Chihuly Studio

Yesterday, “CHIHULY: Venice 2026” curator Suzanne Geiss shared her insights on the exhibition and Chihuly’s innovations as an artist whose experimental work redefined the role of glass in fine art. Today, she discusses the role of scale in Chihuly’s sculptures, from 1996’s “Chihuly Over Venice” to “CHIHULY: Venice 2026.” Learn more about “Chihuly Over Venice” on our blog: bit.ly/4oWlQ6z “CHIHULY: Venice 2026” is presented by Pilchuck Glass School and Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, with support from Delta, the exclusive Official Airline Partner of Chihuly Studio for “CHIHULY: Venice 2026.”

For more than six decades, Chihuly has redefined glass as an artistic medium. Working through collaboration and risk, he moved glass from its centuries-long role as a craft material into the realm of fine art. “CHIHULY: Venice 2026” curator Suzanne Geiss shares her insights into Chihuly’s evolution as an artist, and how his subversion of glassblowing tradition has allowed him to explore glass and light itself on a grand scale. Read about what others are saying about “CHIHULY: Venice 2026” here: bit.ly/3RZkuNe “CHIHULY: Venice 2026” is presented by Pilchuck Glass School and Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, with support from Delta, the exclusive Official Airline Partner of Chihuly Studio for “CHIHULY: Venice 2026.”

With three monumental new installations along the Grand Canal—all visible from the Accademia Bridge—”CHIHULY: Venice 2026” is an exploration of the artist’s evolution since his landmark 1995–96 project “Chihuly Over Venice.” “CHIHULY: Venice 2026” also features a #gallery presentation and archival center curated by Suzanne Geiss at the adjacent Istituto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti at Palazzo Loredan. In this intimate setting, drawings, photographs, videos, and documentation will chart the evolution of Chihuly’s process; the making of “Chihuly Over Venice”; and the artist’s lifelong engagement with experimentation, collaboration, and risk. Learn more at ChihulyVenice2026.com “CHIHULY: Venice 2026” is presented by Pilchuck Glass School and Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, with support from Delta, the exclusive Official Airline Partner of Chihuly Studio for “CHIHULY: Venice 2026.” #ChihulyVenice #ChihulyVenice2026 #COV

“CHIHULY: Venice 2026” is on view now until November 14. Running concurrently with the 61st edition of the Venice Biennale, this exhibition honors the milestone project “Chihuly Over Venice” and traces the artist’s three decades of innovation since. “CHIHULY: Venice 2026” is presented by Pilchuck Glass School and Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, with support from Delta, the exclusive Official Airline Partner of Chihuly Studio for “CHIHULY: Venice 2026.” It features three new installations along the Grand Canal, all visible from the Accademia Bridge, and a gallery exhibition at the Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti at Palazzo Loredan, curated by Suzanne Geiss and featuring select set works and archival materials. Visit ChihulyVenice2026.com to learn more.

In under three weeks, “CHIHULY: Venice 2026” will officially open on May 5. As the artist revisits the location of his landmark “Chihuly Over Venice” on its 30th anniversary, the project is gaining attention from writers like Chadd Scott of Forbes and Jas Keimig of The Seattle Times. We’re rounding up some of the best early and exclusive looks at this major moment in Chihuly’s career—check out the links below to learn more! "CHIHULY: Venice 2026" is presented by Pilchuck Glass School and Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, with support from Delta, the exclusive Official Airline Partner of Chihuly Studio for "CHIHULY: Venice 2026." https://lnkd.in/gxcsTBbh https://lnkd.in/gZhK_fSu https://lnkd.in/g42scn85

Last year, we shared some deep-dive into important highlights of #Chihuly's career, including #exhibitions at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Crystal Bridges #Museum of American Art, as well as the audacious 1996 landmark "Chihuly Over Venice." We've rounded up some of the most compelling #insights from those series. In this video, #curators, museum directors, and more offer a critical perspective about his work and its place in contemporary art. Were you following along with these series last year? Which of these Chihuly career highlights spoke to you? Share below!

#Chihuly’s major 2008 exhibition in San Francisco, “Chihuly at the de Young,” is the subject of “Fire and Light,” a #documentary following his process of developing the exhibition, featuring commentary from Thomas Hoving, former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Jack Lenor Larsen, designer and founder of LongHouse Reserve; and John Buchanan, former director of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Together, they discuss the impact that the exhibition and Chihuly bring to contemporary #art. Stream the full film on #PBS: to.pbs.org/3KYiSQz

2008’s “Chihuly at the de Young” presented four decades of #Chihuly’s work at the Fine Arts #Museums of San Francisco. The exhibition featured his most recent explorations, as well as works from the earliest years of his career. For the first time ever, Chihuly returned to #experimental neon installations from 1971–72: "Glass Forest #1" and "Glass Forest #2." These collaborations with artist Jamie Carpenter helped propel glass as a medium into the realm of fine art. For the #exhibition, Chihuly revisited this work in shades of white and salmon, set against a dramatic black plexiglass background with the site-specific “Glass Forest #3.” The exhibition also highlighted his most recent work with the public debut of “Chihuly Black.” This series of “Cylinders” and “Baskets” features opaque black glass with jewel-like accents, creating, as critic Barbara Rose said, “an inner glow, rather than reflection or transmitting light like a prism.” These pieces reflected his boldest and most recent explorations in glass as a fine art medium. Want more deep-dive insights into Chihuly's work, process, and impact like this? Join our Arts Community newsletter here: chihuly.com/newsletter

Keri Schroeder, our director of commissions and acquisitions, recently shared some great insights about the entirely unique effect that Chihuly's glass sculptures bring to a space. Check out the article from Mansion Global below!