The World’s Tallest Glass Tree returns to Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, near Lake Geneva, this holiday season and this year it’ll be even taller.
The tree – created by glass artist Jason Mack and producer Rob Elliott – will be 36 feet tall, eight feet taller than the world’s next tallest glass tree, in Murano, near Venice, Italy.
Organizers expect more than 20,000 people to come from around Wisconsin, Illinois and beyond to help assemble the giant glass tree across two weekends in December.
On Dec. 6-8 and 13-15, the World’s Tallest Glass Tree community-made art installation will be assembled by visitors of all ages who will help put melted glass on the tree’s frame.
The glass, which comes from recycled glass bottles collected in bins in the surrounding area, is crushed and melted in a mobile glass furnace until it’s goopy like honey, at which point it is wrapped around a spinning tree-shaped steel structure.
On Dec. 15, a hand-blown five-foot glass star will be perched atop the tree during a ceremony.
“Our goal is to continue to inspire and work with the community, to teach people about recycling and the many uses and things you can do with glass. We endeavor to offer a fully sustainable event,” said Elliott.
“Everywhere you turn, there’s something to watch, something cool that somebody made, or just a spot to sit and enjoy the magical atmosphere.”
Mack built his first glass tree in 2009 as an experiment. It was 12 feet tall.
“This is the fourth year for the project and I’ve just been making the star bigger rather than re-engineering the frame,” Mack said in a documentary, which you can view below, noting that the frame is 31 feet tall.
“At some point we’re going to have to make the frame bigger.”
Last year’s event drew more than 16,000 attendees. More than 17 tons of glass was collected, 3,000 pounds of which was used to create the tree. The rest was recycled by Walworth County.
Once the season is over, Mack removes the glass from the frame and uses it to make 600-700 small commemorative glass trees.
During the two weekends there will be live glass-blowing and woodworking demos, and steel sculpting, as well as a Winter Market selling handmade wares and art.
There will also be holiday drinks and treats available.
The event takes place Friday-Sunday, Dec. 6-8 and Friday-Sunday, Dec. 13-15, 4-7 p.m. Fridays and noon-7 on Saturdays and Sundays.
Admission is $5, but children age 9 and under get in free. Proceeds will benefit community science and arts programming at Yerkes Observatory, the history of which you can read here.
Order tickets in advance online at worldstallestglasstree.com or buy them on the trolley that connects the parking at Williams Bay High School with the event site at Yerkes Observatory.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
