West Virginia Project

Blenko Glass was the site of AMP’s West Virginia project. Founded in 1893 and located in Milton, West Virginia, a town with a history of industrious labor and a dependable supply of natural gas, Blenko still creates pieces by hand, focusing on the artistry and design of its skilled craftsmen.

Thirty-nine fifth-grade students from Ceredo Elementary learned the hard work of blowing glass—the heat, the precision, and the skill involved to create unique pieces of art. Wearing protective glasses and thick gloves, and directed by Blenko veteran, David Osburn, the kids blew through long tubes, shaped and stamped liquid glass in molds, and worked with Ellen to make pieces that are part of the 42-foot section of water under the fishing boat near the center of the mural.