Italian glass has been celebrated since the time of the ancient Romans. By the early middle ages, Venice had become the primary center of production. In 1291, however, a devastating fire caused officials to order all glass furnaces removed from the city and rebuilt on the nearby island of Murano. There, the glassmakers perfected their special recipes and techniques, and Murano became the capital of the glassmaking world for the next three centuries.

A period of decline followed the fall of the Venetian Republic in 1797, but, in the twentieth century, progressive designers and artists began to work with traditionally trained glassmakers, creating forms in a more innovative and modern style. Today Murano again stands at the forefront of contemporary glass design. This exhibition includes over two hundred breathtakingly beautiful pieces of twentieth- and twenty-first century glass from the collection of Nancy Olnick and Giorgio Spanu.

For programming related to this exhibition, visit the calendar section of the website.

This exhibition is circulated by Exhibitions International, NY. 

The national tour of this exhibition is sponsored by   

Presenting Sponsor: 

Images:
Massimo Vignelli, Venini & Company, Fungo, 1955. Height: 13 3/4 in. Photo by Luca Vignelli
Fulvio Bianconi for Venini & Company, Pezzati, ca. 1951–52. 8 ½ in. to 9 ½ in. high. Photo by Luca Vignelli
Artisti Barovier for Salviati, A murrine, ca. 1914. 17 in. high. Photo by Luca Vignelli