Lino Tagliapietra

Master glassblower Lino Tagliapietra is one of the world’s most prominent glass artists. Trained in traditional Venetian techniques, Tagliapietra is a key influence on the American studio glass movement. In 1955, at the age of 21, Tagliapietra received the title of maestro. He established himself with vividly colored sculptures, which often take the shape of elegant teardrops. Master glass artists Dale Chihuly and Benjamin Moore invited Tagliapietra to teach at Pilchuck Glass School in 1979, marking the start of Tagliapietra’s long-standing mentorship of a generation of U.S.-based artists. He has since held workshops and demonstrations at institutions around the country. In 2008, the Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C., mounted the first retrospective of Tagliapietra’s sculptures, spotlighting teardrops, functional objects, and an installation of suspended blown glass. In 2021, Tagliapietra announced his retirement after close to 80 years of visionary glass blowing.