Chihuly Garden and Glass, Seattle, Washington

I have always been fascinated by art glass of all kinds ever since I visited a glass blowing factory in Murano, an island in Venice, Italy, as a teenager on a school trip. Over the years I became familiar with Dale Chihuly's beautiful studio glass sculptures after seeing his large and colorful art glass pieces on display through visits I made at the Corning Museum of Glass in upstate New York, the de Young Museum in San Francisco, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. In fact, Chihuly's glass works are part of over 200 museum collections world wide, plus as part of the decor of many diverse public venues and gardens, and continue to gather critical aclaim.  A few years ago I was fortunate to visit a magnificent outdoor exhibit of Chihuly art glass exhibit at the Denver Botanic Garden. It was the Rocky Mountain's regions first major exhibit of his work, and a wonderful success for the garden. You can read my blog post about this wonderful exhibit on this link.  So when my husband and I took a trip to Seattle, Washington, last autumn to celebrate our anniversary, I was excited to finally be able to visit the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit located at 305 Harrison Street at the Seattle Center.  

(All photos in this post will enlarge for easier viewing if clicked on)

The 74 acre (30 ha) Seattle Center was originally built for the 1963 World's Fair and is an arts, educational, tourism and entertainment center in Seattle, Washington. It is home to the iconic landmark 605 foot (184 m) tall Space Needle tower, and the Chihuly Garden and Glass, which opened in 2012, which is located next to the tower.

After paying admission and entering the exhibit, you will see a series of panels that tell the interesting chronological story about Dale Chihuly's development as an artist. Born in 1941, in Tacoma Washington, he was introduced to glass while studying interior design at the University of Washington. He went on to study glass at the University of Wisconsin and the Rhode Island School of Design, In 1968 he received a Fulbright Fellowship and went to work at the Venini Glass Factory in Venice, where he learned the team approach to blowing glass, which is critical to the way he works today. In 1971, Chihuly cofounded the Pitchuck Glass School in Washington State, which helped develop glass as a fine art medium.

The exhibits in the museum show a chronological significant series of his works in a comprehensive collection displayed in eight galleries and three Drawing Walls. The first work seen is called "The Glass Forest" and was a collaborative effort in the early 1970's.  The audio tour of the Chihuly Garden and Glass is online, and I will link each section of what I saw and photographed to their tour. You can listen to the audio description to the Glass Forest  here.

Chihuly was fascinated by Native American baskets and blankets and he began to represent this native work with glass vessels. To learn more about the objects in the Northwest Room here.

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Dale Chihuly has a love of sea life and had a desire to show sea creatures moving in a glass medium.  To listen to more about the "Sealife Tower," click here.

The Persian Ceiling.  A plethora of bright and colorful hues ofswirling glass To listen to Dale Chihuly talk about this creation click here.

Looking up to the top of the Persian ceiling room. It's an amazing feeling to look up at all those backlit colors and see them reflected on the floor!

Chihuly said he was inspired by his mother's beautiful garden when he was growing up. This large sculpture filled an entire room. It was entitled "Mille Fiori," which means "A Thousand Flowers" in the Italian language and represents his mother's garden.

 As you can imagine this was my favorite work in the museum!  My husband and I spent quite a bit of time strolling around this exquisite work, noticing new elements in it each time.

Please click on to enlarge

Photos really don't do this large and beautiful exhibit justice, but I tried to photograph as much of this work as I could to show you as much of its elements as I could. 

You can listen to the audio tour description of Mille Fiori here.

In contrast to the colorful Mille Fiori sculpture, Chihuly next wanted to experiment with shades of white, alabaster, opaque and translucent glass, and he created this series of works called the "White Venetians."

If you click on to enlarge this photo you can see the translucent details within this glass sculpture. Truly exquisite!

The Chandelier Room was filled with what are now iconic Dale Chihuly chandelier sculptures in all shapes and colors. I have seen chandeliers like these in many places over the years, including the Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey--click here--to see that post, and the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in Denver--click here --to see that post. They are always spectacular and almost seem alive with all the individual pieces of glass that make up their components.

The detail in the pieces are amazing. To listen about the Chandelier Room click here.

The Macchia Room was inspired by new glass stain colors that Chihuly discovered in Germany.  The pieces are lined with white glass that left a spotted impression that Dale decided to call "macchia," which means "spotted" in Italian. To hear more about these flower like sculptures click here.

The Glass House exhibit is the cornerstone of Chihuly Garden and Glass. It is a 40 foot tall glass and steel structure covering 4,500 square feet (418 m), called the "Glasshouse." Hanging from the top is one of Chihuly's largest suspended sculptures.  The artworks vibrant autumn hued colors are ever changing with the light that flows into the glasshouse.

Looking up from the center  of the glasshouse we could see a view of the Space Needle standing outside.

To listen to more about the glasshouse sculpture click here.

Outside, leading into the garden exhibit, there was a corridor of Chihuly chandeliers hanging along a ceiling overhang. They looked like bright and dazzling flowers!

The entire Garden exhibit is about 26,000 square feet (2,415 m) in size. It has winding paths that bring one around the various gardens composed of live trees, shrubs and flowers along with the incorporated glass sculptures that are in different hues. This sculpture close to the Glasshouse is called the "Yellow Sun."

