OAKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA.- The new exhibition of work by pioneering artist Dale Chihuly (American, b. 1941) opened this past summer on June 18th at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art (OKCMOA). "Chihuly Then and Now: The Collection at Twenty" features new works on loan from Chihuly Studio in Seattle and from the Seattle Art Museum, as well as visitor favorites from OKCMOA’s permanent collection. The original exhibition, featuring five decades of glass and painting, tells a comprehensive story of Chihuly’s groundbreaking career. "Chihuly Then and Now" is presented by Inasmuch Foundation, Jeaneen Eddie Naifeh, and Glenna and Richard Tanenbaum.

“I quite enjoyed the process of revisiting the collection held by OKCMOA and adding new installations,” said artist Dale Chihuly. “A lot can happen in 20 years, and I can’t wait to see how visitors respond to newer work such as ‘Chihuly Merletto,’ ‘Rotolo’ and ‘Glass on Glass’ – none of which have been previously shown in Oklahoma City.”

“Hundreds of thousands of visitors have experienced OKCMOA's breathtaking and immersive installations of Dale Chihuly's work over the past two decades," said Michael Anderson, Ph.D., OKCMOA President and CEO. “I am thrilled to introduce this dynamic take on our collection to the community and to continue our focus on studio glass. ‘Chihuly Then and Now’ will showcase Chihuly’s extensive career and illustrate his impactful role as a key player in the national studio glass movement. We thank Chihuly Studio and and all of our exhibition sponsors for their generous support for this exhibition.”

OKCMOA curator Catherine Shotick added, “For more than five decades, Dale Chihuly’s artwork has captured our imaginations. Often drawing inspiration from nature, Chihuly plays with bold colors, glowing light and organic forms to create unique experiences. He is continually pushing the boundaries of glass as an artistic medium, producing objects unlike anything created before.”

"Chihuly Then and Now" features works not currently in OKCMOA’s collection, such as:

·“Navajo Blanket Cylinders” - In his first major glass series, Chihuly was inspired by the colors and patterns of woven Navajo blankets.

·“Soft Cylinders” - This series combines the aesthetics of “Navajo Blanket Cylinders” with the more relaxed forms and gentle curves of the “Baskets.”




·“Venetians” - The “Venetians” have a traditional vase-like central form with exuberant decorative attachments, such as coils and twisted ribbons.

·“Rotolo” - Started in 2013, the heavy and complex “Rotolo” (Italian for “coil”) sculptures evolved from the spiraling forms found in Chihuly’s “Venetians.”

·“Glass on Glass” - Comprised of glass panels that are painted with vitreous
enamel, Chihuly's "Glass on Glass" works demonstrate his ongoing exploration of the transmission of light through transparent media.

·“Chihuly Merletto” - Chihuly’s latest body of work was inspired by the ancient Venetian technique called “merletto” (Italian for lace) in which white cane is used to create lace-like patterns.

“With each new work created, Chihuly continues to redefine the boundaries of glass as an artistic medium, which is why it is critical to continue to refresh what we have on view,” said Shotick. “For example, the ‘Rotolo’ series evolved from the spiraling and exuberant forms found in the earlier ‘Venetian’ series. ‘Rotolo’ are heavy, complex and delicate works that can require up to 17 team members working in unison for hours to create. I think visitors will really enjoy seeing these new works in the context of their favorites.”

In addition to the loaned work listed above, "Chihuly Then and Now" features visitor favorites from OKCMOA’s collection including “Neodymium Reeds,” "Ikebana Boat” and a redesigned “Oklahoma Persian Ceiling” installation. The exhibition offers visitors a chance to walk through Chihuly’s extensive career and gain insight into his techniques and processes.

OKCMOA's Chihuly Collection
“Dale Chihuly: An Inaugural Exhibition” opened March 16, 2002, in honor of the opening of the Museum’s new downtown home. The exhibition was so popular that in 2004, the Museum purchased the Chihuly glass collection with extensive support from the community. Over 500 donors supported the Chihuly acquisition campaign. OKCMOA’s collection is now one of the largest public collections of Chihuly glass in the world.