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Glass Sculptures are More Readily Available to the Public These Days Thanks to the American Studio Glass Movement

The root of the recent resurgence in glassblowing can be attributed to a discovery made in 1962. In this year, ceramics professor Harvey Littleton and chemist and engineer Dominick Labino held workshops at the Toledo Museum of Art. In these workshops they revealed a new glass structure, one which had a low melting point, enabling artists to work with glass in a ceramic kiln. Up to this point, glassblowing had to be done with expensive equipment and technical skill, making it a difficult craft for the common artist.

DALE CHIHULY HELPS INSPIRE A MODERN MOVEMENT

Dale Chihuly helped to spark the fascination in glassworking, exhibition curator Dr. Graziella Marchicelli said that "Chihuly's talent and vision helped generate the perception that glass can be more than a craft; specifically, Chihuly created glass as sculpture, or as fine art." In the late 60's Chihuly went to study ceramics at the Rhode Island School of Design and there established a prominent glass program. Then, in 1971 he co-founded the Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington, which has become a meeting place for glass artists from all over the world.

Right: Photo of a Dale Chihuly sculpture taken at a Milwaukee Art Museum exhibit, photo by Phil Landowski

Some other major glass artists in the American studio glass movement have been William Morris, Henry L. Hillman Jr., and Howard Ben Tré, and Lino Tagliapietra - who Chihuly himself described as "perhaps the world's greatest living glassblower." Tagliapietra was born in Murano, Italy, home of some of the world's most skilled glassblowers in history. By the age of 21, he had earned the title of maestro in Murano, and after this he worked in association with Muranese glass factories for 25 years. He came to the U.S. in 1979 to teach at Pilchuck School in the Seattle and has worked with Chihuly among other skilled artists.

While you likely won't be able to have a Chihuly or Tagliapietra glasswork in your home, there are lots of skilled artists who emerged from this movement who make their sculptures available to the public, which can be valuable and beautiful additions to most any decor.