Beginning Thursday, March 22, Greentrike and the Museum of Glass (MOG) will partner to bring a collection of glass art designed by children to the Children’s Museum of Tacoma. The temporary exhibition features artwork from MOG’s ongoing program Kids Design Glass. The glass sculptures are viewable in the cabinets next to Becka’s Studio, with glass-inspired activities and a chance for children to design their own masterpiece starting in April.

Kids Design Glass is a series of glass sculptures that explores the possibility of children as designers of fine art. It celebrates the relationship between designers and master glassblowers, resulting in captivating pieces of art that are whimsical, authentic, and unique. The process begins with children under the age of 12 submitting their designs to the Museum of Glass. MOG’s Hot Shop Team then selects one design each month to forge into a glass sculpture. The designer is awarded a sculpture as a reward for sharing their creative design for the project.

“We are so excited to share some of our Kids Design Glass favorites with Greentrike! The pieces we selected are wonderful examples of the creativity and sense of humor of our young designers. Each artwork is also evidence of the technical challenges that our Hot Shop Team has to overcome to faithfully create each design in glass”, said Museum of Glass Curator Katie Buckingham.

Kids Design Glass will be on display for the duration of the Illuminate exhibition, a show featuring glass art for early learners at the Museum of Glass. Greentrike Program Manager Alysia Jines provided consultation to make Illuminate accessible for all children and help children feel welcome in a fine art setting. Her experience designing playscapes for the Children’s Museum of Tacoma provided her with keen insight into how children view and engage with spaces.

“The Illuminate exhibition centers on children by honoring their inquisitive and capable exploration. It is wonderful to see a fine art museum incorporating child-friendly elements and finding ways to engage young audiences.”

The Children’s Museum of Tacoma, powered by Greentrike, has been in its third location on 1501 Pacific Avenue since 2012 and is located less than a half mile away from the Museum of Glass. Both Museums are accessible by foot over the Chihuly Bridge of Glass, which connects downtown Tacoma to MOG, and are part of the six museums that comprise the Tacoma Museum District.