The "Lycurgus Cup" in dichroic glass, Late Roman c. 290-325 CE, British Museum. It appears jade green under normal lighting and ruby red when lit from behind.

Tuesday November 10, 2026 | by Irene Angeletti

One of the greatest mysteries in ancient Roman glass—the color-changing Lycurgus Cup—has been solved by researchers at the University of Sheffield

In the transfixing interplay of color and light, glass can take on a magical allure, which has never been more entrancing than the 1,600-year-old Roman Lycurgus Cup, on permanent view at the British Museum in London. A rare intact cage cup, it is made with an extremely rare dichroic glass that appears jade green in reflected light and ruby red when illuminated from behind. Until recently, how these magical effects were achieved confounded even contemporary researchers who were unable to reproduce the unique qualities, making the ancient cup an alchemical mystery. But now, thanks to a breakthrough by researchers at the University of Sheffield, the secret is being understood.

Installation view of Tuomas A. Laitinen: Siphon. Courtesy of Pioneer Works. Photo by Dan Bradica.

Tuesday October 27, 2026 | by Irene Angeletti

"Siphon" by Tuomas A. Laitinen presents an artistic experience centered on the octopus

On view at Pioneer Works in Brooklyn, New York, through November 22, 2026, Siphon is a multimedia installation that invites the viewer to consider what non-human consciousness might reveal to perception, giving room to a nonlinear, immersive experience. The installation's creator, Tuomas A. Laitinen, is a Helsinki-based artist whose practice explores the interconnection of moving images, sound, and glass. He created Siphon after more than a decade of investigation of copper and octopuses' copper-rich blood. Scientific research in collaboration with scientists at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology led to the artist's broader artistic inquiry about octopus intelligence, sleep and consciousness of octopuses, which he ultimately turned into an art form.

Concept Drawings For Lino Tagliapietra Maestro By Edx Seattle 7

Concept drawings for "Lino Tagliapietra: Maestro," designed by EDX Seattle. courtesy: museum of glass, tacoma

Friday October 16, 2026 | by Irene Angeletti

The Lino Tagliapietra Legacy Gallery, set to open in December at the Museum of Glass, crowns a $22 million capital improvement project

When the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington, opened in 2002, its architecture announced its primary focus would be hot glass by its centerpiece being a massive stainless-steel clad exhaust cone. The amphitheater hot shop inside was the literal and figurative hearth around which audiences gathered to watch glassblowing demonstrations and the visiting artist residencies. In the decades since, the museum has made a strategic shift to accent the live glassblowing with an expanding permanent collection of Northwest Coast glass art, which has recently been enhanced substantially with the gift of 175 works from Lino Tagliapietra's personal Seattle archive. Considered the most significant acquisition in the museum's history by executive director Debbie Lenk, it sparked a $22 million capital improvement project which, when it wraps up in December, will see the reveal of the "Lino Tagliapietra Legacy Gallery"

Paul Stankard photographed at WheatonArts, where he was honored for his 80th birthday in 2023. photo: andrew page

Wednesday October 7, 2026 | by Andrew Page

In Memoriam: Paul Stankard (1943 – 2026)

Master glass artist Paul Stankard passed away on the morning of Tuesday, October 6, 2026, surrounded by family at his Mantua, New Jersey, home tucked away on several wooded acres. Just next door stands the modest studio building where Stankard spent more than half a century redefining the American botanical sculpture, crafting startlingly lifelike flowers from flameworked glass, then encasing them in various clear glass forms ranging from orbs to standing rectangles. Where the paperweight historically had been a production item, Stankard took a different approach, making one-of-a-kind depictions of American wildflowers, complete with roots and accompanied by berries, insects, and nuts. These variations came later in his long and productive career, which began after he started experimenting with creative expression in flameworked glass, eventually leaving his first career as a scientific glassblower behind in 1972 to work exclusively on his artwork.

Tuesday October 6, 2026 | by Irene Angeletti

Trifecta Glass Art Lounge, a hybrid studio and bar, could be named the best speakeasy in the US by readers of USA Today

Between the years 1920 and 1933, anybody who produced, imported, transported, or sold alcoholic drinks in the U.S. could face fines, imprisonment, or both. Despite the risks, secret drinking establishments cropped up in the back of restaurants, shops and other businesses. Known as “speakeasies,” these illicit bars flourished as the adventurous sought an escape from the restrictions of Prohibition. Fast forward a century later, and today anyone 21 or over is free to consumer alcohol. Yet the era when drinking required a sense of adventure and willingness to break the law hasn't lost hold of the public imagination. For one glass studio in Lexington, Kentucky, nostalgia for the speakeasy has become a way to enhance their engagement with glassmaking and present a unique blend of art, craft, and glamour to their patrons.

Tuesday September 29, 2026 | by Irene Angeletti

Dale Chihuly, Tanja Pak, and Lino Tagliapietra receive top awards at Venice Glass Week 2026

After days of deep immersion into the artistic world of glass, the 10th edition of The Venice Glass Week came to an end with its usual awards ceremony, which took place on the evening of September 17th, at Palazzo Franchetti. The event featured recognition and celebration, as well as the presentation of three major prizes.

Tuesday September 22, 2026 | by Irene Angeletti

After a $785,000 renovation, the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass has improved accessibility in more ways than one

The Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass in Neenah, Wisconsin, has officially completed a $785,000 renovation--the first in 35 years. After months of work, the museum reopened to the public on June 27, 2026, with upgraded technology and accessibility aimed at elevating its visitors' experience while also preserving the historical importance, vintage character, and charm that have defined the museum since it opened in 1959.

139 4 Contemporary Glass September 2026 Marvin Lipofsky Igs Vii 3 Rago Auction

Marvin Lipovsky, IGS VII #3, 2000-02. Mold-blown glass, cut, sandblasted and acid-polished. H 13½, W 19⅜, D 16 in. courtesy: rago auctions, lambertville, nj

Tuesday September 15, 2026 | by Irene Angeletti

Rago's upcoming September 17 contemporary glass sale is a love story in more ways than one

According to their daughters, the late art collectors Jules and Conney Kay, of Rydal, Pennsylvania, kept their long marriage strong through their shared love of collecting art, including glass.

Glass Bateo 2024 Consorzio Promovetro Murano Ph Credit Zeta Group 07Bc28B8B1 2

Wednesday September 9, 2026 | by Irene Angeletti

An expanded Venice Glass Week opens on September 12 with more exhibitions, new workshops, and a bid for international importance

The Venice Glass Week 2026 is about to begin and, for its tenth consecutive edition beginning on September 12, the city of Venice and its surroundings will once again open their doors to this international week-long festival entirely dedicated to glass. Launched in 2017, the event started small, envisioned as a way to celebrate and value the material that has shaped the city's history and identity—and rooted in centuries of glassmaking tradition. Ten years later, the festival has grown far beyond its original vision and is making a bid for greater international prominence.

David Gutierrez in the Hot Shop

Thursday August 20, 2026 | by Sahana Ramakrishnan

David Gutierrez Wins the 2026 Ron Desmett Memorial Award from the Pittsburgh Glass Center

David Gutierrez has been awarded the 2026 Ron Desmett Memorial Award for Imagination with Glass, presented by Pittsburgh Glass Center. The award recognizes artists whose work embodies creative risk-taking, curiosity and an unconventional approach to glass. The winner receives $3,000 in studio time and an equal amount as a monetary award.

Glass: The UrbanGlass Quarterly, a glossy art magazine published four times a year by UrbanGlass has provided a critical context to the most important artwork being done in the medium of glass for more than 40 years.