Boston Museum of Fine Arts - Chihuly Exhibit

Dale Chihuly, born in the United States 70 years ago is being called the most famous glass artist since Louis Comfort Tiffany. He set out on a path to study interior design and architecture. Obtaining degrees in sculpture and ceramics he worked with glass masters in Murano, Venice. When Chihuly returned to the US he established a glass program at the Rhode Island School of Design in 1968 and co-founded a Glass School in 1971. Losing an eye in 1979 at age 38 he continued blowing glass but ceased later in life when due to a swimming accident lost strength in his shoulder and was no longer able to support a long tube used to blow glass. He still creates by designing but other glass blowers do the work he is unable to do.

Based in Seattle, Washington, Chihuly works with a team of glassblowers to create room-sized marvelous pieces.

I wandered into the exhibit by mistake, but was instantly drawn into overwhelmingly, breathtaking beautiful creations of glass. Every room caused me to gasp in awe as if I were watching a 4th of July fireworks display! Each room was painted a rich dark charcoal grey which served as the perfect background to make those colors "POP!"
I left the exhibit wanting "more" and my spirit and soul was temporarily healed from whatever ailed it from living...
Yes! viewing the pieces in this collection is "healing."

If you get the opportunity to see this exhibit in a city near you; please take time and see it! You won't regret the journey; and your heart and soul will thank you.

Here are a few links to learn more of this man's tremendous talent. I encourage you to explore.

Chihuly Book - $50 and $35 (hardcover, softcover) 160 pages, 125 color illustrations:
http://www.mfa.org/collections/publications/chihuly

A quick video showing how the exhibit was set up at the Museum:
http://www.mfa.org/collections/publications/chihuly

Access to a small variety of Chihuly videos
http://www.mfa.org/exhibitions/chihuly

Wikipedia link giving more information about this man and a listing of permanent exhibits across the US and around the world; too numerous to list here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Chihuly

Everyone has a very interesting story to tell, and this newspaper article gives a much more insight into Mr Chihuly:
http://www.seattlepi.com/default/article/Chihuly-victimized-by-his-own-success-1201229.php#page-1

Here are some of the photos I took of the exhibit. It takes a professional photographer to truly capture these works, of which I am not; but I hope you can get an idea of the beauty I saw that day.




By the way; the small bowls shown at the end of the slideshow were for sale in the Museum Shop. They ranged in price from $6,000 to $9,000. I read in the newspaper article above that people have his chandeliers hanging in their homes. I can't even begin to imagine the price tag on one of those babies.