Celebrity Cruises' new Celebrity Solstice will introduce an industry first by collaborating with the world-renowned Corning Museum of Glass to bring the art of glassblowing to sea when the Museum's "Hot Glass Show" debuts on Celebrity Solstice in December 2008. The Hot Glass Show will provide live demonstrations & a narrated performance of glassblowing, designed to engage, educate & inspire cruisers about the art, history & science of glass. "We're confident our guests will be awestruck by what we're offering with The Corning Museum of Glass," said Celebrity Cruises CEO Dan Hanrahan. "The museum's surveys repeatedly show that live glassmaking demonstrations rank as one of the top reasons more than 340,000 people visit the museum each year. Now, it's also a compelling reason to sail on Celebrity Solstice". "At The Corning Museum of Glass, our mission is to engage and inspire visitors by telling the story of glassmaking", said Marie McKee, president of The Corning Museum of Glass. "This collaboration with Celebrity Cruises allows our Museum to dramatically expand our outreach across the world". Located on the ship's upper deck within a custom-designed, outdoor glassmaking studio, the Hot Glass Show will present the history and craft of glassblowing, from its ancient origins to its current countless uses. Three resident "gaffers" - highly skilled glassblowing artists - will educate and entertain cruisers with live glassmaking shows, lectures and workshops. Live hot glassmaking demonstrations are central to the experience at The Corning Museum of Glass, complementing the history and the artistry of glass showcased in the Museum's exhibitions and permanent collections. Since 2001, the Museum has taken the Hot Glass Show to museums, art fairs and public festivals around the world, extending this experience beyond the walls of the Museum. The Museum's traveling Hot Glass Roadshow has been seen at such venues as the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics and America's 400th Anniversary Celebration at Jamestown.
