Profiles of the Glassmakers: Centro Studio Pittori nell'Arte del Vetro di Murano (from 1950) [also known as Fucina degli Angeli (from 1958)] Founding: A group of artists headed by Egidio Costantini and including Aldo Bergamini, Mario Carraro, Gino Krayer, Fioravante Seibezzi, Armando Tonello, and others founded (1950) Centro Studio Pittori nell'Arte del Vetro di Murano as an association for producing their conceptions in glass. Aldo Bon, known as "Polo," was the association's first glassblower. Later, the association commissioned works to be produced for it in limited editions by several Murano firms. Among the master glassblowers utilized were Albino Carrara, Luciano Ferro, Gino Fort, Francesco Martinuzzi, Aldo Nason, Ermanno Nason, Archimede Seguso, Angelo Tosi and Ferdinando Toso. Developmental Events: from 1953 The association held its first exhibition (April 1953) in Venice. The prominent American art collector and patron Peggy Guggenheim organized foundation support for the project. The project was joined by an array of internationally prominent artists, including Jean Arp, Georges Braque, Alexander Calder, Marc Chagall, Jean Cocteau, Le Corbusier, Henry Moore and Pablo Picasso. 1958 Jean Cocteau gave the association the nickname Fucina degli Angeli [Furnace of Angels], by which it became widely known thereafter.   © 2001 C. I. Gable