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 All About Art
Dale Chihuly: Glass As Artform
published: September 2007
By Tamar Burris, Contributing Writer
Email Author
Dale Chihuly is a contemporary glassmaker known for his colorful glass sculptures. As a leader of the American Studio Glass movement, Dale shows people that glass can be used to make beautiful works of art.
Dale Chihuly was born on September 20, 1941, in Tacoma, Washington. His father was a butcher who died when Dale was a teenager, and his mother loved to garden. His childhood had a deep influence on Dale. In fact, Dale uses memories of his mother's flowers and of his childhood by the ocean to create some of his sculptures. After high school, Dale began his studies at the College of Puget Sound. While there, he learned about Vincent Van Gogh and helped redecorate a room for his mother. Both these things sparked an interest in design, and Dale transferred schools to study architecture and interior design. Although he left to travel for a year, Dale finished his design degree at the University of Washington in 1965.
In 1966, after working as a designer and experimenting with glass, Dale left to study glassblowing at the University of Wisconsin. Once finished there, he continued his studies at the Rhode Island School of Design, where he received a grant for his glass artwork. After graduating from the design school, Dale was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and went to Europe to travel and work in the Venini glass factory. In a few short years, Dale began making a name for himself as a glass artist, and in 1971, he helped establish the Pilchuck Glass School in Washington.
 Since that time, Dale has worked as a glassmaking teacher and has become a well-recognized glass artist. His glasswork is currently included in more than 200 museum collections around the world! He has also received many awards and created a lot of famous glass sculptures. In 2002, Dale displayed his art at the Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games. That same year, he also made a bridge of glass in Tacoma, and he currently has large garden sculpture pieces on display in London and New York.
Written by Tamar Burris, a former elementary school teacher who now works as a freelance writer and curriculum developer for PBS, the Discovery Channel and other education-related companies. Sources: Dale Chihuly Artist, www.chihuly.com, Diane Farris Gallery-Artists: Dale Chihuly, www.dianefarrisgallery.com/artist/chihuly.
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