Chihuly’s Collection in St. Petersburg, features the “Glass Garden” a 40-foot-long, 15-foot-wide, and 15-foot-tall installation of vibrant glass art.
I can relate to this quote. I have a fondness for colored glass. I have been collecting colored glass for years. And although my collection of colored mini-vases is small, it makes me happy every time I see it. In addition, I have multiple colored glass dishes that I like to use. I still enjoy scouting out antique and thrift shops for my next find.
My small colored-glass collection.
Dale Chihuly is an internationally renowned artist, known for his colored glass sculptures (and many other creations with colored glass). His art can be found in over 200 museums in the US, with major installations in Tacoma, WA and Oklahoma City, OK and St. Petersburg FL.
A colorful Chihuly chandelier.
I was first introduced to Chihuly’s art several years ago, by attending a special art exhibit of his works. I immediately was captivated with his work.
Ruby Red Icicle Chandelier.
While visiting friends in Florida, I was excited to go to St. Petersburg to tour the Chihuly Collection there. It’s spectacular to stroll in and out of the rooms and visually take in all the bold colors and whimsical designs of this Chihuly Collection.
Another perspective of the Glass Garden.
And another perspective of this large glass garden.
We did attend a glass blowing demonstration before touring the museum, included in the ticket price. It was fascinating to see what a delicate, and fine-art, glass blowing is. It was fun to watch, and interesting to apply what we learned to how some of the art work was created as we looked at the variety of glass works in the museum.
Chihuly also renowned for his glass bowls… asymmetrical forms, bold color combinations, and vibrant.
A room full of striking bowls.
Chihuly’s work is usually recognizable for its unique and whimsical designs, and bold colors. There is a Chihuly chandelier hanging in the Minneapolis Children’s Theatre lobby.
I recognized this piece as Chihuly’s when we toured the Kennedy Performing Arts building in Washington DC last November.
I also noticed a Chihuly chandelier in the Kennedy performing Arts Center last fall while in Washington DC.
Look up to see this “Glass Flower Ceiling”
It warmed my heart to be able to tour this Chihuly collection in St. Petersburg Florida, on one of the coldest days in Florida this season.
To continue the public artworks post, here’s more I’ve seen in the past few weeks.
We took a quick trip to Florida to escape the Minnesota winter…only to be greeted by unseasonably cold weather there. O well, we had a good time. 😉
When we arrived in the Tampa (TMP) airport we were greeted by an oversized (floor to ceiling!) pink flamingo. His long pink legs and long pink neck bending down to the ground was fantastic.
In Dunedin, Florida there is an outdoor mural of dogs painted on a building in the downtown area. It takes up two outside walls of the building (one was in the shade and too dark for a photo). The artist called for photos from dog owner’s and then painted the mural depicting everyone’s dogs for all to enjoy.
Also in Florida, there was a well-done public shell exhibit close to the beach. I appreciated the collector’s willingness to educate the public on all the different types of shells found in the area.
Inedible, exquisitely decorated, layer cake.
Inside a restaurant, for all who entered to enjoy, was a tall, beautiful layer cake made of costume, sparkly jewelry. People come up with very creative ideas.
There was a sweet picture in a coffee shop’s public bathroom. A framed print someone probably found just to fill a space on the wall, but this simple piece spoke to me that day. It felt like an invitation to a tea party.
And finally, just the other day we went for a walk in the unseasonable 54* warm weather, along the Cannon River in Northfield. There, new to us (how long has it been there???) was another mural painted on a bridge abutment. There were several beautiful nature scenes.
The credit was only listed @surfaceofbeauty. What I could glean from online was the artist is Natasha May Platt, @surface of beauty, a floral mural artist…from New York!
We so enjoyed the public artwork of lovely floral and fauna paintings that bring hope for spring.
I plan to continue to look for different public artworks that speak to me. May you enjoy looking for all the public artworks in your ordinary days.
I want to post a few additional photos from our road trip in the southeastern states.
The beautiful Pineapple Fountain in Charleston, South Carolina.
Special artwork using paint and sweetgrass, on display in Hyman’s Seafood restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina.
We were surprised to see this bobcat one morning in northeastern Florida.
These fun boats caught our eye. The boats shaped like cars were docked at an outdoor restaurant where we ate in Clearwater, Florida.
We tried boiled peanuts for the first time, and liked them. We ate at Hyman’s Seafood restaurant. The Hyman family has been at the same location for over 121 years (five generations). It started out as a Wholesale dry goods store then changed to Hyman’s Seafood in 1987. The restaurant has a great reputation.
Some “funky birds” in a park in Dunedin, Florida.
In Myrtle Beach we tried fried green tomatoes, for the first time, and liked them.
Sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
In the past we have not usually acknowledged Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, which is the day before Ash Wednesday, when Lent begins, but we did celebrate the occasion this year. When we arrived in Dunedin, where our friends now live in Florida, a Mardi Gras parade was scheduled for that evening.
The parade route was blocks from their house so we walked over to join the fun. Our friends had a few Mardi Gras parades “under their belt” because their daughter lives in New Orleans, so Sue dug out her box of goodies labeled “Mardi Gras” and we donned some extra embellishments before we headed out.
I did not know, but at Mardi Gras parades the MO (mode of operation) is to throw out sparkly beaded necklaces…and when you catch one (or miss it and pick it up off the street) you collect them around your neck. They are plentiful, and we had accumulated a lot by the end of the parade.
