Art Lesson #6: 7 Glass Factory Tours

Fire and glass always catch kids attention (and mine too).  Immerse your child in the art production to appreciate art.  You never know when the production (vs. the final product) sparks a fire in one's interest.

Glass is beautiful to me, especially in an art form like a vase or stained glass window.  William J. Benko is also inspirational to me since he took a risk, moving from Europe to the United States to begin the first US glasshouse that could supply mouth blown (Antique) sheet glass for stained glass windows.  He began his company in 1893 in Kokomo, IN. 

 I became interested in the Blenko Glass company after watching a PBS show about it and then took a road trip to tour the production in West Virginia.  You can watch the glassblowing in action and purchase vases and bowls onsite.


Lesson Idea
Two suggestions based upon my story, 1) tune into your public tv station, it's full of local travel stories that will inspire you and your family to explore, 2) take your child to a glass factory or museum

Here's 7 glass factories/museums to consider:
1.  Blenko - Milton, WV (pictured above), check out website www.blenko.com for store coupon and demonstration times (usually open 9AM-4PM)
2.  Boyd's Crystal Art Glass Inc. - Cambridge, Ohio (OH)
3.  Corning Museum of Glass - NY (everyday, adult $15, free under 19 yrs)
4.  Fenton Art Glass Co. - Williamstown, WV (select Saturdays)
5.  Kokomo Opalescent Glass - Kokomo, IN (Tue. - Fri.)
6.  Mosser Glass Inc. - Cambridge, Ohio (OH)
7.  Glassworks - Louisville, Kentucky (KY)

If you've been to any of the glass factory tours above, please write a comment on whether you recommend it to other Moms.

Art Lesson #5: Longaberger Basket Factory & 6 Other Art Tours

Longaberger, once hand crafted in the United States and provided tours in Frazeysburgh, OH. Beauty and pride in craftsmanship and service, Longaberger now closed, so I've listed other factory tour opportunities below.  As we toured the office, we learned about the leadership team insisting the building be shaped like a basket, even when architects said it wasn't possible.  It was possible.  

The museum and tour was a great learning experience for my four year old.  The employees allowed my son to help make a basket.  They even allowed my son to sign his name on the basket bottom, a basket that will be sold to some lucky family.  The employee was so enthusiastic about my son's basketweaving skills that my son decided that besides being the President someday, he'd like to be a Longaberger Weaver.  How will you inspire a kid today in a way that may change their future?

Here's 6 other artisan factory tour opportunities:

1.  Terra Studios:  Durham, AR, home of the "Original Bluebird of Happiness" glass art and a non-profit organization supporting art,  you can watch art demos including glassblowers for free (12-4PM) and relax at their cafe on Sunday (1-4PM) to hear local musicians
https://terrastudios.com/gallery-cafe/

2.  Shidoni Foundry:  Santa Fe, New Mexico (NM), sculpture, bronze art foundry, self guided foundry tours (Mon.-Fri., noon-1PM, $3) and walk the 8 acres of sculpture gardens, especially cool (or hot) would be watching molten bronze poured into ceramic shell on Saturday Pour Days (Sat. noon, $5), Shidoni is a greeting to a friend in Navajo
 http://www.shidoni.com/html/home.asp

3.  Michael Ricker Pewter Designs:  Loveland, Colorado (CO), pewter sculptures, museum and showroom (Mon.-Fri. 8AM-5:30PM, Sat. 10-2PM)
http://www.ricker.com/index.cfm?category=1

4.  Cornwall Bridge Pottery:  Cornwall Bridge, CT, 35 foot long woodfired tube kiln and you can visit the workshop, watching the process, call ahead
 http://www.cbpots.com/category/_the_workshop/

If your these sites are too far away, share a video with your child for a virtual tour.

5. Salisbury Pewter (Easton, Maryland) Discovery Channel's Factory Made video on how a pewter coffee pot is made, check out the website  http://salisburyinc.net/salisbury-fine-metal-artisans/

6. D. Pickering & Company (Bucyrus, Ohio), explains company history and Copper Kettle process, check out the website with video http://dpicking.net/virtual-tour