but before beltrami could graduate, he went to a life-changing exhibition by artist dale chihuly. >>ople cry when they see chihuly exhibitions. i understand. i walked through the exhibition once. then i walked another time through it. then i walked a third time through it, and i came home and started maniacally started looking at youtube videos about glass and researching it, and yeah. >> reporter: so beltrami headed back to italy, specifically murano, where he interned with a glass maker for a year and a half before finding paid work. not an easy undertaking since the craft is usually passed down within families. >> were you accepted as somebody who wasn't from a glass-blowing family that wanted to learn this craft? >> well, initially i -- i guess i was because i wasn't a threat to anyone, right? i was just a little kid that was in love with glass. then over time, i found it more and more difficult to learn and grow because people are very protective of their craft. i always say my biggest teacher was my science background. >> reporter: wave murano was first based out of a small wor