Lino Tagliapietra, the maestro of glassblowing, will return to the Museum of Glass Hot Shop for a two-week residency beginning February 1, 2009. The residency will continue February 4 – 8 and 11 – 15, 2009. During his time at MOG, Tagliapietra will demonstrate his expertise that has earned him the distinction of one of the world’s greatest glassblowers.

Tagliapietra will kick off his residency on Sunday, February 1, by creating a glass creature designed by a young Museum visitor. Children under the age of 12 who visit the Museum or are patients at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital are invited to participate in the Kids Design Glass program by designing a glass sculpture. Each month, one entry is selected by the MOG Hot Shop team. Two sculptures are created—one for the child designer and one for the Museum’s permanent collection and upcoming exhibition, Kids Design Glass, opening in October, 2009. Tagliapietra is one of a select group of artists who has been invited to participate in the program.

“It is a tremendous honor to have Lino a part of our Kids Design Glass program,” comments Museum of Glass Director Timothy Close. “Over the years, Lino has worked with professional designers, but probably not with one under the age of twelve.”

Tagliapietra began working in the glassmaking industry at the age of 11 in Murano, Italy. His career—from a childhood spent working in glass factories, through maturation as a designer and craftsman for industry, to full fruition as an independent artist—is highly unusual, especially in American Studio Glass. Almost thirty years after his first visit to the Pilchuck Glass School north of Seattle, Tagliapietra’s glassblowing skills still surpass most other efforts in the United States and elsewhere. Although rooted in the thousand-year-old traditions of Venice, the inventiveness of his work keeps it relevant to contemporary aesthetics. His art in glass stands within the grandest ranks of the decorative arts.

Tagliapietra is equally revered as an educator. Through his teaching and example, Tagliapietra has helped keep the heritage of Italian glassmaking alive, thriving and evolving in locales as far afield as the Pacific Northwest, Australia and Japan. His artistic mastery and vision continue to influence artists and make him an icon in the world of Studio Glass.

Lino Tagliapietra in Retrospect: A Modern Renaissance in Italian Glass, an exhibition organized by the Museum of Glass, is currently on tour at the following venues.

Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery, Washington, D.C.
October 3, 2008 – January 1, 2009

Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA
April 8 – July 19, 2009

Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, CA
September 26 – December 27, 2009

Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY
February 1 – May 31, 2010

NOTE: The Museum of Glass will open at 9 a.m. weekdays and Saturdays for this residency. Tagliapietra will work 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Wednesdays – Saturdays and 12 – 5 p.m. on Sundays. A book signing session will be held on Saturday, February 14 at 3:30 p.m.