Ohio Glass Museum & Glass Blowing Studio

The Ohio Glass Museum is proud to present SHAPING SOCIETY, opening September 11, 2025 and running through August 31, 2026.

In this exhibit, curator Anne Kiphen invites us to explore how manufactured glassware has served as a subtle but poignant subject for reflecting and shaping societal narratives.

Usually perceived as merely functional, glassware has surprising stories to tell us. From the most opulent crystal used in formal banquets to the mass-produced, free-with-purchase glassware of the fast-food industry, each glass item offers a window into the values, economic conditions, aesthetic and socially acceptable trends of time. This exhibit invites you to reconsider the influence of everyday shapes and forms in our lives, past and present.

The Ohio Glass Museum archives are a treasure trove, brimming with wonderful glass pieces generously donated by members of the community and avid collectors nationwide. SHAPING SOCIETY provides a unique opportunity to showcase many of these items, each one selected to illuminate the exhibit’s central theme.

We hope you will explore, remember, and enjoy!