Fostoria Glass Gallery celebrating America 250

FOSTORIA — Fostoria-area residents and tourists alike are being invited to join the Fostoria Glass Heritage Gallery as it participates in the 250th anniversary of the United States becoming an independent nation.With glass manufacturing having been one of the earliest industries in the new nation, the gallery is "celebrating the contributions of those in the glass industry during the month of May this year," Bill King, president of the Fostoria Ohio Glass Association, wrote in a news release. The glass association operates the gallery, which opened in 1992 and holds about 1,300 pieces made in Fostoria between 1887 and 1920.Gallery personnel decided on May as their celebration period due to the America 250-Ohio Commission having assigned the month for honoring the nation's arts, culture and literature.Hoping to draw greater numbers of people, the gallery is conducting four weekly drawings for glass items, to be followed by a grand-prize drawing. All visitors to the gallery will have their names entered into the drawing for the week in which they visit, as well as into the grand-prize drawing, Also, any items purchased from the gift case will be 10% off.This week, through Friday, the drawing prize will be a pair of Dahlia salt and pepper shakers on a clear base, made by the Consolidated Lamp and Glass Company. The prize for the May 9-15 drawing will be a Cosmos pattern miniature oil lamp produced by the Consolidated Lamp and Glass Company.The winner of the drawing for the May 16-22 drawing will receive a Fostoria Lamp and Glass Company-made shell-and-seaweed toothpick holder and a Fostoria Glass Company bicentennial plate that features Kaubisch Memorial Public Library.After the week of May 23-29, the drawing winner will receive a Nickel Plate Glass Company Columbian Coin celery vase.All of the weekly drawings will take place on Saturdays. The grand prize drawing is scheduled for May 30, with the winner receiving a large open bowl bearing the glass gallery's signature Victoria pattern. King and glass association board member Charlene Kelbley estimated the bowl's value at about $75 to $100.Visitors to the gallery may first notice the windows decorated for the month by Kelbley and featuring both display boards and various glass items.Folks may then proceed to view items in a number of display cases. Many of the pieces are on loan from collectors, while others have been donated or purchased by the glass association with donated funds.The glass association is a nonprofit, and while it always welcomes donations — a QR code may be found on website www.fostoriaglass.com — it has a major project near in the building's basement."We're doing fairly well as an organization, but we still have challenges, like the basement walls that are going to require a substantial investment," King said. "We could use help in financing the repairs in the basement walls."While hopes are for more visitors this month, King said such results would be hard to predict. He believes the gallery now being listed in the Ohio Travel Guide may be of help."It's just a line (in the guide), but still, people who are looking for things to do can see it and, hopefully, get here. Just like today," King said, nodding toward the rainy outdoor weather. "If people come to go up to the lake and it rains and they can't do lakeside activities, they may be looking for something to do. We hope we can fill the spot."All told, though, King and Kelbley said the visitation is largely unpredictable."With gas prices at $4.99 (per gallon), who knows?" Kelbley said with a laugh.""We can never tell, really," King said. "The more that's going on in the whole area, the more likely we are to get more visitors and more publicity."King and Kelbley said the gallery has had visitors from all over the United States and some foreign countries."We have a gentleman who comes in every couple of years who lives in Hawaii and he goes to a college conference, I think, in Michigan," Kelbley said. "He comes down here, and he loves the Victoria pattern and he buys pieces here. ... He buys several pieces every time he comes."Said King: "Sometimes he takes them, sometimes we ship them."The gallery is open from 10 a.m., to 4 p.m., on Wednesdays through Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Saturdays. Group tours on other dates may be arranged by calling 419-435-5077.