Look at how many pieces make up this amazing sculpture!

The autumn colors of the trees during our visit added to the overall beauty of the exhibit.

Some of the garden sculptures looked almost like actual plants....

...while others looked like pieces from a mystical fantasy! 

There were so many garden vignettes to enjoy.....

...as well as imposing ethereal towers of glass!

If you'd like to see videos about some of the other Dale Chihuly exhibts click here to see the video page on his official web site.

I was so happy to have had the opportunity to visit the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit in Seattle, Washington to see his magnificent works in all their splendor. It truly was one of the highlights of our trip!  

We had a wonderful Easter and Spring is in full bloom here in Colorado. I'll bring you back to our trip to the Pacific Northwest in future posts, but I'd love to show you some historical sights in my own neighborhood on my next post--see you then!

I'm linking this post to the following blog events:

Amaze Me Monday, All Seasons, Blue Monday, Through My Lens Monday, Mosaic Monday, Mellow Yellow Monday, Inspiration Monday, Good Random Fun, Nature Notes, Grand Social, Photo Tunes, Our World Tuesday, Ruby Tuesday,Wanderful Wednesday,Wordless Wednesday, Oh My Heartsie Girl's Wonderful Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Share Your Cup Thursday,Little Things Thursday, Travel Photo Thursday, Thankful Thursday, Friday Photo Journal, Skywatch Friday, Sweet Inspiration, Weekend Travel Inspiration, Friday Features, Pink Saturday

Thank you to all the blog hosts!

The Driehous Gallery and the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows

When I visited Chicago recently, I wanted to see the historic Navy Pier, as I had heard it is the number one tourist destination in the Midwest. I was very excited when I found out that the pier contained two free stained glass gallery/museums.  I have always been interested in the beauty and workmanship of stained glass, especially Tiffany stained glass. The Tiffany window above was in the Driehaus Gallery and was entitled "Christ and the Apostles," It was made in 1890.  It depicts Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane with eleven of his apostles. The color, radiance, and detail of the glass are magnificent! (Please click on all the photos and photo collages in this post to enlarge them, in order to see the wonderful details)

The Richard H Driehaus Gallery of Stained Glass is located near the top of Chicago's Navy Pier and contains eleven of Tiffany Studios stained glass windows, ranging from Ecclesiastical to secular landscapes. This gallery is part of the Richard H. Driehaus Museum, located at 40 East Erie Street, in Chicago, Illinois, which is dedicated to the design and decorative arts of America's Gilded Age.

"The Annunciation" Tiffany Stained Glass

Louis Comfort Tiffany ( 1848-1933) was an American artist, designer, and decorator.  He revolutionized the art of stained glass making in the 1870'a. In his New York glass factory, he developed new types of glass, such as drapery, opalescent, etched, rippled mottled, and enameled glass. Tiffany built his reputation on stained glass window commissions for public buildings, churches, and private clients. Many of these windows can still be viewed in their original locations worldwide.

More Tiffany windows on display in the Driehaus Gallery

I was mesmerized by the beauty of all the windows...

...and the brilliance of their color and design.

This Tiffany window, entitled "Chicago Skyline" was commissioned in 1928 for an electrical company in Joliet, Illinois, to commemorate the electrification of both rural and urban America.

The Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows is a permanent display of 150 stained glass windows housed in an 800 foot long series of galleries in Festival Hall on the Navy Pier, with free admission. It is the first museum in the United States dedicated solely to stained glass, divided by artistic theme into four categories: Victorian, Prairie, Modern, and Contemporary. All of the windows were designed by prominent local, national and European studios, and most were originally installed in Chicago area, residential, commercial and religious buildings.

As you walk through the gallery the windows are displayed with either natural light...

...or backlighting.

These were a small example of the many exquisite stained glass windows on display.

There were also many examples of Tiffany stained glass in the Smith collection, both the ones above...

...and these.....

...and these!

There was also an assortment of modern stained glass, such as this piece entitled 'The American Flag 2001" by mosaic glass artist Khaim Pinkhasik. As a native New Yorker, any tribute to 9-11 touches my heart, and I found this piece to be dazzling!

I could have spent all day browsing and admiring the stained glass in both the gallery and museum and I'm sure if I ever return on a visit to Chicago they will be high up on my list of places I'd like to see again.

The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, New York

The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, is the cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of New York and is located at 1047 Amsterdam Ave, in Manhattan's Morningside Heights neighborhood. (Please note that all photos in this post will enlarge for easier viewing if clicked on)

To paraphrase its brochure that I collected at the entrance: The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine is chartered as a house of prayer for all people and a unifying center of intellectual light and leadership. People from many faiths and communities worship together in services held more than 30 times a week. The soup kitchen serves roughly 20,000 meals annually, and it's Textile Conservation Lab preserves world treasures, concerts, performances, exhibitions, and civic gatherings allow conversations, celebrations, reflection, and remembrance.

The cathedral is the fourth largest Christian church in the world and ties with Liverpool Cathedral for the title of the largest Anglican cathedral and church.

