Chihuly in the Desert
Now through June 19th at the Desert Botanical Garden and Taliesan West
Who is Dale Chihuly?
Dale Chihuly is a master of blown glass art who specializes in neon colors and asymmetric/irregular shapes. His strategy is to “let molten glass find its shape in an organic way”. Once during an experiment for class back in 1963 of incorporating glass shards into woven tapestries, Dale fell in love with the art of glass and his architectural work can now be found in exhibits all over the world. Put his masterpieces against lush desert landscapes and what you will find is pure magic.
“I want people to be overwhelmed with light and color in some way that they’ve never experienced.”
– Dale Chihuly
Chihuly at Taliesan West
Guests can learn about two icons, Dale Chihuly and Frank Lloyd Wright, side by side! Beautiful displays of Chihuly’s glass art are scattered throughout what was Wright’s winter home/desert laboratory that he constructed in 1937. Wright built this home paying homage to its desert surroundings by using local materials such as desert sand, rocks and cement.
Over the years, the home has evolved and now includes canvas roofs and redwood beams, signature styles of Wright’s. It continues to be maintained by his apprentices and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.
Taliesan West offers both guided and self-guided tours, both of which include the Chihuly experience. The guided tours are 90 minutes, and are held both indoors and outdoors. The self-guided tours are approximately 60 minutes, and are currently offered only outdoors and at night. Click here to reserve your tickets.
Click here for a video and 3D Tour of Taliesan West.
Chihuly at the Desert Botanical Garden
At the Desert Botanical Garden, visitors will experience Chihuly’s art nestled among a “world class collection of desert plants”. The Botanical Garden consists of 55 acres of hundreds of desert cacti, flowers and trees. There are several loops and trails to explore, and guests will learn about desert wildlife, plants, and people of our region including the Tohono O’odham, Western Apache and Hispanics. When Dale Chihuly connected with the Botanical Garden, their vision was to “bring art lovers outdoors.”
The Chihuly experience is equally as breathtaking both during the day and at night, and it is included in General Admission Tickets as well as with Annual Membership Passes. However, spots must be reserved. Get tickets here!
