Where can I see this Chihuly piece?

This Venetian is at the Tacoma Art Museum in Washington state. Tacoma is Chihuly's hometown and features several permanent installations of his glass art.

What is the Venetians series?

Chihuly's Venetians (begun 1988) reference Murano glass traditions with bold, colorful forms that push beyond functional vessels into pure sculpture. He studied in Murano on a 1968 Fulbright Fellowship.

Does Chihuly blow the glass himself?

Since injuries in the 1970s, Chihuly has directed teams of glassblowers rather than blowing glass himself. He creates watercolor sketches and guides the process, working more like an architect than a solo craftsman.

Where Is Venetian? See It at Tacoma Art Museum

Dale Chihuly sculpted this piece from his Venetians series in 1991. The series pays homage to the centuries-old glassblowing tradition of Murano, Italy, where Chihuly studied in 1968 on a Fulbright Fellowship. The forms are exuberant and organic: curling tendrils, flared lips, and vivid colors that push blown glass toward the scale and ambition of sculpture.

Chihuly lost sight in his left eye in a 1976 car accident and later dislocated his shoulder, making it impossible to hold the glass blowpipe himself. He transitioned to directing teams of glassblowers, sketching designs in bold colors and overseeing their execution. The collaborative process let him work at scales impossible for a single artist.

This Venetian is at the Tacoma Art Museum, in Chihuly's hometown. Tacoma also houses the permanent Chihuly Bridge of Glass installation linking the museum district to the waterfront.

Venetian

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Where to See It

The Artist

More by Dale Chihuly

Ma Chihuly's Floats

Seaform Pavilion

Also at Tacoma Art Museum

Ma Chihuly's Floats

Seaform Pavilion

About Venetian

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