Review: Dale Chihuly, New York Botanical Garden, April 22, 2017 – October 29, 2017

This is THE spring art show to see. Wow, what a serious blockbuster.

I had the pleasure of going up to the Bronx on this rainy, cool, overcast spring day to take in the glorious, new exhibit, two years in the making, at the New York Botanical Garden. Outdoor glass sculpture in the most glorious garden setting, 25 minutes from Midtown Manhattan.

If you don’t already know about master glassblower and artist Dale Chihuly – you need to.  I was introduced to his work during in the mid-1990s through this documentary about his 1996 installation and exhibition in Venice, Italy. Fairly mind-blowing artistry, I’ve tracked his career ever since. He’s been working steadily and creating for over 40 years. Here’s more about him on his site and through NYBG. 

What’s so special about this exhibit is the interplay between nature and the work, you can see the curation was a deeply considerate one, pairing pieces with plants and physical spaces like a sommelier would pair a fine wine with an excellent meal. Except you’re having dozens of meals, all at once and instead of being *just* bombarded by beauty, which you are, these works feel so natural and part of the entire whole that walking the grounds of this show is like one luxurious multi-course meal where the chef has taken pains to make sure your appetite – oh, ah, I’m stretching the metaphor way too thin. This is a glorious exhibit, pure joy in a setting of peace at the New York Botanical Garden. Go and fall in love.

PRO TIP: for my allergic friends, go on a rainy day, pollens are lower as are crowds.