The first event, "Italy: Quality that Illuminates. The Rebel Glassblower and the Editor in Chief in Detroit", was held on March 8th, 2023 at the Russell Industrial Center in Detroit in collaboration with Habatat Detroit Fine Art.

The evening featured a conversation with Ruben Modigliani, Editor-In-Chief of IFDM (Interior Furniture Design Magazine), on the evolution of Murano glass blowing, as well as a collaboration between local Detroit glass artist Albert Young and Italian Glass Maestro Chiara Taiariol, of the Vetraie Ribelli studio - the only 100% women-owned studio on Murano.

The event was geared towards creatives and the glass community in Metro Detroit, as well as the local glass collectors and clients of Habatat – the largest and most important glass gallery in the United States.

The second event, "Italy: Quality that illuminates. A celebration of the evolution of blown-glass: Murano and master-craftsmanship", was held on March 9th, 2023 at the Toledo Museum of Art. This afterhours event showcased once again the skills of Chiara Taiariol in the hot shop, as she created a one-of-a-kind masterpiece before the distinguished guests. Ruben Modigliani walked the guests through the evolution of Murano glass blowing, from its origins to today, truly linking a tradition that dates back almost a millennium with the evolution into what contemporary design-focused Murano means. The numerous guests were then able to walk through the permanent glass exhibit at the Museum, the finest in the Country, with works of glass art spanning from ancient Roman to modern contemporary.

It was not a coincidence that the two events were juxtaposed both in their setting and atmosphere. The Detroit event had an industrial and raw feel, reflecting the city's gritty history as a manufacturing hub, while the Toledo event took place in the architecturally renowned Glass Pavilion, which offered an incredibly elegant setting and spoke to their history in glasss manufacturing. Despite the different atmospheres, both events celebrated the beauty and craftsmanship of Italian design, showcasing the diverse range of possibilities that Italian creativity offers. The Consulate of Italy in Detroit is proud to have presented such a comprehensive and engaging celebration of Italian design to the Detroit and Toledo communities.

Italian Design Day is an initiative by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promote the country's design excellence around the world. The Consulate's events provided not only the opportunity to showcase Murano glassblowing, which has a long tradition in Italy, but also, through Consul Allegra Baistrocchi addresses, to talk about "Il Salone del Mobile" and "Euroluce", that will be held in Milan this April.

The Consulate of Italy in Detroit thanks Habatat Detroit Fine Art and the Toledo Museum of Art for their collaboration and support in making these events possible. The two pieces of glass art that were created by Chiara Taiariol at these two events will be showcased later this year at LoveITDetroit - in its second edition - in September 2023 for the Detroit Month of Design.