About the Friday Day Trips

The Convention Program includes a choice between three day trips to three outstanding museums on Friday, May 17, 2024. When you register for the 2024 PCA CONVENTION, you will be asked to choose which one of these three trips you’d like to go on. Registration will open in early March.  Seats on each trip will be limited – availability will be based on a first come first served basis. Each of these museums is worth a visit so also consider whether you should come a few days early or stay a few days after the convention.

Bus Trip #1: Visit the Harvard Blaschkas

This is a Full day trip to the Harvard Museum of Natural History (Cambridge, MA) to see the internationally acclaimed Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants, better known as the “Glass Flowers”.   Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka – a father and son team  of Czech glass artists – produced 4,300 glass models that represent 780 species.  You’ll have time to view the Blaschka Glass Models and visit other parts of the museum. Learn more about the Harvard Natural History Museum here: Glass Flowers: The Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants | Harvard Museum of Natural History.

What to Consider: Estimated bus travel time is 1.5 - 2hrs each way. Expect to do a considerable amount of walking in and around the museum. Those who select this trip will miss all artists demos.
Lunch can be purchased on the Harvard campus. There are food trucks on the Science Center Plaza (https://calendar.commonspaces.harvard.edu/?&cat=FDTRK), Clover Food Lab inside the Science Center (https://www.cloverfoodlab.com/clover/locations-hours/?l=cloverhsc), and of course Harvard Square is full of cafés and restaurants of all cuisines (https://www.harvardsquare.com/venue_type/eat-drink/).
Map of Campus - Printable PDF

Bus Trip #2: Explore The Sandwich Glass Museum & Artists Demos

This bus will head for the Sandwich Glass Museum (Sandwich, MA) where you’ll have time to tour their collections and special exhibits.  The mission of the museum is: The Sandwich Glass Museum continues to be relevant today as an institution honoring the history and artistry of Glass Art as produced by the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company, and also links that history to the development and practice of the craft and art of glass in contemporary society.  In the afternoon, the bus will take you to the Blackstone River Glass Center to watch PCA Registered Artists do live demonstrations and collaborate on pieces which will be auctioned on Saturday.  

What to Consider: Optional box lunches will be delivered to the bus in Sandwich. Click here to learn more about the Sandwich Glass Museum. This trip is scheduled to depart from the hotel at 9:15am and return back to the hotel by 5:15pm.

Bus Trip #3: Tour the NBMOG & Artists Demos

This bus goes first to the New Bedford Museum of Glass (New Bedford, MA) in the James Arnold Mansion, a magnificent Victorian building.  The museum’s collection of approximately 7,000 pieces includes ancient glass, American historical glass, Mt. Washington “Lava” Glass, Contemporary Paperweights, Contemporary Glass Art, a special exhibition of paperweights and more. The First Unitarian Church, with its monumental 200 square-foot Tiffany glass mosaic, is a neighbor of the museum.  In the afternoon, the bus will take you to the Blackstone River Glass Center to watch PCA Registered Artists do live demonstrations and collaborate on pieces which will be auctioned on Saturday.  Optional box lunches will be delivered to the bus in New Bedford.

What to Consider: Access to the exhibit of paperweights will require using a flight of stairs as it is otherwise not accessible. Click here to learn more about the New Bedford Museum of Glass. This trip is planned to depart from the hotel at 9:30am and return back to the hotel by 5:30pm. 

NOTE:  Each trip is limited to 50 people, first-come-first-served.  There will NOT be any WAITLISTS so carefully consider which trip you want.  Numbered tickets will be issued so we can keep track of who's on which bus.  This will require a lot of coordination but PCA is excited to offer a varied selection to meet the interests of all our attendees.

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