Last night, glass collectors from the region gathered at Longboat Key Center for the Arts to preview “Masterworks in Glass,” a special exhibition of vintage work from acclaimed masters such as Dale Chihuly and Lino Tagliapietra, before being joined tonight by potentially thousands of enthusiasts from across the globe via phone and internet, as this collection from Habatat Galleries is placed for auction in a series of live bids. Featuring 42 pieces from seven countries and commanding an international audience, for Sarasota’s glass scene it’s either the culmination of a building trend or the beginning of something greater.

“With a community this size, to have as many glass collectors that are here is unprecedented,” said Jane Buckman, executive director for the Longboat Key Center, who testifies to the rise of glasswork in Sarasota, through exhibitions in her own gallery and the growing prominence of collections such as the Basch Collection. “It’s a big deal for Sarasota to have this quality of glass being show. It’s putting Sarasota on the map.”

Exploding with color and imagination, “Masterworks in Glass” represents the potential of the medium with gusto. With a variety of techniques on display - from blown to cut, fused to machined and cold-carved to sand-cast, there’s nary a method unmentioned. This variety is only rivaled by the multitudinous muses and subjects captured, as bucking horses abut a meticulously messy mise-en-scene and abstract imaginings mingle with formal mastery.

“The pieces are beautiful, but they transcend the beauty of the object – the artists have intent,” said Buckman, who brought the pieces in through a first-time collaboration with Ferdinand Hampson, president and co-founder of Michigan-based Habatat Galleries. Hampson, who delivered a talk on Glass Collecting 101 and the Glass Art Movement at last night’s preview, will also play host to tonight’s auction, introducing the work and providing context.

Space remains to attend, or collectors can make arrangements at any point up to the close of the auction to bid via telephone or online and participate in what Buckman sees as only the beginning.

“A glass focus is building in this area and it will only continue to grow,” said Buckman. “I can envision a whole lot.”

The “Masterworks In Glass” auction begins tonight at 7:30pm at the Longboat Key Center for the Arts.