Publisher and National Liberty Museum founder Irvin J. Borowsky and his wife, Laurie Wagman, pictured in their Philadelphia home. photo: joseph v. labolito. courtesy: temple university, philadelphia
The Tyler School of Art glass program has received a gift totaling more than $1 million from National Liberty Museum founder Irvin J. Borowsky and his wife, Laurie Wagman. This is the second Philadelphia glass program to receive major funding from Borowsky and Wagman, who gave $500,000 to the University of the Arts earlier this year. In recognition of the sizeable gift, Tyler’s glass facility will be christened the “Irvin Borowsky Glass Studio,” and the visiting artists program will be supported by the newly created “Laurie Wagman Fund in Glass Art.” In addition, Borowsky and Wagman are giving Tyler three works from their personal collection of glass art.
“This is an historic gift for Temple’s Center for the Arts, the Tyler School of Art and its Glass Program,” said dean and vice provost of the arts Robert T. Stroker in a prepared statement.
“The Visiting Artists Program is an incredible gift to our students and our program,” said associate professor Sharyn O’Mara, also in a prepared statement. “This gives us the opportunity to bring internationally renowned artists to Tyler to share their experience and their work, and to inspire a new generation of glass artists.”