West Virginia Day Archive

0$0.00

BLENKO GLASS

West Virginia Day Archives

See over 40 years of our annual West Virginia Day collectible glass pieces.

Back to Shop

Shop all

Handcrafted Glass
is a West Virginia Tradition

On June 20, 1863 West Virginia was incorporated as the 35th state of the union and to commemorate this historic day; for over 40 years, Blenko Glass has designed and sold a limited number of stunning birthday pierces! Enjoy this compilation of West Virginia Day pieces photos. Images courtesy of the West Virginia State Museum.

Blenko's 2022 Piece:
'Cabin in the Woods' Decanter

Designed by acclaimed glass artist Kelsey Murphy, and blown from our Tangerine glass, our 2022 Birthday piece, known as ‘Cabin in the Woods’, was approximately 7” long by 6“ wide and 12” tall from the base to the chimney. Each piece was completed with a roughly 7" tall twisted Charcoal drop in stopper to resemble smoke billowing from the chimney.

The colorful creation was Inspired by the cabin Blenko once provided their resident designers/artists, giving them not only a place near the factory to live but a taste of the West Virginia experience. The cabin was coupled with the thrill of working with numerous tanks of beautiful molten color and the freedom to create wild and wonderful forms and objects. Artist/designer Hank Adams and others lived in that cabin during their residency at Blenko. The idea of a quiet retreat to escape to and from there to pursue one’s muse is time honored. Ralph Waldo Emerson had perhaps the most famous lakeside cabin in the woods, Walden Pond. It is a nod to that creative escape that inspires this year’s West Virginia Day piece.

Although the original Blenko artist cabin is now gone; Murphy said "it inspired me to commemorate the unique experience of the designers and artists who benefitted from a situation available in a few places in the world. As another year begins a new and exciting future will unfold. Happy birthday West Virginia."