Ultimate synergy is on display in the Arizona desert as Dale Chihuly marries his glass sculptures to nature and architecture at Phoenix’s Desert Botanical Garden and in Scottsdale at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West.
Open to the public now through June 19, 2022, Chihuly in The Desert showcases a remarkable confluence of American art and architecture set amid the magnificent backdrop of the Sonoran Desert.
The stunning installations, which include a number of never-before-seen works developed in 2021, are featured across multiple settings – inside the buildings, on the lawns, in the water, and emerging from the desert itself – to emphasize the beauty and diversity of the environment.
Among the saguaro cacti, Chihuly’s towering glass sculpture at Desert Botanical Garden
All Rights Reserved, Chihuly Studio, Photo by Nathaniel Wilson
Dale Chihuly, the American artist renowned for revolutionizing the studio glass movement, is known for ambitious architectural installations in cities, museums, and gardens around the world. He utilizes a variety of media to realize his creative vision, including glass, paint, charcoal, neon, ice, and Polyvitro. Although his work has been displayed at Phoenix’s Desert Botanical Garden in the past, this is the first time his work has been paired with Frank Lloyd Wright’s singular architecture.
“I’m thrilled to share my work with visitors of these iconic locations,” said Dale Chihuly. “Returning to Desert Botanical Garden and presenting my work for the first time at Taliesin West is a special moment for me and I hope those who see the exhibition will experience something beautiful and unexpected.”
“Dale Chihuly and Frank Lloyd Wright are both truly American originals, inspired by nature, and particularly the Western landscapes, who have created new forms in ancient disciplines,” said Stuart Graff, president & CEO of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.
Fire Amber Herons at the Tower Pool at Taliesin West
All Rights Reserved, Chihuly Studio, Photo by Nathanial Wilson
Combining the art and architecture of desert flora with two of America’s most prolific artists, “Chihuly in the Desert” will leave guests feeling awed and inspired. Returning to the Desert Botanical Garden, but new to Taliesin West, Chihuly’s striking glass sculptures are nestled among Wright’s iconic structures. They include Alabaster and Amber Spire Towers at the Entry Plaza; Red Reeds and Niijima Floats at the Front Pond; Black Saguaros and Scarlet Icicles on the Studio Lawn; Golden Celedon Baskets in The Garden Room; Fire Amber Herons at the Tower Pool and Marine Blue and Citron Tower at the Garden Squares.
At the Desert Botanical Garden, works on view include Fiori Boat, Aqua Blue and Amber Chandelier, Calendula Persians, and more, situated in dialogue with the majestic Sonoran Desert ecology, underscoring Desert Botanical Garden’s mission since 1939 to conserve and research desert plants and their habitats in the Sonoran Desert.
The two-part exhibit is managed separately by the two organizations; for hours, fees, advance registration and other policies, contact Desert Botanical Garden and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West.