CORNING, N.Y. -- For most glass-blowers, the work of the world-famous Lino Tagliapietra is the gold standard that other artists aspire to.
"He's really a master of combining beautiful forms with an amazing color and getting them to work harmoniously together," said the museum's Hot Glass Program Manager Eric Meek.
Tagliapietra started coming to the United States 30 years ago, bringing knowledge from his native Italy that have changed the landscape of glass-blowing in America.
"All of the contemporary glass work that people are doing today, the technique is pretty much a direct derivative of what Lino does and what he's brought to the United States," said Meek.
And Tagliapietra enjoys working with Corning's artists as much as they enjoy learning from him. He says it's always refreshing to come back to one of the top glass-making hubs in the country.
"I like the passion, the energy, the kinds of skills, the attitude, the love for everything we love," said Tagliapietra.
Those working with Tagliapietra this week say his presence at the studio is a testament to the strength of the glass-making community the museum has built.
"Corning is a town that has a 150-year history of glassmaking. We have a fantastic museum, a great teaching studio, and people from all over come here to work and to learn," said Meek.
Tagliapietra's visit coincides with the Glass Art Society conference in Corning later this week. It'll be an opportunity for glass artists everywhere to come together and share their skills.
"We're going to have 1,700 glass artists from all over the world converge on this town to watch Lino and a host of other fantastic glass artists," said Meek.
This will be the seventh time that Corning hosts this conference. For more information about Tagliapietra and seeing him in action, click here.