Arts & Events

Italian glass artist Lino Tagliapietra visits Tacoma

If you’ve been in Tacoma for long, or even if you’ve just walked into Wyatt while on campus, chances are you have heard of Dale Chihuly, or at least seen his work. But have you ever heard of Lino Tagliapietra?

Venetian by birth, like Chihuly, he too is a glass artist. According to his website, Tagliapietra has established his own forms of creativity with blown and fused glass forms, engineering models with incredible technical and aesthetic quality.

He has created numerous glass vessels, permanent installations and glass panels.

Throughout his substantial career he has earned dozens of awards and his works are displayed in museums across the globe.

He has worked extensively in cities such as New York, London and San Francisco. And now, he is coming to Tacoma.

On Oct. 19, Tagliapietra will attend a celebration hosted by the Museum of Glass honoring his career, his achievements and his recent birthday He celebrated his 80th birthday in August.

Planned festivities include Tagliapietra-inspired crafts, films, catalog giveaways, as well as a new installment of the museum’s “Hot Shop Live!” series, featuring Tagliapietra working in the Hot Shop.

Several of Tagliapietra’s works will be displayed in the Celebrating Lino Tagliapietra exhibit.

Works of Tagliapietra’s on display at the museum are wrought in combinations of blown or fused glass. They include, among others, his 2013 Porta dei Segni and his 2012 Canal Grando. “Celebrating Lino Tagliapietra” will be on display until Jan. 18, 2015.