Chihuly glass house and garden museum

 

Glass house with flowers hanging from ceiling

Recently we took a day to visit the Chihuly glass museum at the Seattle Center.  Sometime in the future we hope to fit in the larger Tacoma museum featuring his work that also has glass blowing demonstrations.  I am not sure what I expected but the displays at the center museum are stunning and well worth the expense.  Unlike some museums this one allows photos even with a flash.

The subject matters that included sea life, gardens, floats, chandeliers, the greenhouse, and the outdoor gardens are in separate sections.  The indoor exhibits are in dark rooms with the glass pieces mounted on mirrors or suspended from the ceiling with strategic lighting.  Each piece was beautiful.

This work below is made of lit neon and argon gas filled tubes and reminded me of flamingos.  It was the first display at the entrance.

The next room had bowls, native weaving and photographs.

The sea life room was dominated by a large blue sculpture with golden sea life creatures locked in tentacles of glass.

Several smaller pieces like this one below of an octopus were mounted on gold colored glass balls.

The Persian ceiling was breathtakingly beautiful and unexpected as it required looking up at the ceiling to get the full view.  Each individual panel is full of so many things to look at all in bright colors.

Moving to the next section one is greeted by a glass garden of fanciful shapes and colors that takes up the entire length of the room.

As part of a live display balls or floats of glass were placed originally in water then later gathered together and put into a couple of boats.  Here is one boat filled with floats.

Chandeliers and large bowls completed the indoor exhibit and led into the glass house room.  The glass house was like a conservatory with glass flowers hanging from the ceiling.  See the picture at the top.

In the outdoor garden area the glass pieces are integrated with nature.

This is just a sampling of what can be seen.  For more information about the museum, the hours, and how to get tickets see:
http://www.chihulygardenandglass.com/