What, When, Where: Through the Looking Glass

By Erin Marvin

Under the pretext of “better late than never,†I give you Chihuly: Through the Looking Glass, a not-so-brand-new exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. (The exhibit opened back in April, but it runs through August 7 so it’s still relevant–and so darn cool, I couldn’t resist sharing!)

I remember first being awed by glass artist Dale Chihuly about eight years ago, when I stepped beneath his glass ceiling installation in the new wing of the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Florida. It was almost like walking under water–the fantastical shapes and colors even had me holding my breath.

Photo courtesy of Norton Museum of Art

With this new exhibit at the MFA, you can get an even closer look at Chihuly’s work spanning the last four decades. Here are a few photos from the exhibit:

Though Chihuly is based in Seattle, Washington, his influence has continually reached across the continent to New England: he taught Rhode Island glass artist Toots Zynsky, a renowned glass artist in her own right…

“Tierra del Fuego†by Toots Zynsky (click to see more)

…and glass artist Tracy Glover, also from Rhode Island, studied at his renowned Pilchuck School of Glass.

The Jewel Box System by Tracy Glover

Sally Prasch, a Massachusetts-based glass artist, taught at Pilchuck.

“Splash†by Sally Prasch (click to see more)

It sure is a small world under Chihuly’s huge glass ceiling!

Detail from “Persian Ceiling†by Dale Chihuly; photo by Teresa Nouri Rishel