Well, a little while ago we both had some time off during the week, so we committed ourselves to do something that’s been on our list for quite a while, and we drove over to Corning Museum of Glass.

*Of course we’ve visited CMOG multiple times, but as it happens we haven’t been since the new wing was opened over a year ago.  And after the entrance cash registers, that’s where our visit started.

*This new wing is a very large space for contemporary glass art.  There’s lots of light, and the colors are very light, or even white — walls, ceilings, I think even floors.  That’s the memory I take away, at least.

*AND… there’s lots of space – half the space of the Curtiss Museum.  Space is always at a premium in museums, so maybe this will change over time, but for right now most of the pieces have a cushion of solitude in a space at once stark and inviting.  It doesn’t distract you, and the pieces on exhibit easily draw your eye.

*When you talk about contemporary, you’re wondering what comes next. Just as your feet and your eye are free to wander, the mind’s free to wander too, just as each artist’s mind did. Some museums take a “cattle chute” approach, herding the visitor onto and along a chosen path. Not the Glass Museum, which encourages the visitor to craft his or her own experience. There are, it seems from the website, thematic arrangements in this huge new space, but I confess that I missed them. I just wandered, following my attention.

*One thing you’ve got to admire about contemporary artists… they’ve got courage. They’re willing to take a chance, investing lots of time, materials, money, and studio space into a vision that could well be greeted with confusion, indifference, or disdain.

*The museum itself is investing heavily in contemporary glass art… this new space is dedicated to art and design of the past 25 years, while the “old” contemporary gallery, on the other end of the building, is now for glass from 1975 to 2000.

*In the galleries dedicated to historical works (35 Centuries of Glass) we also wandered, enjoying the geometric designs from the Muslim world and exuberant Renaissance pieces, along with tiny items from ancient times. We spent a while studying the Crystal City Gallery, telling the story of Corning and its growth, in step with the growth of the Glass Works.

*We were thrilled to explore the Changing Exhibitions Gallery, with its special show “Fragile Legacy: The Marine Invertebrate Glass Models of Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka.” You might be surprised by our excitement, but these are hundreds of exquisitely-fashioned teaching tools… models used in the classroom, acquainting the student with a world that was out of reach back in the 19th century.

*This set is on loan from Cornell, which we did not attend, but we are just old enough to remember when such items, by then often gathering dust in closets, were part of the ambiance of schools. These tiny artworks, with their breathtaking craftsmanship, belong to the world of art, and the world of science, and the world of social and educational history.

*In a lot of ways we had a light visit… there were many things on our mind, and we’d been there numerous times before. Maybe you have too. But you know, there’s always something new. And even if there weren’t, I’ll bet you haven’t got every single item memorized. There’s always something to experience that you haven’t experienced before.

*Having been in museum and tourism work for quite a while, I roll my eyes when someone enthuses over their WORLD-CLASS! attraction. Usually that just means that they’re excited, and have high (often unrealistic) hopes.

*To me, being world-class means that it’s the only one of its type in the world, and/or that people come in substantial numbers from around the world in order to see it. The Glass Museum qualifies. We have a world-class attraction in our back yard, and it’s worth repeat visits.

*Being a student of the history of technology, I always spend some time in the Innovation Center area. Besides enjoying the history, I unfailingly take time to listen to Joe Litttleton on video, telling the tale of his dad the scientist and his mom the housewife, and how they collaborated in bringing Pyrex to our kitchens. It’s always great to visit, once again, with Joe.