Experience Stunning Blown Glass Works at Kentucky’s GLASS National Art Museum

Experience Stunning Blown Glass Works at Kentucky’s GLASS National Art Museum

Danville, Kentucky, the historical birthplace of the state, recently became home to a national art museum that gives artists and cultural travelers yet another reason to visit.

Just two blocks from Constitution Square, where Kentucky’s constitution was drafted in the late 1700s, GLASS National Art Museum opened in November to showcase the creativity of contemporary artists working in the compelling medium of glass—most notably providing a permanent home for the collection of American glass artist, Stephen Rolfe Powell.

The $3.7 million renovation and expansion project more than doubled the footprint of the Art Center of the Bluegrass, enabling it to expand its reach and usher in the next 20 years of creativity and leadership within the arts sector of the Appalachian region.

“With the addition of GLASS National Art Museum, we are aspiring to become a national leader in the glass art field over the course of our next 20 years,” said Niki Kinkade, Executive Director of Art Center of the Bluegrass. “We have long taken great pride in our role at the intersection of history and future, providing a glimpse into the past and artistic inspiration for the next generation of creators. GLASS will help us expand our reach, attracting visitors from across the country to Danville, KY, with our captivating permanent collection, anchored by Stephen Rolfe Powell’s work and legacy.”

Before he died in 2019, Powell was a longtime resident of the Danville community. In addition to creating a name for himself in the glass community through his visually stunning work, he founded and built the glassblowing program at Centre College in Danville in 1985, teaching aspiring glass artists from across the country for over three decades. Powell’s personal work is held in the permanent collections of art museums around the world, including The Corning Museum of Glass (Corning, NY), Chrysler Museum (Norfolk, VA), the Boston Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, MA), and the Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington, DC).

Powell’s work will serve as an accessible lens through which to discover glass as an art form and generate conversations about creative expression. Museum visitors can explore the relationship between light and glass in a captivating way: a dark gallery will display a selection of rotating works—starting with Powell’s Echoes series—under spotlights, casting color onto surfaces below.

GLASS plans to collect work by other prominent contemporary names in glass, including Dale Chihuly and Lino Tagliapietra. The Historic Hallway Gallery will be a permanent display highlighting key moments of the Studio Glass Movement. The museum’s three gallery spaces will display work from both the permanent collection and rotating exhibitions from regional and national artists.

GLASS was the first in a series of enhancements to be made to the Art Center of the Bluegrass. Others will include Fern Curated Gifts, Murrini Café, and a glassblowing studio set to open in 2024.

Visitors who visit downtown Danville to experience GLASS will also find a charming downtown with welcoming restaurants, boutiques, and galleries. Danville is also home to other unique attractions like the Great American Dollhouse Museum, Pioneer Playhouse, McDowell House Museum, and the nearby Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site.

For more information about GLASS National Art Museum and Art Center of the Bluegrass, visit glassmuseumky.org