TACOMA, WA. — On Saturday, March 4, Museum of Glass hosted an exclusive, 200-person celebration of Lino Tagliapietra. With family, friends, and colleagues, as well as artists the maestro has inspired in attendance, Tagliapietra made his final appearance in the United States. The artist plans to retire and spend his time with his family in Italy. The highlight of the evening was the announcement that Tagliapietra has selected Museum of Glass as the place for his work and legacy to reside. The artist will contribute art from his own archive that will fill a new permanent gallery space at Museum of Glass.
“The planned Lino Tagliapietra exhibition at Museum of Glass is a key part of our strategic plan moving forward and represents our goal to celebrate glass artists. We are honored that maestro Lino Tagliapietra has chosen Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington as the place to tell his legacy story, and that he will generously provide art from his archive to support this endeavor,” said Museum of Glass Executive Director Debbie Lenk.
Tagliapietra has had an immeasurable impact on the glass art movement and glass artists over his long career. He has trained and mentored many young glassblowers, passing on his knowledge and techniques to future generations. Simply put, the Studio Glass movement would not be what it is today without Lino Tagliapietra.
Museum of Glass’s goal for this new permanent gallery is to highlight Tagliapietra’s mastery and vision, with the hope that it inspires future generations of glass artists to continue to push the boundaries of the medium and galvanizes viewers to gain deeper understanding of its history and possibilities as it continues to evolve.
“It is an honor to have worked for and alongside Lino. His contributions to the progression of the Studio Glass movement cannot be overstated, and his drive and passion for the material is nearly unmatched. To hear Lino say over the years that the Museum of Glass is one of his favorite places to work gives me and the entire Hot Shop staff an immense sense of pride. And to be a part of and witness Lino’s energy on the Hot Shop floor has been a highlight of my career. I cannot wait for his story to be displayed in our galleries,” said Museum of Glass Hot Shop Director Ben Cobb.
Tagliapietra has visited Museum of Glass frequently since 2007. Since then, the artist has completed nineteen residencies and appearances in the Museum’s Hot Shop to standing-room-only audiences, delighting thousands of visitors both in-person and around the world through the Hot Shop Livestream.
The Museum has held three major exhibitions of Tagliapietra’s work, the first in 2008, titled Lino Tagliapietra: In Retrospect, a Modern Rennaissance in Italian Glass. This exhibition traveled to the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery, Chrysler Museum of Art, Palm Springs Art Museum, and Flint Institute of Art, which helped propel the recognition of the great Italian maestro. In 2012, Museum of Glass presented Maestro: Recent Works by Lino Tagliapietra, and in 2014 Celebrating Lino Tagliapietra opened in the Museum’s galleries.
“Museum of Glass is the recipient of The Lino Archives, collected over the years Lino spent in the Pacific Northwest and carefully assembled by his studio, dating back to the mid-nineties. The work shows the evolution of Lino as an artist and demonstrates intricate Italian techniques in addition to the artistic freedom that the United States gave him. Lino grew as an artist in America by pushing the techniques into new territory, exploring their revolutionary potential with a boldness entrenched in years of experience with the material. His gift to the Pacific Northwest is the document of this time,” said Museum of Glass Curator of Education Susan Warner.
While the announcement of the planned Tagliapietra gallery at Museum of Glass began the celebration, audiences were also treated to the maestro’s final appearance on a hot shop floor — a once-in-a-lifetime experience watching a master take their final bow. Sitting at the bench orchestrating his loyal team of Dave Walters, John Kiley, Dante Marioni, Jen Elek, Nancy Callan, and DH McNabb (and the Museum of Glass Hot Shop Team), Tagliapietra chose to make first a Florencia, in which complex patterns made with murrine (tiny slices of cane) create an exuberant and complex pattern. For the finale, the maestro made a reticello (a crisscross cane pattern) Dinosaur, with its signature gracefully attenuated, and gestural neck. These two pieces exemplify the maestro’s ability to push the ancient Venetian techniques into uncharted territory and epitomize the daring and bold characteristics of contemporary American glass that he made possible.
“It is very hard to explain in words what happened during these days. I would have never expected this much love and attention. It is true that this highlights the end of my journey. However, all the recognition, honors, awards, and friends that surrounded this event made my end of the journey very special and much less bitter,” said Tagliapietra.
Tagliapietra has had a profound impact on the world of glass art, and has been a cherished friend of Museum of Glass since the institution opened. Museum of Glass is honored to now be a permanent part of his unparalleled 45 years of glass in the United States. By giving this work to Museum of Glass, The Tagliapietra Family knows that his archive will always be accessible to the public. Planning for the Lino Tagliapietra gallery at Museum of Glass is underway.
ABOUT LINO TAGLIAPIETRA: Lino Tagliapietra has worked with glass for over 70 years. The maestro is world-renowned and revered for his incredible manipulation of glass and innovative creations. Tagliapietra was born in Murano, Italy in 1934 and became an apprentice glassblower at age 11. Even at a young age, Tagliapietra exhibited an immense dexterity for glass and was appointed the title of maestro when he was just 21. In 1979, Lino visited Seattle for the first time and introduced students at the Pilchuck Glass School to the traditions of Venetian glassblowing. This cross-cultural collaboration shaped the identity of American glassblowing and offered Tagliapietra an opportunity to expand his horizons internationally.
ABOUT MUSEUM OF GLASS: Located in Tacoma, Washington, Museum of Glass is a premier contemporary art museum dedicated to glass and glassmaking with the West Coast’s largest and most active museum glass studio. Opened in 2002, the Museum has established a reputation for hosting impactful and engaging artist residencies, organizing nationally traveling exhibitions, and creating unique programs for visitors while building a growing permanent collection chronicling the development of modern and contemporary glass. Museum of Glass provides an environment for artists and the public to ignite creativity, fuel discovery, and enrich their lives through glass and glassmaking.
Quick Facts
Museum of Glass has displayed over 140 exhibitions since 2002, featuring glass art pioneers such as Dale Chihuly, Lino Tagliapietra, and Preston Singletary.
Over 100,000 visitors explore the Museum each year.
The Hot Shop hosts over 35 Visiting Artist Residencies each year.
The Museum has engaged over 200,000 children through educational programs.
750 soldiers and veterans have been served through the Hot Shop Heroes program.
Address: 1801 Dock Street, Tacoma, WA 98402
Hours: 10am-5pm, Wednesday – Sunday. Third Thursday of every month, 5am-8pm, free admission
Admission: $18 – Adults; $16 – Seniors (65+)/College Students (18+)/Military (Active and Veteran); $10 – Children (6–18); Free – Children (under 6); Free – Museum Members; $1/person; $2/family – EBT Cardholders
