The Dallas Arboretum announced yesterday that a mega exhibit of Dale Chihuly’s legendary glass sculptures is coming to the Dallas Arboretum May 5 through Nov. 5.
I’ve seen the Chihuly Hart Window at the Dallas Museum of Art. It’s beautiful, but until yesterday’s announcement I guess I didn’t comprehend the magnitude of Chihuly’s work. I mean, one sculpture might be 30 feet tall and comprise some 12,000 pieces of glass—and each little piece will be transported in individual packages and then assembled on the arboretum grounds by Chihuly’s team of designers and lighting experts.
Dallas Arboretum president Mary Brinegar says she expects people from all over to come see it (more than 10 million people have attended a handful of Chihuly exhibits over the past few years, a Chihuly spokesperson says).
During the exhibit the Arboretum will stay open late, until 10 p.m. three nights a week, for Chihuly Nights (powered by Cirro Energy).
“The works are even more charming in the evening,” Brinegar says.
During the daytime, the Arboretum will offer educational materials, programs and classes for children and adults.
Mayor Mike Rawlings says he looks forward to the vibrant addition to the already magnificent gardens—“It will be special to see how botany, nature, art and glass come together,” he says—and to the tourism it will bring to the city.