The Chihuly Collection and Morean Glass Studio

Since it was too chilly for boating last weekend, Ron and I decided to head to St Petersburg to visit the Chihuly Collection at the Morean Arts Center. I loved Dale Chihuly’s beautiful glass sculptures at the Bellagio in Las Vegas and in the Bahamas, so I was excited about seeing an entire exhibition of his works.

Our tickets to the Morean Arts Center included a glass blowing demonstration at the Morean Glass Studio. We got to the studio just in time for the first demonstration at 1 o’clock. Our glass blowers, or gaffers, were Anjali and Dan. While Dan narrated, Anjali layered glass that had been heated to 2100 degrees (in furnaces named Puff and Toothless) onto the end of a pipe and blew into the pipe to create a hollow ball. At first the glass was so hot that it was bright orange, but as it cooled, the blue color started to appear. Slowly, Anjali transformed the ball of glass into a cylindrical vase. Then Dan added smaller pieces of glass, which Anjali shaped into decorative leaves and a base. Finally, the vase was transferred to another rod so that Anjali could widen and shape its mouth. It was amazing to watch her swing and spin the rod, using gravity and centrifugal force to create the scalloped edges of the vase. The finished piece was placed in an annealing oven to cool to room temperature.

The Chihuly Collection was across the street from the glass studio in a building designed specifically for the exhibit. It included 18 installations with examples from all of Chihuly’s major series - baskets, Persians and Venetians, chandeliers, Macchia and even acrylic drawings. Walking through the gallery, we could see the evolution of Chihuly’s art through the decades as he experimented with new forms and colors. My favorite pieces were the Persians, with their swirling, asymmetrical shapes. In one hallway, the ceiling was covered with colorful Persians that looked like sea creatures - seashells, anemones or jellyfish. It was like walking into an underwater world. I also loved the Macchia Forest installation. “Macchia” is the Italian word for spotted. Chihuly made the Macchia series by layering several different colors with white or clear glass in between, creating a spotted or speckled effect.

There were a couple of pieces from Chihuly’s Ikebana series. These fantastical sculptures were inspired by Japanese flower arrangements and resembled vases of long-stemmed leaves or flowers. To me, they looked like they came from the pages of a Dr. Suess book. Ron said they reminded him of the alien plant in Little Shop of Horrors. (“Feed me, Seymour!”)  The largest installation in the exhibit was the Mille Fiori, which means “a thousand flowers” in Italian. This installation combined hundreds of individual elements of all shapes into an other-worldly garden of glass.

When we were finished viewing the collection, we browsed the glass studio's gift shop, which sold pieces that were made during the glass blowing demonstrations. I was glad that we’d watched a demonstration before viewing the Chihuly Collection. It gave me a deeper appreciation for the skill and years of training it took to become a glass artist. It was amazing to see what could be created with sand, fire and a puff of air.

Drawing Wall

Sunset Persian Wall

Float Boat

Carnival

Persian Ceiling

Ruby Red Icicle Chandelier

Silvered White-Spotted Ikebana with Gilded Purple Stems

Macchia Forest

Mille Fiori

Travel tips: Be sure to check the Morean Arts Center’s website (https://moreanartscenter.org) for the days and times of the glassblowing demonstrations. You don’t want to miss seeing how this beautiful art is made!