Dale Chihuly

by Rick Brown

It’s impossible to say whether Dale Chihuly loves Columbus or Columbus loves Dale Chihuly. Perhaps the omnipresence of his artwork in the city is a mutual admiration. It matters not. The permanent Chihuly instillations at the Franklin Park Conservatory and the fact that Mr. Chihuly’s name now appears with Franklin Park’s are testament enough to the affair. Yet with the additional temporary pieces in the current exhibit Chihuly Reimagined , the beautiful interlacing of nature and nature implied is compelling. So much so that I have meandered here three times already and plan to visit again before closing March 28 of next year.

In addition to the beauty of the Conservatory, the Columbus Museum of Art is showing Chihuly Illuminated until July 4, 2010. I recently witnessed the collection. Illuminated by gasses a la neon, Chihuly’s work is presented in a different, breathtakingly technological form that is a feast for the eyes.

Rather than try to continue with words I will simply let the glass speak for itself. These pictures are from Chihuly Reinamgined at the Franklin Park Conservatory and Chihuly Collection. Taken on a gray, rainy , late summer afternoon, these images show only one mood of the display. And Chihuly Illuminated at the Columbus Art Museum requires the services of a professional photographer. Better still…take a day and visit both.