The Corning Museum of Glass (CMoG) GlassBarge tour arrived at Canalside today. The 2018 GlassBarge tour will be docked at Canalside from August 3-5. As the 2018 signature event for the statewide celebration of the Erie Canal Bicentennial, GlassBarge will offer free public glassmaking demonstrations during its visit.
"We are bringing together the fun of Canalside, the history of the Erie Canal, and the heritage of glass-making in New York," said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. "This once-in-a-lifetime experience showcases the best New York has to offer while celebrating our incredible history."
Guests were invited aboard the 30’ x 80’ canal barge equipped with the Museum’s patented all-electric glassmaking equipment. The event was kicked off with an impressive hot glass ‘ribbon’ cutting and a glassblowing demonstration, as well as a tour of the Lois McClure, a historic schooner from the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. Through Sunday, August 5, CMoG will offer free public glassblowing demonstrations at Canalside aboard GlassBarge as part of a four-month tour across the waterways of New York state. Demos run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with the last show beginning at 5 p.m. Demonstrations are free, but tickets are required and available at www.cmog.org/GlassBarge.
GlassBarge commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Brooklyn Flint Glass Company—now known as Corning Incorporated—relocating to Corning via the New York waterways by canal barge. In addition to sharing the story of glassmaking in Corning, the GlassBarge tour emphasizes the continued role of New York’s waterways in shaping the state’s industry, culture, and community.
GlassBarge began its tour in Brooklyn on May 17 and traveled north on the Hudson River, westward along the Erie Canal from Albany to Buffalo, eventually making its way to the Finger Lakes. The ceremonial last leg of the trip will take place by land, concluding in Corning with a community-wide celebration on September 22.
“On behalf of Governor Cuomo we welcome the GlassBarge tour to Canalside,” said Robert Gioia, Chairman, Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation. “The glass blowing demonstrations will fit in perfectly with the other activities more than a million people enjoy each year at Canalside.”
New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton said, “Buffalo is a prime example of the transformative impact the Canal System has had and continues to have on New York State’s economy and culture. We, at the Canal Corporation, are thrilled to see the Corning Museum of Glass GlassBarge come to Western New York to celebrate this area and New York’s rich maritime industrial heritage. All across the Canal, all this summer, this moving museum has helped educate New Yorkers about the history of innovation and invention that the Canal System has inspired in the Empire State for the last century. We, for one, are excited about all the economic and tourism benefits the Canal System will bring to New York State in the future.”
“We are thrilled to partner with Visit Buffalo and Canalside to bring to life the historic waterway in their community,” said Rob Cassetti, senior director, creative strategy and audience engagement at CMoG. “The Corning Museum of Glass has taken mobile glassmaking around the world, and we can’t wait to share the beauty of this endlessly versatile material with our closest neighbors across New York State.”
“The GlassBarge’s Buffalo visit brings together two great New York visitor attractions: the Corning Museum of Glass and Canalside,” Visit Buffalo Niagara President and CEO Patrick Kaler said. “The GlassBarge will give visitors yet another reason to explore our redeveloped waterfront and resurgent destination this summer.”
A flotilla of historic ships accompanying the GlassBarge include the Lois McClure, a replica of an 1862 canal barge, and the C.L. Churchill, a 1964 tugboat – both part of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum's permanent collection. The museum will share the story of 19th century canal life and how materials were shipped on New York’s waterways. On the Erie Canal, GlassBarge will be moved by an historic tug from the fleet of the South Street Seaport Museum, connecting upstate and downstate by water.
Ticketing and Additional Information
GlassBarge will provide daily demonstrations from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. on August 3-5 at Canalside. All demos are approximately 30 minutes long, and reservations are strongly encouraged through free timed tickets that will be available at www.cmog.org/GlassBarge. Demos can also be viewed from shore without a reservation. If demos appear to be sold out, stop by the marketing tent and sign up for the waitlist. Tickets typically become available.
The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum will invite people aboard the Lois McClure to learn about life on board a canal barge in the 19th century. Tours are first come, first served and do not require registration. The South Street Seaport Museum will also be on hand to talk about their historic tug that will be moving GlassBarge along the waterways.
The GlassBarge journey will also be celebrated back in Corning with a re-installation of the Crystal City Gallery, which will share the story of how Corning became one of the premier centers for glass cutting in the United States.
GlassBarge is enabled through the generous support of grants from I LOVE NEW YORK, Empire State Development’s Division of Tourism; the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA); and the New York State Canal Corporation through Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Council initiative.
GlassBarge Schedule
August 3-5: Buffalo
August 11-12: Medina
August 17-19: Brockport
August 24-26: Pittsford
September 1-3: Seneca Falls
September 14-16: Watkins Glen
September 22: Corning
About The Corning Museum of Glass
The Corning Museum of Glass is the foremost authority on the art, history, science, and design of glass. It is home to the world’s most important collection of glass, including the finest examples of glassmaking spanning 3,500 years. Live glassblowing demonstrations (offered at the Museum, on the road, and on the water) bring the material to life. Daily Make Your Own Glass experiences at the Museum enable visitors to create work in a state-of-the-art glassmaking studio. The campus in Corning includes a year-round glassmaking school—The Studio—and the Rakow Research Library, with the world’s preeminent collection of materials on the art and history of glass. Located in the heart of the Finger Lakes Wine Country of New York State, the Museum is open daily, year-round. Children and teens, 17 and under, receive free admission.
About Canalside
Canalside is a growing regional destination and entertainment district, situated on 21 historic acres along downtown Buffalo’s emerging waterfront on the Buffalo River. Canalside earns its name from its storied past, when the Erie Canal Harbor was built in 1825 as the western terminus of the Erie Canal. Until five years ago, the land was barren and inaccessible, but the area has been reclaimed by the state’s Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. and developed with millions of dollars in public and private investment. With more than 1,000 yearly events and 1.5 million annual visitors, Canalside is fast becoming the go-to place for in- and out-of-towners of all ages to learn, play and relax.
About Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation
A nine-member board consisting of seven voting directors and two non-voting, ex-officio directors governs the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. The seven voting directors are recommended by the New York state governor and are appointed by the New York State Urban Development Corporation d/b/a Empire State Development as sole shareholder of ECHDC. The Erie County executive and the City of Buffalo mayor hold the two non-voting, ex-officio director positions. For more information on ECHDC, visit www.eriecanalharbor.com.
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Contacts:
Canalside
Pamm Lent
716-846-8309
[email protected]
The Corning Museum of Glass
Kim Thompson
607-438-5219
[email protected]