Chihuly in the Denver Botanic Gardens
Denver Botanic Gardens hosts Dale Chihuly’s glass creations from June thru November 2014. Thousands of glass pieces placed among the garden’s plantings draw large daily attendance. We joined the admirers yesterday, spending four hours appreciating not just the Chihuly exhibits but also the lush gardens which are looking exceptional. We noted the large crew of volunteers working meticulously to keep everything looking its best.
Pools and waterways provide marvelous mirrors for many of the glass works. We had the fortunate opportunity to see some of these same installations this spring at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix. Watery reflections create entirely different views.
While photographing the White Tower a lady commented that she thought the best view was from the east, down a long green grassy stretch. I prefer the mirror image the pond provides. To each their own.
I also recommend taking time to observe individual components of the installations. It’s easy to admire the overall visual effect but looking at a single element or small groupings proves worthwhile. Does that single blue piece in the Monet Pool remind you of a waterfowl bending to feed?
I loved listening to children’s reactions and views of the glass and gardens. At a viewpoint for the Blue and Purple Boat a five-year-old thought the purple pieces looked like frog feet reaching for the water. I’ve seen those same pieces several times, frog feet never entered my mind but upon consideration I thought, he’s right.
Bob labeled the blue pieces floating nearby Hershey Kisses; Chihuly calls them Walla Wallas after the famous Washington onions. It’s all in one’s perception.
We were so taken with the gardens we almost forgot to visit Boettcher Memorial Center and Tropical Conservatory. Of course there’s Chihuly works incorporated among the plantings plus a small viewing area for a video – worth seeing but unfortunately the facility chosen is only one-tenth the size needed.
We found it interesting that a month into the exhibit the Chihuly team had arrived with another semi-truck of glass and were placing additional installations along the O’Fallon Perennial Walk and The Eclipse. Apparently when Dale Chihuly visited the opening he felt these areas were a little spare and, always the perfectionist, wanted to make some additions.
All the more reason to return plus the fact that seeing the show at different times of day, under varying lighting conditions and through the summer and fall seasons will always offer something new.
When You Go: Denver Botanic Gardens, 10th & York Street, Denver, CO, www.ChihulyInDenver.com and www.botanicgardens.org.
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