L'Italo-Americano

SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 32 L'Italo-Americano F or Northwest res- i d e n t s w h o a r e fans of glass art and followers of t h e i n c r e d i b l e artistry of Lino Tagliapi- etra, good news! On March 4, the Muse- um of Glass announced it will create a new permanent gallery dedicated to the art a n d l e g a c y o f g l a s s a r t i s t Lino Tagliapietra. The space w i l l i n c l u d e t h e L i n o Archives, which have been carefully assembled by Tagli- a p i e t r a ' s s t u d i o a n d d a t e back to the mid-1990s. They showcase his evolution as an artist and demonstrate his use of intricate Italian tech- niques. The creation of the legacy gallery will enable Tagliapi- etra's work to be accessible t o t h e p u b l i c y e a r - r o u n d . The announcement, made by the artist and his family at the event in March, marked Tagliapietra's final appear- ance in the US. At the event, g u e s t s w e r e t r e a t e d t o a demonstration of Tagliapi- etra's dazzling artistry and technique on the hot shop floor – a delight for all those in attendance. The 88-year- old artist plans to retire and spend time with his family in Italy. Tagliapietra is renowned for his skillful mastery of the material and his ability to imagine the possibilities of glass as an artistic medium. His unique style, character- i z e d b y i n t r i c a t e d e s i g n s , u n c o m m o n a t t e n t i o n t o detail and bold use of color, combines traditional Venet- ian glassblowing techniques with modern elements. His art has pushed tech- n i q u e s i n t o n e w t e r r i t o r y with its complex movement, e b b a n d f l o w . A s t o r y o n T a g l i a p i e t r a i n T h e N e w York Times once put it this way: "There are magicians who saw people in half or make them disappear in mir- acles of illusion. And there is Lino Tagliapietra, a magician whose miracles are real." As a glass artist for more than 70 years, Tagliapietra has had tremendous impact on the glass art movement and on glass artists. He has trained and mentored hun- dreds of young glassblowers, passing on his knowledge a n d t e c h n i q u e s t o f u t u r e generations. In this respect, T a g l i a p i e t r a h a s b e e n a n outlier: many Murano glass- blowers would never give away their craft secrets. But Tagliapietra is known for his generosity, sharing his love of the art and the craft of glassmaking – an art that Venetians have been practic- ing for 1,000 years. He is not the first glass artist to leave Murano but he is the first to teach in such an open and accessible style. During the March event, Tagliapietra reflected on his long career and his ongoing affiliation with the Museum of Glass. "I would have never expected this much love and attention," he said. "It is true that this highlights the end of my journey. However, all t h e r e c o g n i t i o n , h o n o r s , awards and friends that sur- rounded this event made my end of the journey very spe- cial and much less bitter." Tagliapietra was born in 1934 in Murano, Italy, and became an apprentice glass- blower at the age of 11. Even at a young age, he exhibited a n a m a z i n g d e x t e r i t y f o r glass and was given the title of maestro when he was just 21. In 1979, Tagliapietra visit- ed Seattle for the first time and introduced students at the nearby Pilchuck Glass School to the traditions of Venetian glassblowing. This cross-cultural collaboration helped shape the identity of American glassblowing and cement the Northwest's piv- otal role in that medium. It also offered him an opportu- nity to expand his horizons internationally. For nearly two decades, Tagliapietra was a frequent v i s i t o r t o t h e M u s e u m o f Glass, completing 19 resi- dencies and appearances in the Museum's hot shop to standing-room-only audi- ences. His first solo exhibi- tion at the Museum of Glass was in 2008, called "Lino Tagliapietra: in Retrospect, a Modern Renaissance in Ital- ian Glass." The exhibition traveled to the Smithsonian I n s t i t u t i o n ' s R e n w i c k Gallery, Chrysler Museum of Art, Palm Springs Art Muse- u m a n d F l i n t I n s t i t u t e o f Art. A second solo exhibit was s t a g e d i n 2 0 1 2 w h e n t h e Museum of Glass presented "Maestro: Recent Works by Lino Tagliapietra." His last exhibit opened in 2014: "Cel- ebrating Lino Tagliapietra." " T h e L i n o T a g l i a p i e t r a legacy gallery at the Museum of Glass is a key part of our strategic plan moving for- ward, representing our goal to celebrate glass artists," said Museum of Glass Exec- u t i v e D i r e c t o r D e b b i e Lenk. "We are honored that maestro Lino Tagliapietra has chosen the Museum of Glass in Tacoma as the place to tell his legacy story and that he will generously pro- vide art from his archive to support this endeavor." Ini- tial schematic drawings for the new gallery have been completed; no opening date has been set. T a c o m a ' s M u s e u m o f G l a s s , w h i c h o p e n e d i n 2002, is dedicated to glass and glassmaking and offers the West Coast's largest and most active museum glass s t u d i o . T h e m u s e u m h a s established a reputation for hosting engaging artist resi- dencies, organizing national t r a v e l i n g e x h i b i t i o n s a n d creating unique programs for visitors in addition to building a permanent collec- tion to chronicle the devel- opment of modern and con- temporary glass. Lino Tagliapietra, right, on the hot shop floor at the Museum of Glass during his final appearance in the US, in March 2023 (Photo: Russell Johnson) Museum of Glass annouces new Lino Tagliapietra Gallery RITA CIPALLA

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