Field Trip: The Museum of Glass

I have been a Dale Chihuly fan for years, so venturing to the Glass Museum as part of my August museum field trip month was a great deal of fun.

This Brady Bunch of glass vases and flowers actually stretches across a bridge that spans part of I-5. When sunny, which tis day was not, all the glass shines. But even here you can see how whimsical shapes and colors.

The interior of the museum is divided into one main gallery, a large gallery for rotating exhibits, and a huge theater for viewing their active studio. During the course of the year, working artist come to the museum of glass and use their facilities to blow new projects in their fancy kilns. Rarely do you get the opportunity to witness a working studio and one in which world class artists are assembling pieces.

It is hard to think of glass as being a large scale medium. We so often take it for granted, never thinking that when viscous, glass can be shaped into almost any form.

One of my all time favorite creations by Chihuly has been his "Sea Forms," in which he takes glass and spins and blows it into undulating shapes that look like they are moving with tidal actions. All resemble something off of a tropical reef. This particular installation of "Sea Forms" is about 20 yards long and suspended above your head. While viewing the work, neck craned upwards, people stroll bumping into each other not paying attention to where they walk. Then when they do point their heads and eyes forward, they inevitably stumble from the the blood rush and dizziness.