On October 14, 2016, The Henry Ford will open the new Davidson-Gerson Modern Glass Gallery inside Henry Ford Museum. Spanning the Studio Glass movement’s founding in 1962 through the present, the new glass gallery features The Henry Ford’s world-class collection and showcases key artists’ creativity and ingenuity.

“The Davidson-Gerson Modern Glass Gallery inside Henry Ford Museum provides a deeper look at a very innovative chapter in the history of glass,” said Patricia Mooradian, president of The Henry Ford. “Guests will not only be wowed by the beauty on display, but will leave inspired by the stories of the artists behind the movement.” 

The Studio Glass movement is recognized as a turning point in the history of glass as artists explored the qualities of the medium in a studio environment. Their goal was to create fine art, in place of craft or mass-produced objects. Guests to the gallery will be able to see this story unfold through unique displays that not only show featured artists’ work but the materials and tools used in their creation, and how the movement impacts our lives today.

Guests will be able to experience the creation of glass as demonstrated by Greenfield Village’s Liberty Craftworks Glass Shop artists through a video “spin browser.” This technology lets the user toggle through the various steps of the glassmaking process. The gallery features almost 100 works of art selected from the recently acquired Bruce and Ann Bachmann Collection of studio glass. Inside the gallery cases, guests can learn more about featured artists, including founder Harvey Littleton, who led the experimental 1962 workshops, Paul Stankard, the father of modern paperweights, and Dale Chihuly, one of the most recognized names in studio glass. The gallery also shows how the movement has come full circle with a special section on mass-produced items influenced by studio glass artists and sold by well-known retailers.

The Davidson-Gerson Modern Glass Gallery inside Henry Ford Museum was made possible through a generous grant from the William Davidson Foundation. For a closer look inside The Henry Ford’s collection of modern studio glass visit: https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/expert-sets/101250/#mod=exhibit-view.