Phipp's Conservatory and Dale Chihuly

I thought I would start a thread with a little info and more space to discuss this subject. There seemed to be a lot of interest. First here is the Chilhuly website that is just full of interesting info and beautiful works of art.
http://www.chihuly.com/
Also Buttoner posted this photo tour of the Phipps Conservatory.
This was before the Chilhuly exhibit was moved in. But the Conservatory is beautiful and she did a beautiful job of covering some of it.
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/705644/
My first exposure to Chilhuly Art was a HGTV program about homes that were built around a water feature or theme. The kinds of homes that I could only dream of. One of those homes was Dale Chilhulys. He built a swimming pool that has a glass sea garden in the bottom. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.

I enjoyed his temporary installation in Venice, Italy. I looked for it on his site, but didn't see it. Maybe I'm blind.

I saw some of the floats in the Venice canals look in the water section and some others near the gondolas. There are more pictures of the lap pool in the water section too. That's the pool I want.

Holly, I just want to tell you I have enjoyed your thread on Phipps Conservatory. I grew up in Pittsburgh and visited the Conservatory many times with my Mom. I also enjoyed the museum, loved the mummy display.

The head horticurlturist for Phipps Conservatory, at the time, Frank Curto had a TV show and Mom would always watch. Now you know where some of my love for gardening came from.

Chris

Thanks for sharing this, Holly. You've made me interested enough to try to plan a day trip to the Phipps in August. I really enjoy both indoor gardens and art so it looks like a fascinating combination.

Sherry

I haven't gotten there myself yet and am very much looking forward to seeing it, too. The photo tour is from Buttoneer, her greenhouse club took a trip up there earlier this year. Critter was just recently up there and posted a few pictures on another thread. Here is one of them
http://davesgarden.com/forums/p.php?pid=3724385
I just gathered up some info from different places and put it all together in one thread since there seemed to be some interest.

Thanks to Buttoneer & Critter, If anyone else goes take more pictures to post. I know I won't get down there.

According to the new issue of Horticulture, there will be free admission at the Phipps on August 7. You all might want to organize a group trip.

Thanks Hart, That's Ric's birthday. Wonder if he would want to take the day off work and go?

Bumping up this thread to remind everyone that the exhibit at the Phipps is running thru 2/24. Ron and I made it up there yesterday and it is fabulous. Beautiful glass sculpture perfectly placed among the plants. We spent almost 3 hours just wandering around taking tons of pictures. Not yet uploaded and edited. I highly recommend it for anybody in the area who enjoys plants and art -- together they are even better!

I'm so glad you made the trip and got to see the exhibit! I want to go again -- and see it at night. :-)

Ric and I are still planning on going up. He got me a new camera for Christmas boy can we have some fun. Holly

This message was edited Dec 31, 2007 12:49 PM

Ric and I went on Friday. I could easily go again. We invited a friend to go along, but she couldn't make it this week. If she goes another week I will be going back again. I will post a picture tour and post a link back here.

Did you get a chance to see it at night? I want to go again and see it with the lights...

No we were talking about staying for the evening but we had gotten up early for the 3 1/2 hr drive and I was ready to come home. I've got a bit of something that I can't seem to shake either. Had a full blown asthma attack Friday night after we got home and was sick all day Saturday. Can't seem to shake this head congestion and sore throat. Bet it's beautiful all lit up, can you imagine what this looks like at night?

Oh my. That is glorious.

Love the way it echoes U. Pittsburgh's "Cathedral of Learning" in the background...

Glad you made it, Holly! It's definitely worth the trip for anybody else who might have a chance to get there. I think it is there thru about mid-February.

Wow! The back ground makes me homesick : ( I really miss living in Pgh. so much to see and do, and the public transportation was just great. I grew up in the streetcar area!

Here is the other one that I would have loved seeing lit up. This one was donated to the Conservatory, so it will be permanent. What a beautiful chandler.

Holly, Didn't know you went. Hope you took tons of pix to share. Hoping you are feeling better. Buttoneer

Oh, cool! I didn't know that huge piece had been donated... by Chihuly, or by a conservatory benefactor, do you know? Unless you've been through that new entrance, you don't appreciate the scale of that dome or the size of that sculpture... it really is magnificent! I've seen that one at night, driving past the conservatory. :-)

By a conservatory benefactor $125,000.00.

WOWZA! Sounds like somebody had the same thoughts I did, seeing that particular installation... oooh, gorgeous, stunning, that piece was just made for that space, looks like it belongs there, etc... but unlike me, they had the $$ to make it happen! That's just really cool. I hope it's somebody who drives by regularly through Schenley Park at night... :-)

After reading about the Chihuly installations at the Phipps Conservatory on this forum, I am planning a visit up there next month before it leaves.

First of all, thanks for discussing it - I never would have known about it otherwise!

Second - For those who have already been there, how much time, in general would you allow to go through the exhibit, without being rushed? We're planning to do both the evening show on the day we get there (it's a 4 hour or so drive), plus see it in the daytime on the following day before we leave. I'm guessing that is when I can take better photos. Not sure how good the lighting will be for digital pix at night. Is 90 minutes to 2 hours enough, not enough, or too much? I just have no clue. This will be a great help help us when buying the timed tickets.

ANY inputs/information most appreciated!

Thanks in advance - Barb

2 hours isn't too much, especially if you haven't been there before, since you'll want to admire the plants also... :-)

I agree with Jill, 2 hours is not too much if you have never been there before and want to see the plants as well as the glass. I think we were there 2-3 hours because we were watching a continuously running video about Chilhuly and then I kind of backtracked and visited some plant areas a second time. If you want to take pictures definitely allow that much time because sometimes you have to wait for people to move to get the shot you want. 90 minutes might be fine for the evening when you will mostly enjoy the lighting on the glass and, especially, if you are going back the next day.

Enjoy!

Thanks so much, critterologist and nutmegnana, for the quick replies. They are a huge help, and I am really looking forward to this expedition!

Barb

Yep, 2-3 hrs sounds right to me. And the video is worth watching. Ric and I would have liked to stay and see the exhibit at night, we discussed that we should have arranged to stay over and done both. We are talking about going back and seeing it again.
PS Take a little spending money for just $7,000.00 you could come home with your own "little" Chihuly piece.

This message was edited Jan 28, 2008 2:09 AM

Hey, some of the "seaform" pieces on sale were smallish -- at least in scale!

Lovely shot.

I'm hoping to get back up to Pittsburgh next month too, to see my folks, although I'm not sure if I'll make it back to the exhibit... I have a feeling those evening tickets are going to become hard to get toward the end.