OKLAHOMA CITY, OK.- The Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s collection of glass by American artist Dale Chihuly reopens New Year’s Eve. Exhibited on the third floor, ILLUMINATIONS: Rediscovering the Art of Dale Chihuly presents a fresh look at the Museum’s popular Chihuly collection. Redesigned in collaboration with Chihuly Studio, the newly installed galleries will incorporate a unique design that features a three-dimensional approach to viewing some objects in the collection. The presentation will allow visitors to explore the large Float Boat and Ikebana Boat installations from all sides as well as includes viewing slots for the Reeds.
ILLUMINATIONS will be accompanied by a special exhibition on the third floor titled Chihuly: Northwest. On view through April 8, 2012, this exhibition will include glass sculptures by Chihuly inspired by Native American baskets; Chihuly’s personal collection of textiles as well as photographs by Edward S. Curtis from The North American Indian Portfolio; and recent examples of Chihuly’s White series.
“Join us on New Year’s Eve to rediscover the magic of the astonishing Dale Chihuly collection,” said Museum President & CEO Glen Gentele. “Every piece of glass in the collection was cleaned, condition reported, photographed, and documented in a way that simply had not previously been done, and I am thrilled to report that no damage occurred to any of the 3,500 glass pieces.”
In 2002, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art inaugurated its new home in the Donald W. Reynolds Visual Arts Center with an exhibition of glass and drawings by Dale Chihuly. Bolstered by enormous public support, the Museum purchased the exhibition, which included works from Chihuly’s best-known series and was anchored by the 55-foot Eleanor Blake Kirkpatrick Memorial Tower in the Museum’s atrium.
Illuminations: Rediscovering the Art of Dale Chihuly Collection + Chihuly: Northwest celebrate the Museum’s 10th anniversary in the Donald W. Reynolds Visual Arts Center. Both exhibitions will open on New Year’s Eve, in conjunction with the Arts Council of Oklahoma City’s Opening Night.
