The Galleries
Millefiori Gallery
The Millefiori Gallery occupies John Nelson and Evangeline’s library and reading room and is home to, among other works, the first paperweight to be acquired by Mrs. Bergstrom. Meaning “thousand flowers” in Italian, concentric and patterned millefiori paperweights are made by arranging individual glass canes in a mold. These canes are then fused together by heat; the final result often resembles a field of flowers.
D. Wally Bergstrom IV Gallery
The D. Wally Bergstrom IV Gallery at Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass is home to a collection of sulphide paperweights depicting cameo-carved figurative portraits of famous individuals such as Martin Luther King, Jr., George Washington, Pope John Paul II, and Evangeline Bergstrom. This space is also home to the museum’s collection of Millville Roses and other paperweights that fall outside of the realm of millefiori, sulphide, or lampwork construction.
Lampwork Gallery
Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass’s Lampwork Gallery is home to works of antique and contemporary glass paperweights featuring floral and faunal motifs, many of which are quite realistic. A special highlight of the space is the rotating feature of glass paperweights and paperweight-related sculpture from New Hampshire-based artist Rick Ayotte, many of which are on loan from the Collection of Gordon Park. The extant elaborate plaster ceiling is evidence of the former purpose of this space; it was the home’s dining room.
Mahler Gallery and Germanic Glass
Mahler Gallery is the museum’s largest exhibition space and regularly plays host to the our changing slate of exhibitions of paperweights and contemporary studio glass. It also houses the Mahler collection of Germanic Glass, with nearly 200 works of historic drinking vessels dating to the 16th Century.
Wisconsin Gallery
In 2012, the Museum Board of Directors committed to exclusively collecting and exhibiting works of glass art. The Wisconsin Gallery highlights works from our collection of contemporary Studio Glass, with a specific focus on interpreting the various techniques employed in making these awe-inspiring creations. This gallery is also used for changing exhibitions.
Kimberly-Clark Gallery
Home to picturesque views of the back gardens and Lake Winnebago, this gallery’s namesake is the Kimberly-Clark Corporation, which was founded in Neenah in 1872. Kimberly-Clark Gallery is regularly used for the purpose of exhibiting new acquisitions, and is also where many of our special engagements take place. Like the Mahler Gallery, this was a 1980s addition to the original residence.
Blue Gallery
Located on the second floor and adjacent to the Mabel R. McClanahan Memorial Study Gallery, the Blue Gallery is home to rotating exhibitions of contemporary glass.
Gallery 208
Gallery 208 is located on the second floor of the museum, adjacent to the McClanahan Study Gallery and the upper landing. It is presently home to the complete general range of Perthshire Paperweights, as well as a significant collection of one-of-a-kind and prototype Perthshires.
Mabel R. McClanahan Memorial Study Gallery
The Mabel R. McClanahan Memorial Study Gallery is a gift from long-time friends of the museum, Gary and Marge McClanahan, in memory of Gary’s mother, Mabel. Born and raised near Doering, WI, Mabel (1918-2012) moved to Appleton in 1946 to work as secretary-bookkeeper for Herbert Crane. After 40 years with Crane Engineering Sales, Inc., she retired as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the multimillion-dollar company.
Mabel was also an extremely active community and civic leader, championing small business development, women’s advocacy, and education throughout the state and nation. Among the many organizations she served were Goodwill Industries of Norther Wisconsin (Director), Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Director), and the Appleton Area Board of Education (President).
After she retired, Mabel refocused her energies and partnered with her son Gary in his business as a paperweight dealer. A paperweight enthusiast herself, Mabel was active in the Paperweight Collector’s Association, a national organization. It is because of Mabel’s great interest in paperweights and her commitment to education that this study gallery was named in her honor – to continue the pursuit of knowledge in glass and art, and to make the art of the paperweight more accessible to the public.