South Florida: Chihuly Exhibit at Fairchild

“To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it.” – Kurt Vonnegut

My friend, Elaine, asked, “Do you want to go see the Chihuly exhibit at Fairchild? I heard it is amazing.”

I responded, “Maybe. Who is he?”

Elaine said, “He is the guy who did the glass at the Bellagio in Vegas.”

My response was, “Oh! That guy! Absolutely, yes!”

There was a time when I paid much more attention to the artists whose work captured my eye. The art I loved from my semester abroad in Florence, Italy is part of my soul. Those were the days when time lasted forever with philosophical banter and wide-eyed wonder.

As I grew older, time got faster. I began to observe with my eyes, forgetting to learn about the pieces that fascinated me. Discovering art became an intake of breath, a snap of a camera, and a social media post.

In my defense, Vegas is fast. In my 20s, I explored the strip, the hotels, the scene. I gambled. I sunbathed. I partied. In my 30s, most of my trips were work-related, giving me minimal time to truly take in my surroundings. Plus, I had done it all before. Now I am wondering, have I really? After all, Chihuly is all over Vegas, and I did not even know who he was. Until now. Wow.

Although the name Chihuly meant nothing to me, I did remember the stunning glass sculpture at the Bellagio. Of course, I was interested in seeing more of his work. Thus, Elaine and I visited the Chihuly exhibit at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. We arrived late afternoon and took in the crazy, beautiful glass sculptures. Upon seeing one of my Facebook pictures, my friend, Guy, asked, “You on Mars?” That’s how cool Chihuly’s work is.

     

We wandered around the grounds curious as to what we would see next. The colors and the designs were breathtaking. We explored the butterfly garden and grabbed a bite to eat. We stayed into the early evening to see the sculptures light up before our eyes.

   

Tip: Explore the Chihuly exhibit during the day and evening. The glass sculptures have a different feel in the sunlight versus the darkness.

     

     

The Chihuly exhibit runs through runs through May 31, 2015. If you are in the area, I highly recommend enjoying his memorizing glass sculptures.

     

Pictures

• View more pictures from the Chihuly exhibit.
• View my travel pictures.

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