By Karina Oumov
While in the midst of an enduring hiatus on in-person education programs, we were thrilled to revive the magical spirit of live demonstrations this week as we hosted our first ever Virtual Neon Demonstration! Developed in partnership with the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, the demo was our contribution to their annual GOALS for Girls summer intensive; a free, six-week program for 8th and 9th grade NYC girls that focuses on the advancement of women in STEM.
This collaboration offered an exciting opportunity to explore the interconnectedness between STEM and the visual arts (go STEAM!), and specifically how glass has helped to shape the modern world. Our resident neon expert and studio technician, Stephanie Lifshutz, led an inspiring session that covered the history of neon in lighting and advertising, as well as the role of pioneering female artists in propelling this craft into the realm of fine art. The demonstration also explained the scientific principles that illuminate this technique as we followed the entire process of bending glass tubes into individual letters which were spliced together to spell “VOTE.”
We are thankful to the Intrepid for providing a stage for Stephanie to share her knowledge, passion and personal and professional journey as a female-identifying artist and educator with such a thoughtful group of young people. Virtual demonstrations will be a lasting addition to our community outreach toolkit, and we look forward to future opportunities to share our love of glass!
UrbanGlass is committed to fostering community partnerships with organizations that share our passion for educating and inspiring young people. Please contact our Youth & Outreach Coordinator at karina@urbanglass.org to learn more, or to reserve a custom designed virtual demonstration for your group.