UPDATED: 11/8 11:50 AM -- Artist and educator Jeff Mack, after seven years as the manager of the studio at the Toledo Museum of Art Glass Pavilion, will be joining the The Corning Museum of Glass in December as the Hot Glass Programs and Projects Supervisor. This position, created in light of the recent museum expansion and the rapidly evolving hot glass programs at the Corning institution, will involve managing the daily operations of the popular Hot Glass Show, scheduling the team of glassmakers and guest artists, and managing hot shop maintenance and supplies. Though he will be doing some travel with the Hot Glass Roadshow and GlassLab Design Program, Jeff will not be heading out to sea with the cruise ship glassblowing programs, primarily facilitating recruitment and deployments from the home base in Corning. "I hope to realize the potential of the CMOG's incredible new space," he says, referring to the renovated Hot Glass Show amphitheater.
The Corning Museum of Glass, an institution with the most comprehensive collection of glass objects and reference materials within its renowned Rakow Research Library, as well as the world-class Studio facilities, attracts many applicants to positions such as this one. Eric Meek, Hot Glass Programs Manager, told the GLASS Quarterly Hot Sheet, “We had many amazing applicants from all over the map. The richness of experience, talent, and dedication made the decision very difficult. Many applicants were not only accomplished glass artists, but also possessed skills which would really complement our team. Ultimately, Jeff’s accomplishments as an artist and educator and his record of successful project and personnel management set him apart. He is absolutely dedicated to glass and will really be able to hit the ground running at CMOG.”
In addition to his most recent position at the Glass Pavilion of the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio, Jeff’s museum experience also includes the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn, MI and dates back to 1999. On top of his career credentials, Jeff has been involved with the Corning Museum of Glass sporadically throughout the years, teaching alongside the late Italian maestro Elio Quarisa, working with Laura Donefer as part of the 2012 Collaborative Instructor Residency at The Studio, and demonstrating his skills at the 2300° event in January 2014.
The Mack family is looking forward to relocating to Corning, which he referred to in an interview with the Corning Museum of Glass blog as an "idyllic place... with a great quality of life in a beautiful part of the country." As for the future of the Glass Pavilion after he moves on, Jeff notes that Toledo’s 50-year history of studio glass has seen an ever-evolving community of glass artists, a tradition that is unlikely to change in his absence. As the Glass Pavilion approaches its tenth anniversary, he expects that its programs “will remain an innovative, dynamic, and interesting art education experience for visitors and students.”
NOTE: The original posting for this item stated that Jeff Mack would also be traveling for the cruise-ship glassblowing programs. This is not correct, and the item has been updated to correct this.