Italo Scanga was a multi-talented artist best known for his sculptural assemblages that included found or everyday objects – seashells, branches, glass bottles, or cast-off musical instruments. Besides sculpture, he also worked in printmaking, ceramics and glass, and taught at several art schools around the US.

Scanga was a close friend and collaborator of internationally renowned glass artist and Tacoma native Dale Chihuly. Over the years, Dale and Leslie Chihuly collected many of his works. On February 18, the Museum of Northwest Art in La Conner, Wash., opens two exhibits dedicated to the life and art of Italo Scanga. Both exhibitions were organized by guest curator Matthew Kangas and include works from the Chihuly collection.