Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass recently received several important gifts of art including the popular installation “Between Seeing and Knowing” by artists Anna Boothe and Nancy Cohen for the permanent collection. Approved by the museum’s Board of Directors, gifts also include works by paperweight artists Rick and Melissa Ayotte, and Richard Loesel, noteworthy antique paperweights by Pietro Bagaglia and Mount Washington Glass Works, and contemporary works by glass luminaries Michael Meilahn, Mary Van Cline, and Peter Hora, among others. “We are honored to welcome these significant gifts including Boothe and Cohen’s installation into our permanent collection. Our collection is the greatest educational resource we share with our community, and these gifts increase our offerings tremendously,” said Amy G. Moorefield, the museum’s executive director.
Above: Anna Boothe and Nancy Cohen, Between Seeing and Knowing, 2012, Gift of the Artists
Between Seeing and Knowing is a large-scale, site-specific installation by nationally recognized artists Anna Boothe and Nancy Cohen, comprised of hundreds of objects fabricated using multiple glass processes. Begun by the artists during a Corning Museum of Glass Collaborative Studio in 2012, Between Seeing and Knowing has been on view at nationally respected venues before its well-attended presentation at Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass from October 2022 through February of 2023. Generously gifted by the artists, the museum intends to travel the exhibition to other museums and art centers. Museums interested in learning more about the traveling exhibition portion of Between Seeing and Knowing should contact the museum at 920-751-4658.
Left to right: Petr Hora (Czech, b.1949), Sphinx, 1998, Gift of Jill G. and Frank J. (Jack) Pelisek; Pietro Bigaglia (Italian, 1786-1876), Queen of Greece Amalia of Oldenburg Paperweight, 1845, Gift of an Anonymous Admirer of Glass Paperweights; Mary Van Cline (American, b.1961), The Listening Point, 1996, Gift of Jill G. and Frank J. (Jack) Pelisek
Ranked in the top five glass museums in the country, Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass provides extraordinary glass experiences to spark fun, kindle creativity, and illuminate learning for all. Established in 1959, it has been an exclusively glass art museum since 2012, with four permanent collections: the world’s most representative collection of antique and contemporary glass paperweights, the Mahler collection of Germanic vessels dating from 1573, a collection of Victorian Era decorative glass baskets, and a significant collection of contemporary glass sculpture.
The museum is admission free and operates as a private, not for profit, 501(c)(3) organization, independent of the City of Neenah. Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass has the distinction of being accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). The honor of accreditation means the museum meets the rigorous standards of professionalism and best practices for museums set forth by AAM.
Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass is grateful to its seasonal sponsors:
Miron Construction, Community First Credit Union, The Boldt Company, Northstar Asset Management, Associated Bank, Remley Law, S.C., City of Neenah, WI, Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, Inc., Fox Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau, Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, State of Wisconsin COVID-19 Cultural Grant Program, and by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Media sponsorships courtesy of Wisconsin Public Radio and 91.1 The Avenue.
Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10:00am—4:30pm
Thursdays 10:00am – 8:00pm and Sunday 1:00—4:30pm
Admission: Free
Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass
165 North Park Avenue, Neenah, WI 54956
Telephone: 920-751-4658, Website: bmmglass.com, Social: @bmmglass
