When people plan trips to the Pacific Northwest, they dream of stopping in Seattle and experiencing everything that the amazing city has to offer.
But putting that trip together should include a stop at Chihuly Garden and Glass, a gallery devoted to the work of a singular artist. Just watch where you walk. It’s easily the most breakable art gallery that has ever been put together as the medium is glass, after all.
Dale Chihuly’s life in glass.
Born in Tacoma, Washington, Dale Chihuly was raised in the Pacific Northwest. He was attending the University of Washington when he started learning about melting and fusing glass. This would become the art form he was famous for.
After leaving school to travel abroad, Chihuly eventually returned home to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree in interior design. But that was only the beginning, He would receive a scholarship that would allow him to pursue a Masters of Science in sculpture from the University of Wisconsin.
Chihuly would spend years pursuing education in glassblowing as well as studying with masters around the world. He would even be awarded a prestigious Fulbright Fellowship. That being said, his career was filled with his share of tragedy.
A 1976 car accident would cost Chihuly his left eye, though he kept blowing glass. Then, a 1979 bodysurfing injury to his shoulder put an end to that, as well. But none of that bad luck prevented him from expressing himself in his chosen medium.
While other people blow the glass, Chihuly conceives the designs and directs their implementation. He essentially leads a team of artists who work to fulfill his impressive creative vision and business strategy.
Chihuly Garden and Glass
Dale Chihuly’s work is present in a variety of exhibits around the world. That includes the Las Vegas strip, oddly enough. The largest permanent collection of his work can be found at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art in Oklahoma City.
In 2010, an opportunity came up to add a gallery in Seattle Centre at the base of the Space Needle. City Council greenlit the project in 2011 and in 2012, Chihuly Garden and Glass opened to the public. It was immediately apparent how special this place was.
The building houses eight galleries and three “Drawing Walls,” each expressing different aspects of Chihuly’s vision and various implementations of glassblowing as an art form. The Glasshouse is the most striking feature, a 4500 square foot space featuring a massive suspended sculpture.
The garden aspect of Chihuly Garden and Glass is equally impressive. A path winds through various flowers, plants, and trees, all framing four incredible and colorful glass sculptures. Walking through is its own unique Zen experience.
Art is an experience
Going to Chihuly Garden and Glass is a completely different experience depending on what time of day you stop by. Frankly, it’s worth going during both the day and the evening as this allows you to take advantage of different lighting. It’s almost otherworldly.
Natural light plays a huge role in many of the exhibits. As such, taking the time to visit on a beautiful, sunny day is more than worth the stop. Catching the glint of the Sun off various sculptures is incredible.
The night provides an entirely different experience, a far cry from the day. The sculptures in the Gardens are lit up beautifully, contrasting nicely with the vegetation and the night sky. Catching the collection at sunset offers a few moments of incomparable brilliance.
Chihuly Garden and Glass might not be the biggest collection of Dale Chihuly’s work, but it is a finely curated and superb experience that is unmatched in Seattle. It’s the kind of place that adds an unexpected dimension to any trip to the city.