Chihuly at The Dallas Arboretum
I'm currently in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area for a few days to watch Michigan play Alabama in the Cowboy Classic. Upon arriving at the airport I saw an ad for a Chihuly art installation at the Dallas Arboretum so on Thursday morning Frank and I headed over to see it. 
The first time I had seen any of Chihuly's art was the glass ceiling in the lobby of the Belaggio in Las Vegas back when I was in grad school. I thought the beautiful flowers of brightly colored glass were amazing and I kept walking underneath it staring at the ceiling.
I was really excited to see the Chihuly glass sculptures at the arboretum and they really didn't disappoint. They were beautifully set in the gardens and the fluid shapes seemed like a natural extension of the surroundings.
At the beginning I saw the Blue Marlins and Turquoise Reeds installation along a little creek. Right as I started to walk along the small creekside path the misters started watering the plants. It made a cool foggy effect low to the ground and made the glass sculptures even more enchanting.
A little farther on some large glass spheres called Niijima Floats were nestled in a flower bed. Beyond that Yellow and Scarlet Asymmetrical Towers marked the entrance to the Woman's Garden.
Entering into the Woman's Garden a fountain was decorated with an installation of Neodymium Reeds and Hornet's Nest. I loved the contrast of the straight purple glass soaring to the sky with the curving, twisting shapes of the green seeming to float on the water's surface.
At the end of the Woman's Garden a reflection pool held the Float Boat and Carnival Boat sculptures which were filled with glass. I liked the way the pond in the garden overlooked White Rock Lake for a lovely view and the reflections were spectacular.
Fogelson Fountain was decorated with an installation of Red Reeds. The red reflections among the lily pads in the fountain were quite striking.
Another little pond was filled with an installation called Persian Pond. I loved how the delicate white and clear glass pieces were tinged with black on the edges and mimicked the shapes of the lily pads in the pond. It was also set apart from the main walking paths so I was able to enjoy this piece without throngs of other people nearby.
Throughout the arboretum there were many more lovely sculptures making every turn a discovery of something new. I really enjoyed seeing the installation and if it wasn't for the oppressive heat (Texas in August = hot!) I would have loved to spend a little more time there. If you find yourself in the area before the exhibition closes in November I would highly recommend seeing it.
Do you like Chihuly's sculptures? What have you been doing as summer is winding down?
Sunday, September 2, 2012 at 12:01PM | Posted by Lisa | 9 Comments | Share Article | Email Article | Print Article 
Reader Comments (9)
What beautiful art - my favourites are the white & clear lily pads in the Persian Pond and the glass coloured balls lying in the garden. I am trying to spend more time outside either on the patio or walking the local trails. Snow comes too soon for too long, in my opinion.
Wow, beautiful! I love Chihuly, we saw his work years ago at the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago, so cool! Now I'm going to check to see if the Dallas Arboretum will be open and the exhibit still there when I'm in TX over Thanksgiving!
Mary-Lou- The Perisian Pond was one of my favorites, too. I completely agree that winter is a bit too long and coming too soon. I'm doing my best to squeeze in the last bits of summer fun before fall sets in.
Hilary- That sounds like a wonderful exhibition that you saw. If it is still here when you visit Dallas, I would highly recommend seeing the Chihuly Exhibition in the arboretum.
You could make a beautiful mini scrapbook out of these pictures!
That is a great idea, Kathy! I had almost as much fun taking the pictures as I did enjoying the sculptures.
Your photos are gorgeous and really do the artwork justice. His work is stunningly beautiful and so unlike anything else I've ever seen. I was in Las Vegas this summer and, like you, kept walking under his glass ceiling in the Belaggio admiring the beauty of it. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much, Sandy! That is so sweet of you to say. His work is really amazing, isn't it?
Hi Lisa,
I was thrilled to see your pictures of the Chihuly exhibit. His art is so incredible and I just missed seeing it live a while back. I'll have to keep checking NY Botanical gardens event calendar to see if he plans on returning. In the meantime I'll settle for your lovely photos.
Hope all is well with you.
Marilyn
Marilyn- Thank you! I'm glad that you like the post. His work is really lovely to see isn't it? Hope you are doing well, too!