic mural, a university glass studio, and a unique exhibit.
Begin the day at the National Liberty Museum, located in the historic heart of the city, where a collection of more than 179 contemporary works connect glass art to the theme of freedom. Meegan Coll, the museum’s director of glass art leads a tour, a highlight of which is the 21-foot glass sculpture Flame of Liberty by Dale Chihuly.
After a 3-course lunch at the City Tavern, whose history reaches to the 18th-century, visit the Curtis Center to view the spectacular Dream Garden. This 15-by-49-foot mosaic of more than 100,000 pieces of favrile glass was designed by the studios of Louis Comfort Tiffany and is based on a painting by Philadelphia native Maxfield Parrish. At the Tyler School of Art at Temple University, join program head and glass artist Sharyn O’Mara for a tour of the state-of-the-art Irvin Borowsky Studios and a hot-glass blowing demonstration.
End the day at the Perelman Building of the Philadelphia Museum of Art as curator Elisabeth Agro leads a tour of the exhibition Lino Tagliapietra: Painting in Glass, highlighting five vibrant works from the Venetian-born artist’s panel series. These large-scale abstract pieces, which at initial glance resemble paintings on canvas, are crafted of kiln-fused glass that captures and transmits light.
Fringe stop is at about 7:25 a.m.
Participants must be age 18 or over. Closed-toe shoes are required at the Borowsky Studios, where visitors are provided with safety glasses. The City Tavern’s entrance includes steps. The return trip includes a stop to purchase a meal.
World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1 credit
