Dale Chihuly Exhibit - Desert Botanical Garden

Photo from Wikipedia

Dale Chihuly is a recognized visionary in the world of contemporary art glass. He is the most famous glass artist in the world and is considered by many to be the best. One of his most visited works is the huge glass ceiling at the Bellagio Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada

Chihuly was born in Tacoma, Washington on September 20, 1941. He is of Czechoslovakian and Hungarian descent on his father's side and Swedish and Norwegian on his mother's side. His father was a butcher and his mother was a homemaker. He loved the seashore and was fascinated by the ecology of the sea and the beautiful sunsets that are famous in the Pacific Northwest.

He studied architecture and interior design at the University of Washington but received his degree from the University of Wisconsin.

In 1969 Chihuly graduated with a M.F.A. from the Rhode Island School of Design (RIHD) and was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study glassblowing in Italy. He was the first American glassblower to study at the Vernini glass factory in Murano, Italy.

Back in the United States he returned to RIHD and established and directed their glass program for more than ten years. Two years later, opened the Pilchuck Glass School in Washington state.

In 1976 Chihuly lost the vision in one eye in an automobile accident in London. He is recognized easily by the black pirate's patch that he wears.

He is married and has one son.

For more information, some amazing photographs of his work and information about the Pilchuck Glass School, please visit the official Dale Chihuly website.

"Glass is the most magical of all materials. It transmits light in a special way ... I'm pleased that my art appeals to so many people of all ages.

~Dale Chihuly

The Desert Botanical Garden is a must-see visit if you're ever in Phoenix, Arizona. It's a 50 acre oasis of beautiful desert plants many of which are very rare or endangered.

There are a half dozen trails throughout the park that you can explore to experience unique exhibits. The "Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert" trail will explain how desert plants throughout the world have been used for food, clothing, and medicine.

Do visit the official website of The Desert Botanical Garden for more information such as a calendar of upcoming exhibits and events. There are maps of the trails and lists of the desert flowers growing in their Desert Wildflower Trail. Plus much,much more.

This is a photo of the Teddy Bear Cholla cacti. It looks soft and fuzzy but it's deceiving - it's spines are extremelypainful if you should happen to touch them. It's also called the Jumping Cholla because if you get too close, it seems to jump at you. Yikes!