Niijima Floats. Dale Chihuly, artist
By Emma Castleberry
Biltmore is preparing for the arrival of its newest exhibition, Chihuly at Biltmore, set to open on Thursday, May 17. The monumental glass sculptures of multi-media artist Dale Chihuly will be displayed throughout Biltmore House and the surrounding gardens and grounds. “The colorful, large-scale glass sculptures are very intriguing because there are so many pieces that come together to create one stunning piece,” says Travis Tatham, director of entertainment and event programming at Biltmore.
For the first time, Biltmore will host evening hours allowing the public to view the sculptures after dark. “The sculptures look very different at night than they do during the day because of the lighting,” says Tatham. “The nighttime setting at Biltmore is a spectacular time for the guests to experience the showcase of color and shape and lights and glass.” Chihuly Nights at Biltmore will take place Wednesday through Sunday during the exhibition, which runs until October 7.
As one might imagine, the installation and presentation of these enormous glass sculptures is no small feat. Before the sculptures themselves arrived via truck transport from Tacoma, Washington, a base was installed at Biltmore, complete with power access for the lighting. An armature structure sits on or attaches to the base and the glass pieces are attached to the armature. Biltmore’s landscaping team then arranged elaborate garden designs around each sculpture. “The scale of the Chihuly sculptures and the placement of lighting for the sculptures has probably been one of the biggest challenges for the staff,” says Parker Andes, director of horticulture at Biltmore. The Biltmore landscaping staff spent more than a year collaborating with the Chihuly team to create the botanical arrangements.
Biltmore’s team even traveled to a recent Chihuly exhibit in Atlanta to better understand the scale and style of the pieces. “Gardens are sculpture and they are artistic,” says Andes. “It’s been so much fun to work with the Chihuly team on what kind of plants we’ll use, where they will go and what kind of colors we can use to accentuate the colors of the glass.”
Many local art galleries will be hosting events throughout the summer in celebration of Chihuly at Biltmore. Read more about the Summer of Glass here.
Daytime admission to Chihuly at Biltmore is included in the general admission ticket price. Admission to see Chihuly Nights at Biltmore requires a separate ticket. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit biltmore.com.
