Glass master Lino Tagliapietra; Tagliapietra with Stodghill Professor of Art Stephen Powell; Powell.

DANVILLE, KY—The Centre College glass scene is heating up this spring with the return of legendary artist Lino Tagliapietra for a series of public glassblowing demonstrations in May. In addition, Centre's own Stephen Rolfe Powell, along with two Centre alums, both protégés of Powell's, will be featured in an exhibit at Louisville's Tobin-Hewett Gallery that runs through May 31.

The Louisville exhibit, "Clear Impact: Kentucky’s impact on studio glass," features Powell, Stodghill Professor of Art at Centre, as well as two of his former students: Che Rhodes, who heads the new glass department at the University of Louisville, and Patrick Martin, who runs Emporia State's glass program in Kansas. At the April 18 opening, Powell, Rhodes and Martin appeared together on a panel discussing teaching.

Tagliapietra will give public glassblowing demonstrations in the hot glass studio on the Centre campus on the following dates:

• Monday, May 8, 2006 1 - 4 p.m.
• Wednesday, May 10, 2006 9 a.m. – noon
• Wednesday, May 10, 2006 1 - 4 p.m.

"This third visit to Centre College for Lino Tagliapietra illustrates the strong relationship Lino has with Centre College and his continued  generosity of sharing his virtuosity with glass," says Powell. "This trip for Lino will be less hoopla than his previous trips, where he received a Humana Professorship and an Honorary Doctoral Degree. Lino feels that a good student learns by watching in the right way. Having the best in the world here at Centre will, once again, furnish students the opportunity of a lifetime."

Tagliapietra was born in1934 on the island of the centuries-old center for Venetian glassmaking, Murano. At the age of eleven, he was apprenticed to the glass studio of the internationally known Muranese master, Archimede Seguso, and achieved the rank of maestro by age 21. He later worked as master glassblower and designer at other glass studios, including Galliano Ferro, Venini, La Murrina, and Effetre International.
 
For the past three decades, Tagliapietra has generously shared his unsurpassed experience, understanding and knowledge of traditional Venetian glassblowing techniques with glass artists and audiences around the world. He has been largely responsible for a new renaissance in glassblowing that has swept through the world of studio glassmaking.  
 
For many years, while working within the old tradition where great glass masters execute designs of others, Tagliapietra has also designed and made his own work. In the nineties, he has moved beyond excellence in execution, and has since exclusively designed and made his own work, with continuous bursts of creative inspiration.
 
Much honored by the world of studio glass, Tagliapietra has received numerous awards. Appreciated by the audiences worldwide, his work has been exhibited by or is in the permanent collections of countless major museums, including Victoria and Albert Museum, Musee des Arts Decoratifs, Tokyo National Modern Art Museum.

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

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