Chihuly Garden and Glass


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Pacific Sun, by Dale Chihuly (Photographed by Nick Licata)

As I strolled through Chihuly Garden and Glass during one of its opening celebrations recently, I was struck by the scale of Dale’s work – gigantic chandeliers, tall towers, expansive tableaus of floral and sea forms and a 100-foot long suspended sculpture composed of 1,300 individual pieces of glass, all occupying an acre and a half of land on Seattle Center grounds. It is quite impressive.

Chihuly Garden and Glass is a $20 million permanent exhibition financed by the Space Needle Corporation under the auspices of Center Art, LLC, which is leasing the property from the City. Center Art expects to receive entry fees of between $15 and $19 from about 400,000 visitors each year. Free days will be offered to local schools and discounted tickets distributed through the Seattle Center Foundation, campus resident organizations and other non-profits to pass on to their patrons.

Photo credit: Nick Licata

Center Art will pay the City an annual rent of $350,000 during their initial 5-year lease, increasing to $500,000 annually starting with any subsequent lease. Also upon renewing their lease, they’ll begin paying the City 8% of net proceeds from any Chihuly fine art sold on site.

In 2010, I wrote about what was then referred to as the Chihuly Museum in UP #295. In early 2011, Center Art’s revised proposal called for a Northwest Art Gallery of about 2,700 square feet located across from the Space Needle on Thomas St. and featuring work by local artists. The gallery was to be free to the general public.

Photo credit: Nick Licata

When Center Art was unable to include the Northwest Art Gallery in their final proposal, my office provided authority within their lease agreement for Seattle Center to operate one.  Although Seattle Center currently has no such plans, I will continue to encourage its director, Robert Nellams, to open such a gallery for local artists to display and sell their work on campus.

In the mean time, Seattle Center will be taking a small step in that direction by hosting a temporary exhibition in July featuring work associated with the Pilchuck Glass School. Keep an eye on Seattle Center’s website for details to become available.

For more information on Chihuly Garden and Glass, visit their website.

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Posted: May 21st, 2012 under Arts and Culture, Budget and Economic Development, Development and Sustainability, Parks, Seattle Center

Comments

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Comment from Paul Kuniholm Pauper
Time May 21, 2012 at 7:26 pm

Mr. Nick,

Thank you for this report, and for your support of art in Seattle.

Sincerely,

Paul Kuniholm Pauper
bit.ly/paulkuniholmpauper

Comment from Ben “Jammin”
Time May 23, 2012 at 8:53 pm

Nick – This whole “Chihuly” thing is a disgrace. Chihuly is a disgrace. He’s a self-serving litigating ex-artist who thinks he owns everything that anyone who ever worked in his organization makes for the rest of their lives. He thinks he is God.

For starters, he didn’t make a single thing in the place and probably didn’t even have a hand in the creative process. That the City should take part in, let alone lay out any monies to pay homage to such a cretin is disgusting and that you somehow think it’s a good idea is even more disturbing.

Paying $15 to see glass associated with this clown is a freakin’ lousy disgusting idea and you will soon find that they’re not going to see the traffic through there that they claim; anyone in their right mind knows they won’t break 100,000 a year in paid attendance.

I say stroll down 5th Ave to Seattle Glass Blowing Studio where you can see their stuff for FREE and watch the artists blowing the glass for FREE.

Shame on the entire city council for letting this happen…

Comment from David Brayton
Time June 14, 2012 at 1:20 pm

Interesting, this is something I would like to see if and when I go to Seattle. I went to the main site and am amazed at some of the artwork there. The artists have some amazing skills. Personally I’ve never seen glass blown but would like to watch the process someday. Thank you for the article. Hopefully I will go to Seattle for a business trip in the future.

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