The Corning Museum of Glass Is Hosting a Free “Blown Away” Virtual Event

While the Netflix reality series “Blown Away” shows how creatively competitive the art of glassblowing can be, the Corning Museum of Glass is retooling its connection to the show with its upcoming online event “Connected by Glass: Blown Away Season 2.”

On Wednesday, Feb. 17, the museum will host a virtual discussion that reunites cast and crew members of “Blown Away” for a night of reminiscing and glassblowing. Part of the winning grand prize is a residency at CMOG in New York State’s Finger Lakes region, so it only makes sense that the glassmaking school and museum would host such an event.

During the virtual event, director Mike Bickerton will be joined by show contestants Jason McDonald, Cat Burns, and Mike Shelbo to talk about their time on the series. The program will also present a demonstration featuring Burns working with glassblowers at CMOG’s Amphitheater Hot Shop.

“As a glassmaker, it has been a joy to watch the world become captivated by this special material and the people who dedicate their lives to working with it,” said Eric Meek, CMOG’s senior manager of hot glass programs. “It’s exciting to be part of the production, of course, but this level of exposure has opened up our relatively close-knit glass community, and has changed the perception of and appreciation for the material of glass on a large scale.”

Additionally, CMOG has a ton of their own online programming on this art form with live-streamed onsite demos, plus virtual classes that you can take this summer. And you can learn more about CMOG’s partnership with “Blown Away” through this webpage.

To catch the event on Feb. 17, head to their YouTube channel and Facebook page at 7 p.m. EST. If you need a quick refresher before the event — or are just learning about the glassblowing competition now — seasons one and two of “Blown Away” are currently available for binging on Netflix.