The Delphi Blog

Header image courtesy of Chihuly Collection - St. Petersburg, Florida

As glass artists, fueling our own imagination comes from being inspired by the creativity of others. Observing the beauty of glass art pieces that have been unleashed from another artist’s dreams, means we are that much closer to displaying our own for the world to see.
 
Visiting museums with glass art displays can give us more insight into what we can skillfully create and drive our dreams of becoming beloved artists. It can also be a beautiful way to spend a day. Here are some of the best museums in America to view stunning glass art collections and become inspired.
 
Macklowe Gallery – New York, New York
You don’t need to travel the world to see the very best glass art because this gallery displays some of the finest pieces from all over the globe. You’ll find Tiffany lamps and Tiffany glass, French cameo glass by Argy-Rousseau, and much more.
 
Museum of Glass (MOG) – Tacoma, Washington
Founded in 2002, this museum commits itself to celebrating the movement of studio glass art. While it often features special collections, among the permanent collections, you can find 20th and 21st century glass, kids design glass collection, and a visiting artist residency program collection, among other things.
 
Toledo Museum of Art – Toledo, Ohio
What’s cool about this museum is that the building is completely made from glass. The perfect venue for showcasing glass if you ask us! You’ll find ancient vases, sculptures and more, along with glass pieces originally made in Ohio by Ohio artists.
 
Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR Museum) – Washington, DC
The nation’s capital is full of museums. You shouldn’t miss the Smithsonian while you’re there, but another museum for glass lovers is the DAR Museum. It features over 500 pieces of glass that are primarily from 19th century America.  
 
Wadsworth Atheneum – Hartford, Connecticut
This one’s for the history buff and glass lover in one. You’ll find enameled glass, engraved glass, Venetian styles, plus the stunning lacy, pressed glass collection by Edith Olcott van Gerbig.
 
Museum of Fine Arts – Boston, Massachusetts
Boston is another great city full of art and museums. Here, you’ll get to explore mostly 19th century works from America and Europe, plus a contemporary glass collection that includes the Wakefield collection of Sandwich Glass.
 
National Museum of Cambridge Glass – Cambridge, Ohio
About 80 miles east of Columbus, you’ll find over 7,000 pieces of Cambridge Glass plus a variety of interactive exhibitions that show the fascinating process of making glassware by hand. As a visitor, you can even do rubbings of designs of your choosing by using etching plates.
 
Corning Museum of Glass (CMOG) – Corning, New York
If you have Corningware in your kitchen, you might be interested to see where it all began. The Corning Museum of Glass is home to more than 3,500 years of glass history that spans from ancient Egypt to contemporary works. Plus, you can learn all about the science and technology of glass with interactive exhibits, take classes, attend events and more. There’s something for every age group to discover about glass art here.
 
Of course, there are many more museums with gobs of glass art to see. Are you looking for some inspiration near you? Check out this massive list of museums to choose your next field trip to glass art collections!