The Studio at Corning Museum of Glass

Ready to be blown away? The Studio at Corning Museum of Glass, set in New York’s Finger Lakes region, has shattered expectations with its October 2024 renovation and expansion in the historic building where Pyrex was once developed. The museum was already home to what is arguably the world’s most important glass collection, celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2026, and the $55-million-plus project has significantly enhanced the facility’s capabilities and programming, annealing tradition with innovation. One standout addition is North America’s only large-scale glass casting center, spanning 5,000 square feet, which allows artists such as Karen LaMonte to create monumental glass works previously only possible in places like Prague. The scaleup has also enabled The Studio to increase its visitor engagement; in addition to hosting live glass blowing demos, it aims to accommodate up to 100,000 people a year via its Make Your Own Glass sessions, where guests create everything from glass flowers and colorful vases to engraved plates, ornaments, and flame-worked beads. New offerings include a neon shop, digital fabrication facilities, and expanded workshops for woodworking and metalworking. Taken altogether, these changes have transformed the facility into the white-hot heart of international glassmaking, where artists, students, and visitors can find their creative fire. “We take everybody seriously—whether you’re an absolute beginner or you’ve been doing glass for a long time,” says Amy Schwartz, director of The Studio. “We make an environment [where] you can really focus on what it is you want to do, and we’ll help you and support you and respect you while doing it.”