PITTSBURGH.- Pittsburgh Corning announced today the availability of the Designer Select Art Series and the creation of an online community, http://www.possibilitiesbegin.com - both part of a new campaign to engage architects and provide mediums to express creativity and find inspiration.

The "Possibilities Begin" campaign kicks off at this year's AIA National Convention after months of collaboration with architects to understand their needs. As architects seek ways to design buildings that incorporate sustainable principles, they are increasingly looking for resources that provide not only functional capabilities but also inspire and invite new possibilities. With those needs in mind, the "Possibilities Begin" campaign will engage architects at multiple stages of design, from creative inspiration through collaborative product development and
installation.

"We are hearing from architects who want to shape spaces that both stimulate and enrich," said Tom Galligan, vice president and general manager, Pittsburgh Corning. "They have practical and creative wants that we intend to meet through our online community and a reinvigoration of our glass solutions. For Pittsburgh Corning, this is a return to our roots. For more than 70 years, we have continued to offer an inventive and iconic product that we are now taking to the next level."

Designer Select Art Series

Throughout 2008, Pittsburgh Corning will unveil programs that invite design collaboration, customization and enhanced "green" specifications. The new Designer Select Art Series is the first of these innovative solutions, and the first time Pittsburgh Corning will offer a solution specifically designed for interior use. The introduction of this series also marks the first time that Pittsburgh Corning has manufactured glass block that incorporates color. The color options available include:


-- Burgundy
-- Iridescent
-- Krinkle
-- Sky Blue
-- White

"It seems that building materials companies have become all about mass production," said Patty Chen, principal at Holzman Moss Architects in New York. "Finding partners that are willing to provide customization and craftsmanship as well as products that make sense in sustainable design has become increasingly difficult. I'm glad to see that Pittsburgh Corning is making strides to innovate a material that is made primarily from natural resources and has strong day lighting potential."

Possibilitiesbegin.com

Inspiration is now just a click away with the creation of the second part of the "Possibilities Begin" campaign -- http://www.possibilitiesbegin.com. This online community will connect architects with different forms of inspiration and dialogue. The site has a number of features for architects to explore, as well as a forum that provides opportunity to discuss various industry topics with peers.

Throughout the year, Pittsburgh Corning will feature various pieces of artwork by acclaimed artists like Camille Utterback and Jim Campbell.

"My interactive installations create changing projections in response to physical movement, dramatically altering the spaces they are in," said Camille Utterback, an internationally acclaimed interactive installation artist based out of San Francisco and whose work appears on http://www.possibilitiesbegin.com. "I hope Pittsburgh Corning's website will inspire new collaborations between me and architects, since we are both interested in the dynamic possibilities of light and space."

The site's project gallery also demonstrates glass block's dynamic relationship with light. A section entitled Studies in Light offers visitors the chance to view a 24-hour time lapse video which exhibits the transmission of light through a glass block throughout the course of a day.