Fairmont State University Receives Grant to Hold Exhibit on West Virginia Glass Industry in Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center

Fairmont State University has received $2,000 through the West Virginia Humanities Council to showcase an overview of West Virginia’s glass production with a focus on art and labor history.  

This grant will be used to curate, promote, and actualize Sand and Fire: 200 Years of West Virginia Glass, a Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center exhibit highlighting how the glass industry led to significant economic development in West Virginia during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The project will be led by curators Dr. Marian Hollinger and Joe Valencic with support from Dr. Lydia Warren, Director of the Folklife Center. In conjunction with the exhibition, the project will include a featured speaker series on the contemporary glass industry, with an emphasis on historical and cultural changes, diversification, and economic growth.  

According to Dr. Hollinger, “The goal of this exhibition is two-fold: to present the extent of West Virginia's glass industries and to bring attention to the art glass production that remains in the state.  The exhibition is designed to acquaint students and the broader community with a history of which they may be unaware.” The project aims to draw attention to the glass industry’s former centrality to employment, consider why it declined, and examine ways in which it is beginning to return with new traditions and opportunities.  

The exhibit will be designed to shed light on glass production, artifacts, and cultural traditions that were formerly essential to the state’s economy.  “We hope this exhibition inspires visitors to engage with art and labor history while learning about the contemporary arts ecosystem. There are West Virginia artists doing amazing work today, and we will highlight them right along with historical art pieces and information,” said Dr. Warren. 

The Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center is dedicated to the preservation and presentation of West Virginia’s rich cultural heritage. Their exhibit, Sand and Fire: 200 Years of West Virginia Glass, is intended to be on display from February 15 to May 15, 2025. The Folklife Center plans to make their exhibit more accessible by including printouts in regular and large font, guided staff tours, and quiet, low-light gallery experiences upon request. 

The granting agency, West Virginia Humanities Council, offers various matching grants to nonprofits dedicated to providing West Virginia audiences with humanities programming. Their mini-grants program supports small projects, events, museum exhibits, brochures, consultation needs, and planning for more complex projects.