Born in 1943 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Thomas “Tom” Patti is a glass artist, who works primarily in industrial and architectural glass. He creates small sculptures and large public installations. Growing up in a company town, Patti spent his childhood exploring easily accessible industrial debris from the nearby General Electric plant and recalls an early fascination with the materials he encountered in his hometown landfill. He began considering a career in art upon the recommendation of a probation officer, who noticed and encouraged his talent for drawing. Patti soon began selling his paintings to tourists outside the Berkshire Museum. Legendary American painter Norman Rockwell noticed Patti’s work while visiting the museum and became a mentor, suggesting he attend art school. After spending two years at Berkshire Community College, Patti enrolled at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn with a full scholarship (BA in industrial design, 1967). He built close relationships with several professors at Pratt and decided to continue his studies there, though he was accepted to other prestigious MFA programs around the country. Patti completed his MFA in industrial design from Pratt in 1969, focusing his studies on experimental housing design. He began working primarily in glass after his years at Pratt, drawn to its contrasting properties. With glass as his preferred medium, Patti built a career that bridges technology, design, craft, and fine art. He has worked as a design consultant for major corporations, completed public commissions around the world, and exhibited his sculptural works widely. His work is represented within many prominent museum collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Art Institute of Chicago. He was selected to complete an oral history interview for the Smithsonian Archives of American Art in 2010, and was honored as a Pratt Icon in 2012. Tom Patti was elected a Fellow of the American Craft Council in 2001.