Glass artist Paul Stankard
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 three special sites: a museum, a spectacular 19th-century Masonic landmark, and the studio of glass artist Paul Stankard.
Begin the day at the National Liberty Museum, located in the historic heart of the city, where a collection of more than 100 contemporary works connect glass art to its guiding theme. Highlights of the visit include the 21-foot glass sculpture Flame of Liberty by Dale Chihuly and an exhibition of cast-glass and mixed-media portraits by Micaela Amateau Amato, Welcome the Stranger.
After a 3-course lunch at the City Tavern, whose history reaches to the 18th-century, visit one of the city’s most dazzling buildings, the 1873 Masonic Temple, Library, and Museum. View stunning interiors that reflect interpretations of ancient architectural motifs and historical design elements from around the globe, and learn about the special collection of firing glass from the lodge’s archivist-librarian.
The day concludes with the rare opportunity to join Paul Stankard, a master of the modern glass paperweight, in his studio for a demonstration of his work. Stankard builds on the traditions of 19th-century floral paperweights, encasing vividly realistic flowers, plants, and insects in technically virtuosic portraits of nature in glass.
Fringe stop at about 7:25 a.m.
