Chihuly Toledo! had patrons lining up outside the Toledo Museum of Art’s (TMA) Glass Pavilion.

“At our opening for the exhibit we had people from Florida waiting outside to get in as soon as we opened the doors, as well as a number of other arts patrons from all over the country,” said TMA Curator of Glass, Jutta Page. “The mere mention of Dale Chihuly’s name has been causing a lot of excitement. I first came across his work at the Haystack School of Crafts in Maine in 1993 and was simply struck by the colors in his work. He is one of the most commercially successful artists to ever come out of the studio glass movement.”

Dale Chihuly (AP)

A Seattle native, Chihuly was first asked to exhibit his work in a study of contemporary glass art in Toledo in 1970. After an accident in 1976 impaired his vision, Chihuly took on the role of choreographer and director for a team of artists. Chihuly is, perhaps, best known locally for his 9-foot chandelier, “Campiello del Remer #2,” which can be seen at  the entrance to the Glass Pavilion.

“This exhibit includes work from every period and every series in Chihuly’s career. It is composed of every piece from our permanent collection, as well as pieces loaned out by private collectors,” Page said. “It’s interesting to see what pieces kicked off different directions in his work. A lot of people think that Chihuly never really blew glass himself, but one of the things this show does is prove that that is simply not true.”

Chihuly Toledo! marks the first time the TMA’s entire Chihuly collection has been available for public viewing since 1993.

“Dale Chihuly’s work speaks for itself. It’s vibrant, alive with color, light, depth and perspective.” “Just as no two pieces of art are identical, no two people view art in the same way. What’s special about Chihuly Toledo! is that our visitors, from avid collectors to the first-time visitors, will experience, share, appreciate and be fulfilled by a unique form of art that has its roots right here in Toledo.”

The exhibit will remain on display through Nov. 29.

Tags: TMA

This entry was posted on Friday, September 25th, 2009 at 12:00 am and is filed under Arts and Life, Exhibits.
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