The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war. - Douglas MacArthur

At the The Museum of Glass (MOG) in Tacoma, Washington, Lewis-McChord military Leadership personnel, Americans for the Arts Susan Saloom, and Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland celebrated the recent opening of "Healing in Flames." The new exhibit, open until March 2016, features by soldiers participating in the Museum’s program, Hot Shop Heroes: Healing with Fire. Hot Shop Heroes (HSH) is a vision of Museum founder Dale Chihuly, world renown glass artist and Tacoma native.  Chihuly was present at the opening with HSH instructors Patricia Davidson and Greg Owen.  Army Sergeant First Class Peter Bazo, featured Hot Shop Heroes artist, spoke to the importance of this unique and inspiring art form as it relates to members of the Veteran community, citing exceptional success in restoring the spirit of veterans with PTS and TBI, as well as healing physical and emotional issues through the transformative properties of glassmaking.

Following the highly successful reception, the Hot Shop Heroes team assembled a collaborative piece, “Tree of Life”, in an exciting glassmaking demonstration in the Museum’s Hot Shop.  An appreciative crowd filled the observation seats and decks as the piece was created in the 2040 degree firing oven and torched by the Hot Shop Heroes. The Museum of Glass has recently opened the program to active duty personnel and uses its mobile glass making studio to visit local military installations. They hope to inspire and assist other museums in glassmaking programs for Veterans.

The Museum of Glass is a member of the National Initiative for Arts & Health in the Military Directory and is also a Blue Star Museum, offering free or reduced admission to all military personnel, Veterans, and their families. Blue Star is also a member of the National Directory.

For more information, visit the Museum of Glass: Hot Shop Heroes Program. For videos of the Hot Shop Heroes making art and explaining the special benefits of this unique and sometimes dangerous art of glass making, visit: Hot Shop Heroes: Healing with Fire.