Pittsburgh Glass Center Celebrates a Birthday — and a New Space

PHOTO BY NATHAN J. SHAULIS

There’s been commentary on consumerism, technology and the patriarchy. Life-size statues of Black queer Kemetic deities. Representations of historical figures, endangered species and children separated from their families at the border. All crafted from glass. In Pittsburgh Glass Center’s 25 years, the gallery space has never failed to dazzle the eye and provoke some thought.

“I think people don’t realize how unique the Glass Center really is,” says Heather McElwee, the Randi & L. Van V. Dauler Jr. Executive Director of Pittsburgh Glass Center. “I think people think, ‘Oh, there’s probably a place like this in every town.’ And that’s not true. We are really one of the top facilities in the country in terms of the breadth and space that we have here.”

In honor of PGC’s 25th anniversary, three shows are planned in the exhibit space this year. The first, opening Feb. 6, is “Gathered Locally,” featuring artists who have moved to Pittsburgh because of the glass center over the last two decades. The second show will be a solo exhibition by co-founder Kathleen Mulcahy, and the third will celebrate all of the honorary artists from PGC’s annual galas, Art on Fire.

As part of a $15 million expansion started in 2023, PGC this year debuted a new gallery space at 5431 Penn Ave., dubbed Pittsburgh Glass Corner. The new space will allow for even more exhibitions, whether it’s for emerging artists, pop-up shows or artists-in-residence. It’s also meant to be a community space for people and organizations in the neighborhood; the upper floor contains housing for artists-in-residence.