Southwest of Ames in the larger Boone County area, near the corner of X Avenue and 260th Street, is Ciccotti Art Glass. The business is owned and operated by Art Ciccotti, a 1987 graduate of Iowa State University with a degree in art and design with an emphasis in art education.
For health reasons, Ciccotti decided to retire from glassblowing as of May 2026. He still has his gallery open, with pieces for sale, and runs traveling shows for it.
Ciccotti shared what first brought him to glassblowing and how he advanced his skills.
“I think the colors in stained glass are what attracted me to the world of glass,” Ciccotti said. “After attending Iowa State University, I joined the Gaffer’s Guild glassblowing club. There, I was introduced to glassblowing and spent many years honing my skills and learning new techniques. During my first few years, I made lots of vases and paperweights.”
Ciccotti’s artist statement on his website elaborates on why glassblowing was his craft.
“Making art is a passion for me,” Ciccotti said. “I blow glass because of the rush of seeing an object take shape from a white-hot mass to a finished piece. After weeks of planning, sometimes months, the design comes together in a piece within a short period of time. It is intense! My objective is to produce a piece of work that not only is unique, but that brings a sense of visual and tactile pleasure.”
Although originally from Southern California, Ciccotti stayed in the area after graduating from ISU.
“I had my first studio in Ames,” Ciccotti said. “After a while, I moved to Boone County and built a larger facility, which greatly increased my ability to work.”
Ciccotti’s website also shared the artists who inspired him over his long career.
“Influential to my career have been artists like Henry Moore and Gauguin, and contemporary glassblowers such as Elio Quarisa, Lino Tagliapietra, William Morris and David Patchen,” Ciccotti said. “Henry Moore has influenced me with the abstract and organic nature of his sculpture work. I am attracted to the work of Gauguin because of his use of a bright color palette.”
He further explained how the artists’ use of their cultural backgrounds and techniques influenced his own.
“Elio Quarisa and Lino Tagliapietra brought their Venetian glassblowing background to America,” Ciccotti said. “Their work is an inspiration to me for its style and technique. William Morris and David Patchen (American glassblowers) have blended Italian techniques with their own personal styles, producing unique glasswork in America. The direction of my work reflects some of the characteristics of those whose work I admire. In my work, you will see some bright colors combined with abstract forms. You will also see the influence of Venetian glassblowing techniques, combined with my own ideas, in my unique work. My work and style are always evolving as I grow as a person and an artist.”
Ciccotti Art Glass is open by appointment every day except Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
