The West Virginia glass exhibit will be displayed this summer, June and July of 2022. Straight from the Watts Museum at WVU. “Molded in the Mountains: The Glass Industry in West Virginia” is organized and presented by the Watts Museum at West Virginia University.”

Minimum donation of $2 per person to view the exhibit. Your support helps with the expenses to bring in this exhibition.

Reception on Friday, June 17, from 5 to 7 pm

Open on Tues, Wed, and Thurs from 1 to 4 pm from June 17 to July 28

Molded in the Mountains: The Glass Industry in West Virginia

From early 19th century factories in the northern panhandle to artisans making decorative glass today, West Virginia’s glass industry has played a key role in the state’s industrial and economic development. An exhibit developed by the Watts Museum at West Virginia University showcases that history.

“Molded in the Mountains: The Glass Industry in West Virginia” explores how glass manufacturing had lasting impacts on the people and economy of the state. Large deposits of sand, minerals and fossil fuels helped make West Virginia an important glassmaking center in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and the industry attracted both glass companies and glassworkers to the state. In the latter half of the 20th century, however, depleted natural resources and increased competition and costs led to a decline in West Virginia glassmaking. Paper, plastics and aluminum began absorbing much of the market share, and many glass factories closed or moved elsewhere.

Though a few manufacturers—such as Blenko and Marble King—still remain, the production of flat glass, tableware, and glass containers has largely vanished from West Virginia. The popularity of glass artistry, however, has heated up in recent years, with artisans preserving and expanding upon the Mountain State’s tradition of hand-crafted glass.