NEWSLETTER
Corning, NY (November 3, 2026) — The holiday season is arriving at the Corning Museum of Glass (CMoG)! Beginning November 5, visitors can explore the Museum's annual collection of festive glass displays, like our 14-foot Holiday Ornament Tree, Advent Wreath, Glass Holiday Feast, Tree of Life Menorah, Hanukkah objects and a collaborative Kwanzaa Setting. Also this week, mark your calendars for November 5 and join us in celebrating the unveiling of the 40th Rakow Commission by Ken Williams Jr. during a special Connected by Glass program. Don't miss this chance to meet the artist and see the piece before it gets moved into the galleries! Demonstrations are free with Museum admission, and kids and teens under 18 are always free.
November 1 – 30, 2026
To show appreciation for their service to our country, all military veterans receive free admission to the Corning Museum of Glass through the month of November. All others in the veteran's party enjoy 15% off of their regularly-priced admission. Remember, kids and teens 17 and under are always free!
Connected By Glass | 40th Rakow Commission: Ken Williams Jr.
November 5, 2026 from 6 – 8 pm
Ken Williams Jr. is a Northern Arapaho and Cattaraugus Seneca artist who currently lives and works in Santa Fe and is the recipient of the 40th Rakow Commission.
Williams Jr.’s means of creative expression is through beadwork. His work can be characterized as a blend of pop art with a native twist. Elements of contemporary culture—food, cartoon figures—are conveyed through the traditional practice of glass bead working.
See the 40th Rakow Commission, meet the artist, and learn more about his practice at a special Connected by Glass program. The evening will start with a short documentary on the artist and the development of this new work, followed by a lecture by Williams Jr. before moving into the galleries to view the beaded panel for the first time.
The lecture is free and open to the public. Registration is required to attend via Zoom.
November 5 – January 3, 2026
In 2008, the first annual Holiday Ornament Tree showcased more than 600 ornaments handmade by our Hot Glass Team. The tree was eight feet tall and four feet in diameter at the bottom. The next year, the tree grew to 14 feet tall, with more than 2,000 glass ornaments made by Museum glassmakers.
The Museum's glittering ornament tree has now become a holiday tradition—the perfect background for an annual holiday photo. The tree is joined by other wonders in glass, including a holiday feast made entirely of glass as well as a life-sized glass snowperson family, the Tree of Life Menorah, Advent Wreath, and Kwanzaa Setting.
You can’t buy the ornaments on these trees, but you can Make Your Own Glass Ornament, year-round, at The Studio.
November 5 – January 3, 2026
The Advent wreath, traditionally made from evergreens, has no beginning or end, signifying the ever-living Christ. One of the wreath’s four candles—each symbolizing hope, peace, joy, or love—is lit each Sunday. With the lighting of each candle, a prayer is offered, providing a moment for reflection.
Created by the Museum’s Hot Glass Team, Advent Wreath has a central blown glass form with a rolled rim of green providing the structure for the candleholder element. The cluster of holly leaves with bright red berries that encircles the bowl represents the crown of thorns and blood. Intricately shaped pinecones have been added, symbolizing resurrection and the promise of eternal life.
November 5 – January 3, 2026
Stop in to see a festive holiday meal inspired by the warmth and kinship shared at tables throughout the holiday season.
Created by the Hot Glass Team, the holiday feast features meal favorites like turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Each year the feast grows as gaffers create and bring their favorite dishes to the table.
Glass Holiday Feast is sponsored by Wegmans Food Market, Inc.
Tree of Life Menorah and Hanukkah Objects
November 5 – January 3, 2026
The Tree of Life Menorah and Hanukkah Objects bring together fine leaves, sturdy branches, a thick tree trunk, and an intricate system of roots—all made possible through flameworked glass shaped over a 4,000°F torch.
The menorah is a prominent symbol in the Jewish faith and plays a central role in the celebration of Hanukkah. Glass candles with flames were also created and will be added each day of Hanukkah.
The Tree of Life Menorah and Hanukkah Objects was developed in partnership with Rabbi Todd Markley of Temple Beth Shalom, Needham, MA.
November 5 – January 3, 2026
The kinara, Swahili for candleholder, holds seven candles—three red on the left, three green on the right, and a single black candle in the middle—that represent the seven principles that are the foundation of the African American celebration Kwanzaa. As a new candle is lit each day, families discuss one principle’s importance and how it fosters community amongst African Americans.
The glass kinara represents a bridge spanning generations of African American people, and a waterfall cascades behind it to symbolize how they flow together. In this setting is a Kikombe cha Umoja (Unity Cup) signifying the gathering of family in celebration of a rich heritage. Behind the scene, a mirror invites the onlooker to see their reflection and contemplate what Umoja means to them.
Kwanzaa Setting was originally designed in 2020 by Jonathan Rowe of Horseheads, New York, and the Rowe Family guided and assisted the Museum’s Hot Glass Team in creating the piece. The collaboration grew out of discussions of Kwanzaa principles, African American history, and the state of race relations in the United States. One key principle surfaced in those conversations as the focal point for discussions of family, community, and the issues at hand: Umoja, or “Unity.”
Veteran's Glassworking Experience
November 7– 8, 2026 from 9 am – 5 pm
In recognition of those who have served our country, we’d like to show our gratitude by offering veterans and active military the opportunity to participate in a free glassmaking experience. The Studio gaffers will teach basic glassblowing and sculpting techniques. These free, one-hour sessions are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Registration will be open October 1 and continue through November 3.
About the Corning Museum of Glass:
In 2026, the Corning Museum of Glass celebrates 75 years as the foremost authority on the art, history, and science of glass. It is home to the world’s most important collection of glass, including the finest examples of glassmaking spanning 3,500 years. Live glassblowing demonstrations (offered at the Museum and on the road) bring the material to life. Daily Make Your Own Glass experiences at the Museum enable visitors to create work in a state-of-the-art glassmaking studio. The campus in Corning includes The Studio, a year-round glassmaking school celebrating 30 years in 2026, and the Rakow Research Library, with the world’s preeminent collection of materials on the art and history of glass. Located in the heart of the Finger Lakes Wine Country of New York State, the Museum is open daily 9 a.m.– 5 p.m. from April through December. Winter Hours (January–March) are 9 a.m.–5 p.m. on Monday – Tuesday, Thursday – Sunday (closed Wednesdays). Children and teens, 17 and under, receive free admission.
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