Residents of and visitors to Western Michigan have a fantastic opportunity to see a massive exhibitiion of Dale Chihuly’s work at Frederik Meijer Garden and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids. It opened in May and continues until the end of October.
There’s also a huge Dale Chihuly exhibition in Venice, Italy this year.
The one in Grand Rapids is in two parts. Inside and out.
As a resident of GR with a membership at the Gardens I have visited the Gardens many times this summer to walk throughout enjoying the ponds and waterfalls, sculpture, flowers and all that one of the best Botanical Gardens in the country has to offer. That’s no joke. We have a top destination for gardens and sculpture for many years.
Anniversary Celebration
This year is the 30th anniversary of the 158 acre facility with the Chihuly pieces added to enhance the visitor experience.
Dale Chihuly is in his 80s, from Seattle, Washington and known for revolutionizing the world of glass art. I suggest visiting this exhibition.
Why? You’ll see glass installations throughout the grounds. Many are in the Japanese Garden which is appropriate since Chihuly is known for his interest in all things Japanese.
I particularly enjoyed the ones in the water with vibrant reflections.
The expression of joy and exuberance can’t help but bring a smile to one’s face.
Sometimes you come across a burst of color as you stroll the gardens like this one not far from the Children’s area.
Or these in the waterfall area of the Garden. They look like chunks of ice to me
Another charming view is this one with the famous horse in the distance just beyond the colorful glass installation.
I really appreciated the informative signs and maps.
Be sure to go to the inside exhibition that traces Dale Chihuly’s career. Note that there is an extra charge for this part of the Chihuly presentation.
I particularly liked what is called the Fax Room, containing drawings of his many projects. Interesting to note is that Chihuly uses a big team to create his massive and colorful pieces of glass art. He lost the vision (and depth perception) in one eye in a car accident and had a permanent shoulder injury in a body surfing accident. As a result he has a team of glass blowers to execute his ideas.
Chihuly’s many themes are expressed in the other areas of the indoor exhibition including my favorite, the Persian Wall.
I played around with my mutilple exposures camera app (AvgCamPro) creating this image, hopefully expressing the happy feelings the Chihuly pieces bring out.
Whenever I go to public spaces like this, I can’t help but people watch. Such fun. This cute couple made me smile.
For more about Chihuly in Grand Rapids, take a look at this blog post from 15 years ago. The other two links include photos and information about the Chihuly Museum in Seattle. I have also included the link to the Frederik Meijer Gardens.
https://designdestinations.org/2021/06/chihuly-exhibit-in-grand-rapids-well-worth-a-visit/
https://designdestinations.org/2018/02/seattle-a-creative-place-to-be/
Another source of information about Dale Chihuly is an excellent documentary by Smithsonian called
Master of Glass: The Art of Dale Chihuly
