An exhibition documenting the history and career of one of Pennsylvania’s preeminent glass artists and Pittsburgh Glass Center (PGC) co-founder, Kathleen Mulcahy opens on May 1 as part of Pittsburgh Glass Center’s 25th anniversary. A Fine Intoxication: Gathering Glass will include Mulcahy’s work from 2001 to the present. Works from Ron Desmett will also be included in the exhibition. Though Ron is deceased he was a significant partner in the development of Pittsburgh Glass Center.
Kathleen Mulcahy is a Pittsburgh-based glass artist and co-founder of Pittsburgh Glass Center whose work captures fleeting, emotional moments in nature, especially water, through luminous, sculptural glass. Inspired by her early connection to the sea and a transformative encounter with molten glass, she creates pieces that balance beauty with urgency, reflecting on environmental fragility, human connection, and global tensions. Guided by a belief in art’s power to build community, Mulcahy helped realize Pittsburgh Glass Center as a space where artists and the public converge, extending her practice beyond the studio to shape both cultural dialogue and collective experience.
A Fine Intoxication: Gathering Glass will be open May 1 – July 31, 2026. A free opening reception will be held at PGC on Friday, May 1 from 6:00-9:00pm.
The exhibition was made possible with support from The Fine Foundation, Dr. Karl Salatka, and the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass.
Lullaby
61” H X 30” W X 3” D
Yet All That Is I See (from Hamlet)
48” H X 30” W X 3” D
2025
“I have always been inspired by nature whether I’m on a
river or near the vastness of the ocean waters. I’m not imitating nature but
trying to pause a moment, a millisecond of
thought and go deeply into the image through specific
strategies using glass! My
musings take on a sense of soul washings, clearing and
cleansing. I allow a kind of
sound in my mind to emanate from the work,” said Mulcahy.
Ми українці We Are Ukrainian
14’ W X 9’ H
2026
The inspiration for the water lilies in this work came to Mulcahy after spending time on the boundary waters in Minnesota. She envisioned the water lilies as bright yellow with a deep blue center which are the national colors of Ukraine.
“I think there is a collision in my work between beauty, earth’s resources and politics. The
new work titled “Ми українці” translation = We Are Ukrainian for example calls into
question our relationship to humanity, to each other. There is certainly a clash of beauty
and humanness. Who are we in these crushing moments where one nation is
transgressing another. Who are we when we can’t live in peace,” asks Mulcahy.
Pittsburgh Glass Center co-founders Kathleen Mulcahy and Ron Desmett
Golden Spinner
A Form in Repose
16” H X 16” W
2001
Hist
ory of Pittsburgh Glass Center
Pittsburgh Glass Center (PGC) was founded by local glass artists Kathleen Mulcahy and the late Ron Desmett (1948–2016), who shared a vision in the early 1990s: create an innovative glass art center that would cultivate community, foster economic growth, and thereby change the city. They’d seen how the power of art drove revitalization in decaying neighborhoods in New York City and northern New Jersey. They wanted that same positive dynamic for Pittsburgh. As passionate glass artists working in Pittsburgh, Desmett and Mulcahy envisioned a place that would attract top artists but also welcome the novice artist and non-artists intrigued by glass.
They worked for 12 years to bring the people together who would help make their dream a reality, including artists, foundations, community members, and glass enthusiasts.
With the help and support of the Urban Redevelopment
Authority, Friendship Development Associates, and Bloomfield-Garfield
Corporation, their vision was realized in 2001 when the Pittsburgh Glass Center
opened its doors to the public. Since then, PGC has educated more than 750,000
individuals, contributed to the ongoing development of the city’s East End, and
made Pittsburgh a significant hub in the international studio glass community.
About Kathleen Mulcahy
Kathleen Mulcahy is a Pittsburgh-based glass artist and co-founder of Pittsburgh Glass Center. Her work is inspired by nature particularly by water. She grew up near the Jersey shore where walking the coastline in winter made her fall in love with the sea. Upon seeing molten glass being gathered from the furnace like honey she was immediately drawn to its malleability and its beauty.
"Glass," she says, "is the verb of my work revealed through the primal form of a drop."
Her glass drop installations incorporate bent and etched
plate glass on patinaed or textured steel. As an avid kayaker, she experienced
a moment that changed the direction of her art. A storm came upon the river
suddenly. In its wake it left her with a moment of pure joy, of wonder, that
she works to recreate in her drop installations. Her inspiration, drawn from
the natural world – water and rivers, often titled after excerpts from poems
exploring the boundaries and freedoms that affect relationships; people to
people and people to nature. Nature is the reflection point of her work.
Kathleen pushes the limits of the medium, merging sculpture with craft to
create masterful works in glass and metal.
About Pittsburgh Glass Center
Celebrating 25 years in 2026, Pittsburgh Glass Center (PGC)
is a nonprofit, public-access glass art center where anyone can take classes,
explore a contemporary glass gallery, shop for handcrafted glass, and watch
live glassblowing demonstrations. Since opening its doors, PGC has educated
more than 750,000 individuals, contributed to the revitalization of
Pittsburgh’s East End, and helped position the city as a leader in the
international studio glass community. A multimillion-dollar expansion completed
in 2024 nearly doubled PGC’s capacity, enabling it to meet growing demand for
glass programs and studio access. PGC remains committed to fostering an
inclusive, welcoming environment for everyone—from the casually curious to the
master artist. 25 Years: Still Glowing, Still Growing
Glass Art: We teach it. We create it. We promote it. We
support those who make it.
Learn more at www.pittsburghglasscenter.org.
CONTACT: 5472 Penn
Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
412-365-2145
glassinfo@pittsburghglasscenter.org
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www.instagram.com/pghglasscenter
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5472 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
412-365-2145 | www.pittsburghglasscenter.org
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