Chihuly: The Nature of Glass

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman C.J. Hatch
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  The Desert Botanical Gardens is featuring Chihuly: The Nature of Glass now through May 31.

The garden is currently full of blown glass sculptures made by artist, Dale Chihuly, known for his unique glass art. A walk through the desert landscape will reveal the bright blues, vibrant reds and subdued greens of the sculptures among the cacti.

"Great care was taken with each piece," said one of the garden experts who was present for the exhibit setup. "The pieces came in crates each with its own special formed foam. Many of the pieces came in smaller crates and were assembled here."

The experience changes throughout the day as the sun highlights different colors in the glass at different times. It continues into the night as many of the sculptures are illuminated giving them and the garden a unique splash of color.

Nestled amid the red buttes of Papago Park, the Desert Botanical Garden hosts one of the world's finest collections of desert plants. This one-of-a-kind museum showcases 50 acres of beautiful outdoor exhibits, including the Chihuly exhibit. It is also home to 139 rare, threatened and endangered plant species from around the world, the garden offers interesting and inspiring experiences to more than 300,000 visitors each year.

Although visitors are free to show up any time, during the exhibit the gardens are taking reservations, to help control the number of guests. Reservations can be made for 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The cost of admission into the gardens is $15.00 for adults, $13.50 for seniors, age 60 and over, $7.50 for students, ages 13 to 18 and college students with identification, $5.00 for children ages 3 to 12, children under 3 are free.