Since its founding nearly 25 years ago, Museum of Glass has become a cultural icon
in the Pacific Northwest, and a place where imagination, artistry, and innovation thrive.
Featuring the West Coast’s largest and most active glass studio, the Museum has a reputation for hosting impactful and engaging artist residencies, organizing and exhibiting nationally traveling
exhibitions, and creating unique education programs for visitors, all while building a growing permanent collection.
Now, it is time to embrace a larger role for Museum of Glass—a role that showcases the Pacific Northwest’s prominence in the history of glass and tells a more complete story of
the art form. Museum of Glass must elevate its impact on its visitors, its community, and its artists. Stated simply, it must expand where it matters most.
In the second quarter of 2026, Museum of Glass will begin construction on the first capital renovation project in its history.
This project is informed by years of experience and insight into what the Museum’s constituents need and expect from the institution. It is inspired by an obligation to seize key opportunities.
Finally, it is guided by the belief that art is more essential today than ever.
The project’s vision is shaped by key considerations:
- Museum of Glass needs to modernize, improve, and expand its gallery spaces to present a more thorough, interdisciplinary perspective on the art form, celebrate its pioneering artists, and exhibit more work from emerging and established artists. The Museum has years of visitor feedback that indicates the public wants more — more art, more space, and more learning opportunities within its galleries.
- A foundational component of this expansion is a new immersive gallery dedicated to the Lino Tagliapietra collection—175 works recently gifted to the Museum from the artist. Telling the story of the world’s foremost glassblower will secure Museum of Glass as a destination glass experience, as it will be the only gallery of its kind in the United States.
- The time is now. Museum of Glass is strongly positioned for success, with a talented and experienced team, sustainable operations, and a healthy income statement and balance sheet.
This capital investment builds on what makes Museum of Glass distinctive and relevant, ensuring it remains an inspiring resource for the city of Tacoma, the Pacific Northwest, and audiences around the world for the next 25 years and beyond. It will advance the Museum’s mission to ignite creativity, fuel discovery, and enrich lives through glass and glassmaking, and make its community stronger.
Construction is expected to take about six months, during which time Museum of Glass traditional gallery spaces will be closed. The Hot Shop, smaller exhibitions, and educational programming will continue throughout construction.
Capital Renovation Project Frequently Asked Questions
Will the Museum be open during construction? If so, what programming will be offered to
visitors?
Museum of Glass will be open with regular hours during construction. The Museum’s
non-gallery spaces will operate without disruption. Much of the
work will take place in the evening. The Hot Shop will host its full lineup of Visiting Artists and the Education Studio will continue to offer workshops, Family Days, and
other programming. The Museum Store and Museum Cafe will be
open. The Museum will also use the Grand Hall space to hold smaller exhibitions. During select weeks throughout the summer, the Museum hopes to park the Mobile Hot Shop on the Grand
Plaza in front of the Museum and offer additional workshops.
What is the timeline for the renovation?
The renovation will begin as early as April 2026. The work will continue until late summer/early
fall of 2026. When the renovation is finished, the Museum’s Curatorial Team will need additional time to refill the galleries. The Museum will provide periodic updates regarding the timeline for
reopening the gallery spaces.
Will there be a grand opening event?
The Museum will host various events in conjunction with the reopening of the galleries and the
opening of the Lino Tagliapietra Legacy Gallery. More details to come.
Who is the Museum working with on the project?
The design work was completed by James Carpenter Design Associates and Studio Unseen Light PLLC.
The Museum’s architect is Bassetti Architects and its general contractor is BNBuilders.
What is the project budget?
The project budget is roughly $25M. To date, about two thirds of that amount has been raised
through individuals, foundations, and government sources. Fundraising for the project is ongoing and the Museum of Glass community is invited to participate. To learn more about how to get
involved, please contact the Museum Development Department at [email protected].
“We sincerely appreciate the generous support for this project that we have received from our
community. Museum of Glass could not embark on an undertaking of this magnitude without the art enthusiasts, local foundations, and government organizations that believe in the importance of our
institution. We cannot wait to share these new and updated spaces with the world,” said Ken Farmer, Museum of Glass Board of Trustees Chair.
By expanding where it matters most, Museum of Glass will reaffirm its status as a pillar of the
Pacific Northwest cultural landscape, an engine of the local and regional economy, and a vital institution for its community. Read below about Lino Tagliapietra at Museum of Glass and the Lino Tagliapietra Legacy
Gallery.
Museum of Glass became a collecting institution in 2007. Since that time, it has built a significant collection of works by artists who have completed residencies in the Hot Shop, glass pieces that document the Studio Glass movement, contemporary glass, and nineteenth- and early twentieth-century glass produced in factories in the United States and Europe. However, the Museum’s collection has not yet been able to tell a sufficiently comprehensive story of glass and the Pacific Northwest’s critical role in its advancement. Until now.
Lino Tagliapietra, the world’s most renowned living glass maestro, has generously gifted 175 works and installations from his archival collection to Museum of Glass. Revered around the globe for his incredible manipulation of the material and his innovative creations, Tagliapietra has defined American glassblowing since coming to the Pacific Northwest in the early 1980s. No other artist can rival his impact on the field as a maestro, teacher, and mentor. Out of all the museums in the United States, Tagliapietra chose Museum of Glass in Tacoma to display his archive and to tell his legacy story.
This is the most important acquisition in the Museum’s history, and one that will
celebrate the region and the art form. The archival collection
includes pieces created over the years Tagliapietra spent in the Pacific Northwest dating back to the mid-nineties. It will transform the Museum’s collection, propel it among
the foremost glass museums in the world, and cement its status
as a destination glass art experience while increasing tourism dollars and educational opportunities.
“Lino’s impact on glass cannot be overstated. Since his first visit to the Pacific Northwest in the early 1980s, he has changed how glassmakers pursue and view the material. His passion and
curiosity are boundless, and his depth of knowledge and skill working with hot glass is unmatched. He shared that with anyone who was willing to watch, listen, and understand what he was doing.
This changed the face of the American Studio Glass movement,” said Museum of Glass Hot Shop Director Benjamin Cobb.
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