NYC's 5 Best Places For Glass Art

Tiny decorated beads, intricate picture windows, neon lights, lamps, vases, bowls, bottles and the list goes on and on. What do each of these items have in common? Glass. And you too can enjoy and even create glassworks right here in New York City. Home to some of the greatest works of art in the world, New York City is experiencing a growth in the demand for glass art and glass-art education. Ever wondered how that Tiffany glass lamp in the Metropolitan Museum of Art was created? Or how those colorful necklace beads from the Brooklyn Museum are made so small? Never worry - below is your guide to New York's best galleries and glass-making facilities.

Chappell Gallery
West Chelsea Arts Building
526 W 26th St #306
New York, NY 10001
(917) 414-4755
The gallery is open by appointment only.
www.chappellgallery.com

A small gallery located in the West Chelsea Arts Building, Chappell was founded by Alice Chappell, whose resume includes positions as the Vice President of Sales at Steuben Glass and President of Hoya Glass USA. The gallery has shown works by artists from all around the world and features a number of exhibitions every year. It also produces catalogs for some of these exhibitions and has shown the artists' work at art fairs here in New York and along the east coast. From multi-hued glass and copper bowls by Gale Scott to floral-shaped pieces made in pâte de verre (glass paste) by Etsuko Nishi or the abstract layered forms by Sasha Zhitneva, Chappell Gallery has a great assortment of interesting glassworks.

Urban Glass
Interim Location:
126 13th St
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(718) 625-3685
www.urbanglass.org

Future Location - expected Spring 2013:
647 Fulton St
Brooklyn, NY 11217

Urban Glass is in the middle of a major reconstruction of its Fulton Street gallery and glass-making facility. Normally housed in the old Strand Theater, Urban Glass provides studio space for hundreds of artists, shop space and classrooms for educational programs and gallery space for public exhibitions. Take private lessons or join a class in anything from glassblowing to beadmaking, or stained-glass to kiln-formed glass. While the new space is under construction (made possible by a generous fund through a collaboration with the City of New York and the Borough of Brooklyn), Urban Glass still operates classes and provides interim studio space for a growing group of interested students and artists at 126 13th Street, a few blocks south of the new facility.

Related: 5 Most Iconic Works Of Art In New York

Ernest Porcelli
Art Glass Studio
543 Union St
Brooklyn, NY11215
(718) 596-4353
www.ernestporcelli.com

Another Brooklyn-based gallery is the studio of a single stained-glass artist, Ernest Porcelli. Porcelli got his start in glass after meeting designer Jean Jacques DeValle and he has had a studio since 1974. His works have been recognized nationally, featured in many articles and even a few movies. These range from abstract, leaded-glass panels to jeweled-glass, brownstone windows and even painted-glass church windows. Porcelli creates his own work and also does restorations. His studio is open by appointment only.

Macklowe Gallery
667 Madison Ave
New York, NY 10065
(212) 644-6400
www.macklowegallery.com

This gallery describes itself as "the world's premier dealer of museum-quality Twentieth Century Decorative Arts. For over 40 years we have specialized in French Art Nouveau furniture and objects, Tiffany lamps and Tiffany glass, French cameo glass by Argy-Rousseau, Daum and Gallé, bronzes, ceramics, lithographs by Alphonse Mucha and antique and estate jewelry." Any number of both popular and not-so-well-recognized glass works can be found here. The company has been in existence for over 30 years, and its Madison Avenue space has been frequented by many museum curators, avid collectors and curious passersby. The gallery occasionally hosts exhibitions as well, and is a great place to become acquainted with some of the finer pieces of glass art from all around the world.

Brooklyn Glass
103 14th St
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(718) 569-2110
www.brooklynglass.com

Much like Urban Glass, Brooklyn Glass offers classes and studio space to interested students and artists. Here, classes include glassblowing, flameworking and neon glass workshops. Choose from single-day workshops where you can create a jewelry pendant or paperweight, or join extended weekly or week-long workshops on caneworking or hot sculpting. Many of these classes require no previous experience. The facility also offers private demonstrations and team building workshops, and occasionally opens its doors for open houses and other events throughout the year.

Of course, these are only a few of the many facilities in the city that introduce and immerse visitors in the exciting world of glass art. Many important pieces can be found in the major museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum. Stop by any number of these institutions to see some of the best and most unique works New York has to offer.

Related: NYC's 6 Best Contemporary Art Galleries

Jennifer Eberhart is currently an art history/museum studies graduate student at The City College in New York. She is an avid art enthusiast, and visits as many museums and galleries as she can in her free time. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.