Lino Tagliapietra in Retrospect: A Modern Renaissance in Glass

Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Renwick Gallery Hosts First Major Retrospective of Works by Master Glass Artist Lino Tagliapietra "Lino Tagliapietra in Retrospect: A Modern Renaissance in Glass," on view at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum from Oct. 3 through Jan. 11, 2009, is the first exhibition to thoroughly examine the art of Lino Tagliapietra, widely revered as a master of glass blowing.

The exhibition explores the evolution of Tagliapietra's work and documents his unparalleled contributions to the studio glass movement through his teaching, which fostered a new generation of artists. Tagliapietra, who was trained in traditional Venetian glass-blowing techniques, traveled between the glass centers of Venice, Italy, and the Pacific Northwest and brought with him the closely guarded techniques of the Murano glassworks. In 1979, he was invited by Dale Chihuly and Benjamin Moore to teach at the recently established Pilchuck Glass School near Seattle.

Tagliapietra is widely credited with changing the course of contemporary studio glass through his teaching. The exhibition will feature 140 works from Tagliapietra's 40-year career, including pivotal works from the artist's own collection and collections around the world, as well as designs made for industry and objects that have never been exhibited. "Lino Tagliapietra in Retrospect: A Modern Renaissance in Glass" was organized by the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Wash. The exhibition curator is Susanne Frantz, former curator of 20th-century glass at the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, N.Y.; the coordinator in Washington is Robyn Kennedy, chief of the Renwick Gallery.  About the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum The Smithsonian American Art Museum celebrates the vision and creativity of Americans with approximately 41,500 works of art in all media spanning more than three centuries. The museum's branch for craft and decorative arts, the Renwick Gallery, is located on Pennsylvania Avenue at 17th Street N.W. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., except Dec. 25. Admission is free