PGC Capital Campaign Exceeds $14 Million

We're excited to announce our Shattering Expectations capital campaign has reached another milestone by raising over $14 million. Recent grants from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, Allegheny Regional Asset District, and the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh have brought us within a short grasp of our $15 million dollar goal.

Park Here + Explore the New Building

Ever since the dumpster and crane went away, we got so busy here at PGC that we forgot to post an update. It seems like something new happens every day.

With this lovely spring weather, we’ve been enjoying lunch and getting fresh air on the Vitro Patio (see video above).

Our expanded studios— including the kiln shop, flame shop, and cold shop (pictured above)—have been full of enthusiastic students and artists who rent our studios.

Our new retail shop will soft launch on May 3 and feature a new collaboration with Nisha Blackwell of Knotzland with items such as lapel pins, rocks glasses, and more that are made utilizing reclaimed glass.

We’re still working diligently to set the stage for the opening of our next exhibition, Myth-Science of the Gatekeepers, a collection of 16 life-size glass statues of Black queer Kemetic deities, on May 3. The exhibition was created by Mikael Owunna and Marques Redd, co-founders of Rainbow Serpent, a non-profit organization that supports Black LGBTQ culture. Mark your calendars!

Of course, how could we forget to mention that our parking lot is OPEN!!! Plan a visit soon. Remember, we're free and open to the public.

PGC Reopens After Extended Winter Break

The doors are open again after a heated six weeks of major demolition and reconstruction. The $15 million expansion is not quite complete, but everyone is welcome back to take a glass class, watch glassblowing demonstrations, and explore the growing facility.

Glass Goes Up on PGC's New Facade

We can see clearly now as the glass panels are installed on the front of our expanded facility.

New high-efficiency glass donated by Vitro Architectural Glass and a $100,000 grant from The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation have made this important part of our expansion possible.

Take A Walk on the Wild Side with Us

We've poured the concrete and the stairs are in place. Come and see all of the progress we've made. Join Heather McElwee for a sneak peek hard hat tour.

What's Up?

The Third Floor Takes Shape

In order to grow within our current footprint, we're adding a third floor. For now we have to climb up a ladder to get there, but soon there will be a new staircase and an elevator so that everyone can access our new professional Hot Shop, a spacious outdoor patio facing Penn Avenue, and administrative offices.

We have big plans for the new Hot Shop that will mainly be used by professional glass artists who rely on PGC to make their living. The modular studio will be organized around a central core with plenty of room for artists to spread out. There will be two furnaces and one large glory hole and two smaller ones. We will have the option to rearrange all of the equipment to accommodate our artists' needs. Artists will have access to lots of accessories like tiny coffee can glory holes for bits and small work like goblet making and electric color pots to melt different colors of glass.

We can't wait to invite you for a seat on the patio to watch our artists at work.

RAD Grant Will Make Our Expanded Facility Accessible to All

Thanks to an accessibility and inclusion grant from Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD) our expanded facility will soon be accessible to all visitors including people with physical disabilities and limited mobility. This includes 100% of our free, ongoing programming such as exhibitions, open-house glassblowing demonstrations, and self-guided tours.

The $75,000 award will be used to replace our front ramp with a wheelchair lift, replace our elevator, and extend the elevator shaft to the new third floor. These improvements will ensure that all people will be able to access every area of our new facility.

Branded Bright Boutique

An important part of our mission is to cultivate, nurture, and support diverse and passionate glass artists and expand opportunities for them to make and exhibit their work in Pittsburgh and beyond.

In a few months we will have a bright, beautiful retail space showcasing both aspiring and established glass artists, makers, and designers who are amazingly creative and genuinely committed to preserving the true essence of “made by hand.”

With properly staged products in a dedicated retail footprint, PGC will become a shopping destination for art, giftware, and home decor. Providing a welcoming first impression for visitors, the store will provide increased revenue to support all PGC programs and build visibility for local artists.

Look What's Glowing Up

You might not recognize PGC the next time you drive by on Penn Avenue. Our general contractor A.M. Higley has been working hard during these last few hot weeks. They excavated the parking lot to pour the new footers for the expansion. They built the additional stair tower for the new third floor and extended the elevator shaft to go to the new third floor so that we're fully accessible. They reinforced the steel beams in the existing building to support the new third floor office that we refer to as the "penthouse." As you can see here, the structural steel is all in place for the new building. The HVAC, electrical, and plumbing are being updated now.

PGC Staff Pushes Capital Campaign Fundraising Over $11 Million

All of the staff at PGC worked together to raise $35,000 to fund a new kitchenette on the third floor of our newly expanding facility which pushed our total raised to over $11 million!

“This accomplishment is incredibly special and I am continuously inspired by the passion, flexibility, and support our staff has displayed throughout the planning and into the beginning stages of our expansion. I’m so proud and this confirms that together we will continue to do incredible things,” said Heather McElwee, the Randi & L. Van V. Dauler, Jr. Executive Director.

We held a kickoff party in late February to announce the kitchenette challenge. Heather invited everyone on the PGC team to claim the naming opportunity for our new third-floor kitchenette by raising $35,000 to create a space specifically for the staff to gather, collaborate, and connect over lunch or a cup of coffee.

Everyone who pledged will have their name on a plaque on the wall forever to demonstrate their love of PGC, commitment to our mission, and support of PGC’s continued success.

The Shattering Expectations campaign is not over.
We still have $4 million to raise to ensure that construction is completed on time and the building is set up for our future success.

Stop By, Say Hi

Enter through the New Door

Construction is moving along here at PGC. You'll see lots of action in the parking lot as we pour the actual foundation for our expansion. We also moved the front door. Look! It's right here along Penn Avenue. Come in and see what's new.

Hot Glass Pour + Groundbreaking

Nothing Can Stop Us Now!

Over 100 friends and glass art appreciators turned up to help us celebrate our groundbreaking and hot pour on March 23. It was quite the day. The clouds parted just in time for inspiring words from our founder Kathleen Mulcahy and many local leaders and for a pour of 2,000-degree molten glass from the second-story window into the parking lot where the expanded facility will be built. Together we poured the symbolic foundation for a brighter future for glass in Pittsburgh.

Nearly $11 million of the $15 million capital campaign chaired by Jim and Kathe Patrinos has been raised so far.