Dale Chihuly at the de Young

Dale Chihuly's visions in glass become all the more impressive when you consider that his Pilchuck Glass School began with a $2000 grant, and the labor and sweat of 16 art students. Chihuly's Stanwood, Washington campus -- on the beautiful Puget Sound -- is a gathering point for fine artists and artistic experimentation.

And Chihuly himself is an icon of the studio glass movement, bringing his Venetian training to bear on the collaborative efforts that become Chihuly glass.

His exhibition at the de Young Museum opened on June 14 and will run through September 28 -- the first major Chihuly exhibit to visit San Francisco. Eleven galleries of new and archival works comprise this exhibition. In a de Young press release, Chihuly claims this show is the most ambitious he's created to date.

Among the installations at the de Young:

• Saffron Tower: A 30-foot yellow neon sculpture installed in the Pool of Enchantment
• Mille Fiori: A 56-foot long garden of glass
• Sun: A 14-foot yellow orb in the exterior Court of Honor

You can purchase advance tickets for the show ($15 for adults/$12 seniors/$11 youths). It's open Tuesday through Sunday, from 9:30am to 5:15pm, and on Fridays until 8:45 pm.

de Young Museum
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive
Golden Gate Park - See Map of Location
San Francisco, CA
Chihuly at the de Young website

For more information on the venue see a Profile of the de Young Museum

^{Pictured: Dale Chihuly's "Mille Fiori" (detail)
Photo by Terry Rishel - Courtesy of the de Young Museum}