It may have been cold outside, but things were hot inside the Jones Visual Art Center at Centre College Tuesday morning. World-renowned Italian glass artist Lino Tagliapietra held his first of three public demonstrations during a week-long visit to the Danville college.

Audience members packed a bleacher and a balcony to watch Tagliapietra and his team craft amazing glass sculptures using kilns, furnaces, blowtorches and specialty tools in the Corning-Corhart-Phillips Lighting Hot Glass Studio.

Tagliapietra is on his 11th visit to Centre. He is teaching master classes in addition to two more public demonstrations, which will be from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursday and Saturday at the Jones Visual Art Center.

The 84-year-old artist, whose influence on American glass art has been so profound it has a name — the “Lino Effect” — began visiting Centre at the invitation of Stephen Powell, the college’s Stodghill Professor of Art and founder of Centre’s glass program.

Tagliapietra said he keeps coming back because the wonderful small-college feel of Centre, his friendship with Powell, his respect for Centre President John Roush and because he is impressed with the serious work done at Centre.

IF YOU GO

Italian glass artist Lino Tagliapietra will give two more public demonstrations at the Jones Visual Art Center on Centre College’s campus: 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Thursday; and 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Saturday.