Garden of Glass

For the last few months, Pittsburgh has been in for a treat - Dale Chihuly is showcasing his exquisite glass art at Phipps Conservatory. As the exhibition is in its final weeks, we decided to check it out a few nights ago.

I've always pictured Chihuly to be an eccentric little old man from a lesser known European nation with a wicked and prolific imagination, churning out fantastic works of art in a little studio somewhere. I've seen images of his avant-garde glass sculptures and the famous glass ceiling at the Bellagio, but know little else. Turns out the master is a stocky gregarious American with an eye patch - seeing only with one eye for the last 30 years, he translates his concepts through canvas paintings and verbal directions to glassblowers that he hires. We saw some of those paintings on display at Phipps, and watched part of a video where he orchestrated the construction of the Wall of Ice in Jerusalem, Israel. (He was quite the prima donna and really cracking the whip, but when his vision finally materialized, everything seemed worth it. An artist's gotta do what he's gotta do, eh?)

It took us about 2 hours to go through all the installations, and we even rushed through some. There were a few I felt lukewarm about, but most were jaw-dropping and incredibly amazing.


Centerpiece at the foyer - whimsical classic Chihuly


Organic installations like these amber cattails make the exhibition visually stunning


Fire & Ice - Fiori Sun and neon blue tumbleweed


The themed rooms were out of this world!


Flower chandelier


Macchia Forest - my favorite installation


Closeups - the curves and colors that make the art worth thousands

There are great pictures on the website too, if my pics don't do 'em justice.

I might even go again during the day - it's an opportunity not to be missed!