The interior covers 121,000 square feet and spans a length of 601 feet, and a height of 232 feet.

The cathedral 's construction was begun in 1892, and it went under many different style changes during its construction, beginning with a Byzantine-Romanesque Revival style and ending in Gothic Revival style.  In December of 2001, it had a massive fire and was closed for repairs until November 2008. It remains somewhat unfinished, with construction, and restoration is a continuing process. The complete history timeline of the cathedral can be seen on its website at this link.

This was my first visit to the Cathedral, and when I entered the massive size of it took my breath away! There was scaffolding hanging from the ceiling to support an art exhibit--more about that at the end of this post.

Cathedrals seem to make a person's spirit soar because of their grandeur and architectural elegance. Considering that the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine suffered a giant fire, it was in remarkably good condition.

From west to east run three aisles of bronze floor medallions referred to as the Pilgrims Pavement. The side aisle medallions show the names and crests of key pilgrimage sites, as well as significant sites in Anglican history. The central aisle marks the miracles performed by Jesus from birth through the Feeding of the Multitude...

The rose stained glass window is the largest in the United States, and at forty feet in diameter, it is the third largest in the world! It is made of over ten thousand pieces of glass. At its center is Jesus, surrounded by the New and Old Testament prophets, as well as sixteen angels. Below it is the Lesser Rose Window, shaped like a seven-pointed star.

Each vertical set of stained glass windows is dedicated to one of the fourteen forms of human endeavor, including Labor, Medicine, Education, Military, Arts, and Sport. The ground level windows show a variety of historical and scriptural figures engaged in a particular activity--such a Jesus performing healing miracles.

This pulpit, found on the right, facing the front of the cathedral, is dedicated to the memory of Horatio Potter, Bishop of New York, 1854-1887.

Standing in the nave, looking back toward the front doors...

...looking forward from the same spot. The size of this cathedral is massive!

The stone pulpit on the left side of the cathedral, with a figure of Saint John the Divine.

Seven chapels are located from the ambulatory behind the choir. These chapels are known as the "Chapels of the Tongues, "and they were designed to represent the seven most prominent ethnic groups to first immigrate to New York City upon the opening of Ellis Island in 1892.

On permanent loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the elegantly carved wooden 15th-century German choir stalls separate the Narthex from the Nave. The Cathedral campus has six organs. In the photo above you can also see an organist playing the "Great Organ," which was built by the Ernest M Skinner Company in 1910, and rebuilt and enlarged by G. Donald Harrison of Aeolian-Skinner in 1954. After the devastating fire in 2001, the Great Organ was painstakingly restored by Quimby Pipe Organs of Warrensburg, Missouri.  The cathedral is known for its "Great Music in Great Spaces" concerts



The video above shows a special concert held at the cathedral called "Most Elevating Voices, the Musical Legacy of Andrew Carnegie: A Transatlantic Celebration featuring the voices of the Cathedral's massed choirs, the Oratorio Society of New York, the Manhattan School of Music Chamber Choir, and the famed Great Organ. (Please note there are about three minutes of the video shown before the organ music begins, and 19 minutes before the choirs begin to sing--it is magnificent to hear!)

More photos of some of the architectural and symbolic beauty of the cathedral. Please click on the photo to enlarge.

The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine is often used as an exhibition space for the arts, and the current exhibit called "Phoenix"--on display through 2014--was a feat of engineering an ingenuity by contemporary artist Xu Bing, who culled detritus from constructions sites across the rapidly changing urban landscape of Beijing to transform the objects into this monumental project.

Phoenix is composed of two birds, a male called Feng and a female called Huang. Feng and Huang weigh 12 tons and measure 90-100 feet long, and are suspended in the nave.

Click on the photo collage above to enlarge the photo and read more about the Phoenix.

They were certainly an enthralling sight to see!

One of the "Golden Doors" -- bronze front doors of the Cathedral, seen from the inside. Cast by Barbedienne of Paris, who also cast the Statue of Liberty. Each door is 18 feet high, six feet wide and weighs three tons. The doors have 60 bas relief panels that depict Old and New Testament stories on the exterior side, and flowers and birds and natural imagery on the interior side.

An interesting event that takes place the first Sunday of October at the Cathedral--the "Blessing of the Animals" in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. The church is filled with men, women, and children accompanied by their pets, and assorted guest animals such as llamas, sheep, camels, long-horned steers, turtles, parrots, even bumblebees, etc, are escorted down the church aisle as the ceremony begins.  It is a very joyful celebration!



The video above shows an example of an opening procession of animals, clergy, choir, dancers, and guests. You can also see a video at Time magazine on this link that shows a little more of the ceremony.

There is also the annual Blessing of the Bicycles, where hundreds of cyclists, including the vulnerable bike messengers of New York City, wheel into the Great Crossing of the church to be blessed.  You can read more about this event on this NPR link.

The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine is truly a magnificent place to visit, and I hope I've enticed you to want to see it someday and perhaps attend an event there. Come back soon as in a future post I'll show you a very unique and unusual fountain called the "Peace Fountain" that is located in the cathedral's 11.3-acre grounds