Welcome guest blogger Linda G Hatton to Tourist Tuesdays. Linda is escorting us on an adventure near and dear to her heart. She is from Washington State, now lives in suburban L.A. with her family but is a frequent visitor to the Seattle area. So settle in for a tour of something quite spectacular: Dale Chihuly’s World.

BIO: Former actress, Linda G Hatton, is the managing editor of Mouse Tales Press literary magazine. When she is not reading submissions, she creates chapbooks and arranges words to fill them with. Read more about Linda, including her longer bio and writing credits, on her writer website.

Dale Chihuly: A Real Glass House

Internationally recognized glass artist, Dale Chihuly’s, works have long captured the attention of the international art scene, so it is no surprise that he now has a long-term exhibition honoring (at least part of) his amazing collection of glass botanicals, Chihuly Garden and Glass.

Chihuly began blowing glass in 1965 at the University of Wisconsin and then went on to the Rhode Island School of Design, “where he later established the glass program and taught for more than a decade.”

His education was not limited to the United States, however. Chihuly also spent time working in Venice, where he was exposed to glass blowing in teams and then, “In 1971, Chihuly cofounded Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State.”

Chihuly Garden and Glass is located next to the Space Needle at Seattle Center and, last summer, I had the pleasure of visiting the stunning display.

Okay, okay, at first I admit I wasn’t all that excited to visit. Having been employed at the Seattle Art Museum for a number of years, I had previous experience with Chihuly’s works, and while I admired them, I thought I had seen them all.

Boy, was I wrong.

Once we arrived at the Seattle Center, we headed towards the Space Needle ticket booth where I noticed a bright yellow-green plant shooting up towards the sky from a building next door. It took me a second to realize that this “plant” was made from glass and that I was viewing the glass garden.

My excitement grew.

We bought our tickets and headed over to visit the gallery, entering first into the exhibition hall where I was pleasantly surprised to find that the exhibition included sketches and paintings of his work in addition to the glass art.

The next stop was at the glasshouse where a brilliant display of orange-yellow flowers was hanging from the ceiling.

We peeked into the café where we saw a few of Chihuly’s private collections, including these accordions.

And finally, onto the gardens – an actual outdoor garden where the glass is incorporated in with live plants.

Although tickets are a little pricey, it is well worth the money. Be sure to ask about deals, such as King County resident discounts, if you are local. Check the website for current pricing and hours.

Oh, and if you go to the Space Needle observation deck, take a picture from above. I wish I had.

Located at Seattle Center:
305 Harrison St
Seattle, WA 98109
Phone: 206.753.4940
For other places to view Chihuly’s work in the Puget Sound area, visit his artist website.

Mahalo, Linda, for letting us be tourists in your old neighborhood. If you’ve got questions to ask Linda, don’t be shy. Whether it’s about acting, screenwriting, poetry, short stories, running a small press, or about glass, I’m sure that she’d be happy to answer.