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| metro art by Megan Voeller |
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The Chihuly Collection
The Pinnacle of Glass Art on Display
Float Boat, 2008
46 x 68 x 210"
Photographer: Terry Rishel
Dale Chihuly is simply synonymous with glass art. Known the world over for his eye-popping installations of brilliantly colored glass forms, the Seattle-based artist long ago achieved icon status. Whether you’ve marveled at his ceiling of hand-blown glass flowers at the Bellagio Resort in Las Vegas or encountered his breathtaking glass “baskets” in a museum exhibition, “Chihuly” rings a bell. Chances are, the name even calls up a picture of the artist—his curly mane and trademark eye patch are almost as famous as his works.
Persian Ceiling,1999,
15' x 28'
Photographer: Teresa Nouri Rishel
On July 11, the much-anticipated Chihuly Collection opens at 400 Beach Drive in downtown St. Petersburg. Situated alongside waterfront North Straub Park and a stone’s throw from the Museum of Fine Arts, the 10,000-square-foot showcase of the artist’s glimmering sculpture adds yet another gem to the St. Petersburg arts scene. A project of the Morean Arts Center, the Chihuly Collection offers visitors an encounter with the pinnacle of glass art through a series of immersive installations of Chihuly’s work in specially constructed galleries. Highlights include a room devoted to Chihuly’s signature boats filled with colorful glass balls and a chandelier room. On July 10, the artist speaks and signs books at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club and at the Chihuly Collection; an evening gala at the 400 Beach Seafood & Tap House, located next door to the collection, celebrates its debut.
Visitors curious about glass blowing and other glass-forming methods can see the process in action by visiting the Morean’s newly constructed glass studio and hotshop, which opens on July 3. Located on Central Avenue west of the Chihuly Collection, the facility offers stadium seating for 60 in a studio where local glass artists—among them, nationally known practitioners—practice their craft. At the Morean, both children and adults can enroll in classes on glass blowing and other techniques including slumping and fusing (methods that involve melting glass in a kiln).
The Chihuly Collection presented by the Morean Arts Center, 400 Beach Drive, St. Petersburg, opens Sun., July 11, to VIP ticket holders; regular hours and admission prices begin on Mon., July 12. Admission on the 11th costs $125 and includes champagne and a Chihuly book or DVD; regular admission is $15 for adults ($20 for dual admission to the Chihuly Collection and the Morean’s glass studio, hotshop and art galleries); $13 for seniors ($16 for dual admission); and $12 (or $14) for students and children.
For a full list of Chihuly Collection events, go to moreanartscenter.org or call 727-822-7872.
—Megan Voeller
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