OKC and Dale Chihuly

I have been a fan of Dale Chihuly for as long as I can remember. My parents can correct me on this, but I think it all started when they took me to an exhibition held at the STL Art Museum. I was instantly enchanted, especially when I walked into a room with a glass-drop ceilling. Between the actual ceiling and the drop ceiling were tons of his pieces, some large, some small and all beautifully illuminated from above. I swore right then and there, if I was ever filthy rich, I wanted a room in my house like that.

The next time I saw Chihuly en masse was during his exhibition at the Missouri Botanical Garden. I only wish now that I could go back and revisit, now that I'm more passionate about photography. It was a gorgeous exhibition, and I enjoy every piece that the Garden and/or its patrons purchased.

On yesterday's day off, I decided to stay indoors (the weather was potentially questionable) and visit the OKC Museum of Art. I had heard of their Dale Chihuly collection and couldn't wait to check it out. Unfortunately the rest of the museum was closed because they're prepping for a big new exhibit, but I decided the entry fee was more than worth it just for the Chihuly exhibit.

And boy was I right. The exhibition is pretty large and simply stunning. I went through it at least twice before sitting down and watching the Chihuly film about his work. I soaked in all that I could. I took at least 450 pictures, experimenting with the different settings. People were allowed to take flash photos but I could not for the life of me understand why. Every piece was gorgeously lit, to show off its colors. A flash would just lose all the color value.

This mosaic is just a sampler of the 120-odd photos I painstakingly uploaded last night (flickr's independent uploader was giving me fits, so I had to upload the old-fashioned way). Please click on the sidebar flickr link to check them all out. And please don't forget to let me know what you think!



If you are ever in OKC, I urge you to check this exhibit out. Or if you're near any Dale Chihuly exhibit - run, don't walk- and enjoy the stunning art he and his team creates out of sand and fire.