PA Glass Trail

What is the last thing you used glass for? To hold a drink of water? To house a bouquet of flowers? To look outside and check and the weather? Glass as we know it, today and historically, is known for its function.

Our job was to change that perception.

The GoggleWorks Center for the Arts established the Pennsylvania Glass Trail in 2006, and connected glass artists across Berks, Lehigh, and Montgomery counties. It took more than a year of development, working with the Pennsylvania visitors’ bureau to build a statewide initiative for the trail. We explored the corridor along Route 222 to find glass blowing studios rich with creative contributions to the developing medium. Gathering a few intrigued glass artists at a time, we found a thriving community of glass artists and connected it to the region. At the GoggleWorks, we built the hub of the artisan trail with state-of-the-art glassmaking equipment. It was just a matter of getting people to think of glass as art, then, and for that, we needed Adobe Creative Suite.

We upgraded to Adobe CS3 in conjunction with our second annual glass trail effort, and we credit Adobe CS3 with our success in garnering public interest. Adobe CS3 allowed us to engage the postindustrial artisan trail in a way that makes it easy for visitors and Southeastern Pennsylvania residents alike to experience all the different forms of glass. People taking in the self-guided trail can start from whichever studio they choose along the route and follow the map – created using Adobe CS3 – illustrating the circuit of studios. Recently, we used Adobe CS3 to design an innovative pamphlet which communicates to the public the logistics of upcoming Glass Trail events.

And it worked. What started off as an idea culminated in an annual artisan trail showcase of artists’ work. A year after the PA Glass Trail started, foot traffic substantially increased in our glass studios at the GoggleWorks.

Southeastern Pennsylvania has never been more aware of glass’ rich aesthetic history. Whether tied into the area’s Pennsylvania Dutch roots through stained glass windows and beading or the traditional craftsmanship of jewelry and lampwork, glass is now a pervasive part of the region’s arts culture. And innovations in the art of glass blowing have helped many become a part of this legendary craft.
At the GoggleWorks, we connect the community to the arts. Sometimes, that connection takes pamphlets and brochures to tell residents about artists, and sometimes it requires a map to let the community discover the region’s artists on their own. Whatever the task, the upgraded creative designs in Adobe CS3 enable us to carry out our mission of enriching our community.