While I was in Washington I went to Seattle and I finally had the chance to visit Chihuly Garden and Glass, located right next to the iconic Space Needle. As a glass artist, this was something I had been looking forward to for a long time. Dale Chihuly’s blown glass work is instantly recognizable for its bold color, organic shapes, and incredible scale. Walking into the museum felt like stepping into a world completely built out of glass and imagination.
The Indoor Exhibits – Vessels and Sculptural Forms: The indoor galleries showcase many of Chihuly’s famous vessel series. These pieces are displayed in dramatic lighting, which really highlights the movement and texture of the glass. Some of the vessels are smooth and flowing while others have dramatic ruffled edges and vibrant color combinations. What struck me the most was the scale and creativity of the work. Many of the pieces feel almost alive — twisting, curling, and expanding in ways that seem impossible for glass. The lighting throughout the galleries creates beautiful reflections and shadows that make the installations even more dramatic. As someone who works with fused glass, it’s always inspiring to see how another artist pushes the limits of the material.
The Chandeliers: One of the most breathtaking parts of the museum is the collection of glass chandeliers. These massive, suspended sculptures are made up of hundreds of individual blown glass pieces assembled together to create enormous flowing forms. Each chandelier is completely different. Some look like exploding fireworks of color, while others feel more organic — almost like sea creatures or underwater coral formations floating above you. Standing underneath them and looking up really gives you a sense of the scale and complexity of the work. It’s incredible to imagine the planning and teamwork required to create installations like these.
The Garden Installations: Outside, the experience continues in the Chihuly Garden, where the glass sculptures interact beautifully with the surrounding plants and landscaping. Tall red glass spikes rise from the greenery like exotic flowers, while other installations twist and curl through the garden beds. One of the most striking pieces is the bright yellow glass sculpture that looks like a burst of twisting tendrils reaching toward the sky. Seeing the glass outdoors adds another dimension to the artwork. The natural light changes the colors constantly, and the sculptures feel almost like they belong in the landscape. From the garden you can also see the Space Needle towering overhead, which makes the whole setting feel very Seattle.
The Glasshouse Installation: One of the highlights of the entire museum is the Glasshouse, where a massive suspended installation stretches across the ceiling. Hundreds of warm-colored glass forms flow across the space like a fiery river of glass. With the glass ceiling above and the Space Needle visible outside, the whole room feels open and dramatic. It’s one of those installations where you just stop and stare for a while.
Watching the Glass Blowing Demonstration: Another highlight of the visit was watching a live glass blowing demonstration. It’s always fascinating to see hot glass being shaped right out of the furnace. The artist gathered molten glass on the end of a blowpipe and began shaping it, adding color and rolling it through different materials to create texture. Watching the process reminds you just how much skill and timing glassblowing requires. Even though I work in fused glass rather than blown glass, it’s still incredibly inspiring to watch the process and see the material move while it’s still molten. For those who know glass they use 96 COE glass as does Chihuly
Lunch at the Café: After exploring the exhibits and the garden, we stopped for lunch at the museum café. It was the perfect way to relax and take a break after walking through the galleries. If you get a chance to visit this gallery, make sure you go to the cafe; the food is great (I had clam chowder) and there are tons of things to see including some of Chihuly’s collections and even some of his paintings. Sitting there and looking back on everything we had just seen gave me time to really think about the incredible creativity and scale of Chihuly’s work.
Visiting Chihuly Garden and Glass was an unforgettable experience. As someone who works with glass, it’s always inspiring to see how artists push the boundaries of what’s possible with the material. From the dramatic indoor installations to the beautiful garden sculptures and the live glassblowing demonstration, the entire museum is a celebration of glass as an art form. If you ever find yourself in Seattle, this is definitely a place worth visiting — especially if you love glass art as much as I do.
If you would like to see more of my fused glass work, please refer to my website Elegant Fused Glass by Karen. If you get a chance, check out all my site and my Elegant Fused Glass by Karen YouTube. If you would like to stay abreast of what I’m up-to and learn a little more about jewelry, check out our newsletter. It is published the last day of each month.
Karen
