Jan Rutland made the National Bottle Museum in Ballston Spa tick, so it’s only fitting that the museum’s second floor Artists’ Space would be dedicated in her honor one year after her sudden death.
“This is going to be a very special and emotional evening for me. The Artists’ Space held a very special place in Jan’s heart,” said Larry Rutland, her husband.
The museum on Milton Avenue, in the heart of the village, will hold a special dedication ceremony on Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 6 p.m. to rename the space after the museum’s executive director for 20 years.
“Jan was always an appreciator of art. She was a collector of art. In fact, all the pieces now hanging on the second floor that will be part of the show that officially opens on that day are pieces from her collection,” said Gary Moeller, who worked with Jan for 15 years. “She always thought that we had that space and it would be a good way to put it to use to display art up there.”
Sharon Blakemore Kingsbury is a long-time museum volunteer and a local artist who was the first to display pieces in the upstairs gallery.
“Jan loved the visual arts. Hence her collecting was very eclectic. The exhibit … will allow visitors to enjoy the many facets of Jan,” said Kingsbury.
In true “Jan fashion,” she made sure the space was everything it could be. That meant constructing a staircase to make it more widely accessible and nearly doubling the exhibit space.
“She was always interested in the arts, be it painting, sculpture or theater, especially ballet,” said Rutland. “Anything that entailed the creation of things of beauty or stimulated the emotions of the beholder was held in high esteem by Jan.”
His wife’s affinity for all things art is why Rutland, acting executive director, decided on the dedication.
“The dedication of this space which she visualized and made happen will be a fitting tribute to her impute and energy and her memory,” said Rutland.
The National Bottle Museum seems like it has a simple enough mission: preserve bottling history.
For Jan, though, the institution meant so much more.
“She was always out promoting the museum. Bottle collecting is a very popular hobby. … There are many bottle shows and bottle collecting clubs and she went to many of them to support the hobby and also look for support for the museum from the hobby,” said Moeller. “She was pretty successful. We have a plaque that lists a number of bottle clubs that provide regular support to the museum.”
Bottle clubs from Canada, Great Britain and all but two U.S. states contribute to the museum.
“That is partially related to the popularity of the hobby but also related to the concept of the museum, which exists to preserve the history of the handmade bottle industry,” said Moeller.
She also took care of such simple tasks as replacing lighting, heating and cooling systems.
Moeller said he sees the colored glass cylinders that fill the museum as artifacts and keepers of a rich part of the region’s history.
“I understand they’re collectibles but to me each bottle is an artifact of a business that no longer exists,” said Moeller. “The first glass manufacturing for bottles was in Jamestown, Va. in the early 1600s … there was a glass factory in the Town of Greenfield.”
The museum’s permanent collection is about 2,000 bottles large, a number that increased by about a third under Jan’s watch.
“Were it not for Jan, this place would not exist. She was the person who kept it going. It was her efforts at promotion, at encouraging the hobby, that’s what kept this museum going for as long as it’s been going,” said Moeller.
Jan also purchased a building on Washington Street to be used as a glass studio where hot glass classes are taught.
Moeller said he hopes the museum can continue Jan’s legacy.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to keep it going for a long time to come,” said Moeller.
The National Bottle Museum is located at 76 Milton Ave. in Ballston Spa and is a not-for-profit educational institution. Jan’s collection of art, the inaugural exhibit in the renamed Artists’ Space, will run until mid-November. More information about the museum is available online at www.nationalbottlemuseum.org or by calling 885-7589.
