Chihuly Night Owl Magic

Visiting the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix to see the Chihuly installations by day was great. I loved every minute. But my friends and I had planned carefully. We'd chosen the 4-8pm shift so that we could enjoy the exhibit by day and also by night.

Photo by D.R. Ransdell

The images that had dazzled us a couple of hours earlier were even more mysterious and wondrous by night. (The lighting effects were excellent.) Thus we went through the whole exhibit all over again, taking photographs as best we could.

These purple columns looked like they belonged on the moon! During the day they had snaked up from the grass pleasantly enough, but by night, they were Halloween, they were imagination, they were outer-wordly!

Photo by D.R.

So was the boat floating in the lagoon. It was quiet, peaceful, and nearly unbelievable. You wanted to reach out and touch it. You wanted to wade right there in the water and swoosh the boat gently from side to side.

Photo by D.R.

Instead we merely walked around, marveling at the glass and the color and the lights. We were so thankful we had enough time to get all the way around the exhibit.

Photo by D.R.

It was a Saturday, and as we left, other people were arriving for the nighttime viewing, which is from 8pm to midnight on selected Saturdays. I was amazed and thrilled by how many people were pouring in to see the exhibit. And here I thought Chihuly and his work were little-known secrets!

Photo by D.R.

If you can possibly get to the exhibit, you'll be well rewarded.  (It goes through mid-May.) Whether by day or by night (and hopefully by both), you're sure to find a dazzling array of images. They'll sparkle your imagination. You might not ever want to leave.

Photo by D.R.

For THAI TWIST, a novel that makes use of my traveling adventures, please check out my website, http://www.dr-ransdell.com

Phoenix + Chihuly: Winning Combination

Photo by D.R. Ransdell

One of the best places to visit in the U.S. right now is just up the road from me. The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix is hosting "Chihuly in the Garden" until May 18th.

Photo by D.R. Ransdell

The garden hosted a Chihuly event about five years ago, and I had the chance to visit it as well. I loved every minute--seeing all the beautiful, colored glass amidst the plants was a thrilling experience. When I learned that the garden was hosting another exhibit, I wanted to be sure to attend.

Photo by D.R. Ransdell

 But I expected this new exhibit to be a copy of the old one. This didn't bother me--I would have been happy to have enjoyed the same experience.

To my surprise and delight, almost everything was different. One arrangement might have been the same. Everything else was fresh--and in my opinion, wonderful.

Photo by D.R. Ransdell

I can't explain why I love the Chihuly glass pieces so much. They're unusual, they're fresh, they're colorful, they're exciting.

They're funny.

It's so odd to see glass with plants and yet, the arrangements are so cleverly constructed that they fit right in.

They're amazing.

Photo by D.R. Ransdell

I wasn't the only one who thought so. Granted, my friends and I visited the garden on a Saturday, so it's only fitting that there was a crowd, but I was actually thrilled to see so much interest in this work. There was an amazing array of visitors from all age groups speaking all kinds of languages.

Photo by D.R. Ransdell

There was even a young girl who put her hand on one of the glass bulbs! I wanted to cry out, because her mother wasn't paying any attention to her, but luckily!!!!! nothing broke.

Dale Chihuly and his team would probably have been pleased. They want their art to be for everyone. (However, perhaps there is a limit!)

Moral of the story: If you're close to Phoenix, you should visit this lovely garden. You can reserve a time for 8-12, noon-4, or 4-8 p.m.

Photo by D.R. Ransdell