NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The Perry Glass Studio expansion project is coming together, and there’s growing excitement for the studio at the Chrysler Museum of Art to open the doors to the new studio space.
“September marks the opening of Phase 1 of this project, which is the expansion,” said Program Director Robin Rogers. “We’re currently renovating the original glass studio.”
Construction started in March 2023 after a $55 million capital campaign that included 300 donors, as well as city and state participation.
This summer, the Perry Glass Studio closed as the transition began into the new addition. Classes and regular programming will resume in September. The Perry Glass Studio’s original building will remain close for renovation.
Next month, the addition will open as part of the 18,000-square-foot expansion. When complete, the Perry Glass Studio will triple in size and have a large community impact.
After a year-and-a-half of work, the addition is almost ready. Rogers told WAVY the project has been years in the making.
“Really began back in 2015 talking about it, starting to dream about it, making a plan, and then of course, raising funds, and putting it all into action,” Rogers said.
It has several classrooms and workspaces, for flameworking, sandblasting, stained glass, mold making and more. The new design creates more room for artists, the local community and students.
“We partner currently with several local universities, but we’ll have the space and availability to grow those partnerships and add more partners, if there is interest,” Rogers said.
One of the largest features is an amphitheater and hot shop that’s full of state-of-the-art glass blowing equipment. It will have a variety of uses, including teaching and performance.
“The amphitheater will enable us to explore theatrical elements even more,” Rogers said. “We do a lot of performance with glass, but there’s a lot of things like stage lighting, we could fly sets in here.”
Rogers said the studio space will be available for many uses. It will welcome public and private events, school groups, field trip programs and teaching demonstrations.
“Everyone at the museum is very excited,” Rogers said. “We’ve been giving some hard-hat tours, and everyone that’s come through has been thrilled to see the space and just anxious to bring their families and get in here in person.”
The Chrysler Museum of Art has kept the public aware of the changes through regular construction updates. A grand-opening is expected to take place in March 2025.
Check back on WAVY.com for the latest updates.