Art Talk: Chihuly at the Missouri Botanical Garden

As part of my status of Chihuly Groupie I visit new cities and gardens where Chihuly is currently being exhibited. This summer it was St. Louis, Missouri.

The exhibit is running from May to October. If I would do this over I would not have gone in July. It was hot and humid. Even with the heat I loved being in the garden.

The Missouri Botanical Garden is wonderful. Here is the post I just did of it.

Now I want to show off the Chihuly in the garden. I think this exhibit had the most pieces with a staggering 21 for the exhibit and three already in the garden.

Dale Chihuly
Summer Sun
Missouri Botanical Garden

Here is a map to get us grounded in where we are an the art pieces. We went to the garden twice, at night and then the following morning.

Vivid Lime Icicle Tower

This is the first piece you see upon entering the garden. It is about 42.5 ft × 7 ft (13.0 m × 2.1 m). The location by the fountain and flower bed made for a great location. It is also a great piece for a selfie!

Chromatic Neon

I first noticed Chihuly doing neon sculptures at the Desert Botanical Garden last year. Here are more in the Conservatory. I really like that he is exploring new areas and at the same time this is not a pieces that I am drawn to.

River and Cobalt Fiori

Also in the Emerson Conservatory is some great fiori (flowers). The colors were very different from night to day.

Black and Green Stripped Herons with Green Grass

This piece is one of my favorites. It was placed in the desert area and the Climatron is in the background. Amazing.

Red Bulbous Reeds

The Red bulbous reed were so simple and stunning with the contrast of the green all around them. The first one became my screen saver for awhile!

Ikebana

There were two Ikabanas located in the Climatron. Gilded Lilac Ikebana with Purple Stem and Emerald Leaf, 2011 and Dappled Cyan Ikebana with Lake Blue Stem, 2004. Both incredible!

Macchia Forest

Some of my favorite pieces of Chihuly are his Macchia bowls

Ethereal Spring Persians

There were two more pieces in the Climatron not listed on the map??

An impressive blue chandelier hanging from the top of the Climatron and some great amber herons. Maybe they were bought when he had a show here before?

Vermillion and Canary Yellow Tower

The suction type shapes we in the this tower were new to me. I like them. It feels like he puts these pieces together like a florist would a flower arrangement.

Turquoise Marlins and Floats

This piece is located in the Chinese Garden. I just got pictures of the Marlins.

White Tower

This is a stunning sculpture in the English Garden that has pink swirls and polka dots. So fun!

Float Boat and Niijima Floats

I love me some glass in water. It is always so breathtaking. This one is especially beautiful with the Japanese bridge behind it.

Red Reeds

The Red Reeds are in the Japanese rock garden and it was a great contrast. We sat here for awhile to rest from the heat and enjoy these beautiful and very simple glass sculptures.

Fiddlehead Ferns

I had a hard time capturing these fiddlehead fearns

Neodymium Reeds on Logs

The Neodymium Reed were surrounding agave plants in Phoenix, here in St. Louis they are on logs. Here they are and both at night and in the day.


Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix		Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis

Summer Sun

What a spectacular piece! The landscape all around it was gorgeous. It was also great at night, harder to photograph too.

Fiori Boat and Fiori di Primavera

Another amazing piece that was really incredible at night.

Cattails and Copper Birch Reeds

These are some of my favorite pieces, it is the curving lines and movement that are so appealing to me.

Burnished Amber, Citron, and Teal Chandeliers

Chihuly always does some great chandeliers and these were wonderful jewel-toned colors.

Missouri Botanical Garden Trellis II, 2007

These two trellis pieces are not listed on the map and it looks like they were made special for the garden in 2007.

I found an article from 2007 that says,

The Missouri Botanical Garden said Friday that, through donations, it purchased $550,000 worth of artist Dale Chihuly's hand-blown glass to permanently remain at the garden.

I was thinking that like the Desert botanical garden here in Arizona that they probably bought some pieces. Amazing!