The parade was at night, which meant the floats and displays were all lit up with multi-colored lights. I’m a fan of color and I really enjoyed seeing the beautiful lighted processions. It was fun to catch the jewels too.
There was a very large turnout for this parade. The parade route ended at a city park where there were plenty of concessions stands and other forms of entertainment to participate in after the parade.
On our February road trip through the southeastern states, we met up with a lot of friends and family. We pre-planned, or made last minute plans, to connect with folks that either lived in the areas we visited, or they were visiting the same areas in the south where we were. Our two intended sightseeing destinations were Charleston, South Carolina and St. Augustine, Florida.
The historic Inn where we stayed in the carriage house, out back.
We stayed in a beautiful carriage house in the historic district of Charleston, South Carolina. It rained the first day we were there, but the inn provided umbrellas so we went on our merry way, walking around the city, and to the Charleston Museum which was very interesting.
Our lovely Bed & Breakfast room on the second floor of a restored carriage house in Charleston, South Carolina.
We toured a WWII aircraft carrier (the Yorktown) in Charleston which we found intriguing and worthwhile.
USS Yorktown is an aircraft carrier built during World War II for the United States Navy. It is located on Patriot’s Point in Charleston, SC.
We went on a horse-drawn carriage ride (on a nice, sunny day).
The Belgium-draft horse, Moultrie, took us for a ride on a carriage around town.
We walked along Rainbow Row (named for a series of thirteen colorful historic row houses in Charleston), and ate some great seafood.
Rainbow Row in Charleston, SC.
Charleston is nicknamed the holy city because of its number of church spires that dot its skyline.
St. Michael’s Church, Charleston, SC.
St. Michael’s is one of the churches with a steeple, built in the 1750’s. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. George Washington worshipped there one time, as did Robert E. Lee. It continues to have an active congregation today.
Inside St. Michael’s church.
It’s a stunning white church that stands out. It is gorgeous! During the revolutionary war, the steeple was painted black for disguise. For more of its colorful history click here: St. Michael’s Church.
A friend recommended I read the book Celia Garth prior to our visit to Charleston. It is a historical fiction novel by Gwen Bristow written in 1959. The narrative takes place in Charleston during the revolutionary war. The author provided me some orientation to the town, and a lot of its history. The story was fun to envision as we walked along the cobblestone streets.
An amazing mural painted on the side a a brick building, near the stables.
The beautiful, spacious front porch of the inn where we stayed in Charleston.
Charleston is s charming city.
St. Augustine, on the northeast coast of Florida, was an exciting place to visit too. It is the oldest city in the U.S., and is known for its Spanish colonial architecture. We enjoyed walking around this city, which is our preferred mode of transportation. The beautiful buildings and quaint shops and old city gate were all fun to see.
Flager College, established in 1968 in the former, luxury Ponce De Leon Hotel.
We toured the Castillo de San Marcos fort, a 17th-century Spanish stone fortress.
Castillo de San Marcos.
The drawbridge over the moat around the fort.
We climbed up 219 steps of the historic 1874 St. Augustine Lighthouse.
St. Augustine Lighthouse.
Looking up the spiral staircase in the lighthouse.
At the top of the lighthouse….
And we ate more great seafood.
We had a delicious dinner at this restaurant on the ocean in St. Augustine.
Our long shadows on an Atlantic ocean beach in St. Augustine.
Although I had not read a book about St. Augustine before our trip (it was referred to several times in Celia Garth), we throughly enjoyed our visit to the oldest city in the United States.
I liked this fountain. The masks that decorate this fountain was a gift to the City of St. Augustine (in 2005) by its sister city in Spain, the City of Avilés, birthplace of Pedro Menéndez, founder of St. Augustine in 1565.
While visiting with our friends near Clearwater, FL they thought we would like to visit the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary, and they were right.
We enjoyed seeing the beautiful coastal birds, which included owls, egrets, herons, and several other birds we see back in Minnesota.
We walked alongside this beautiful great egret.
Up close and personal with a great egret.
Bald eagles get around.
Although most of the birds in the sanctuary have been injured somehow, it was great to see them recovering and walking or flying around…some up close and personal.
A juvenile brown pelican.
A black-crowned night heron.
Many of the birds were in enclosures by themselves, or in large pens with multiple birds. Some were walking the grounds and others were flying freely.
One example of an enclosure for multiple birds.
White pelicans.
Of course, the risk is one may get bombed with a plop of bird poop. One such plop landed on our friend’s cell phone.
Two sandhill cranes.
The sandhill cranes were in an enclosed pen, but I was able to zoom in for a picture. I’ve only seen them in flight, or in a field before, so it was special to see them so close.
Some of the birds may be perfectly healthy, but they know where to find an easy, free meal. Part of the sanctuary is open to the seashore, along the intercoastal waterway.
An juvenile ibis.
A double-crested cormorant.
I’m grateful for the people who run this small, but intimate bird sanctuary that is free and open to the public (donations accepted). It’s a way to help the birds, and to introduce the birds to anyone who stops by.
Dipping our toes into the gulf waters.
A serene photo of a sailboat on the beautiful water.
While in Florida, we checked out a Sugar Sand Festival exhibit, “Sandimals,” while on Clearwater Beach.
These incredible sculptures were made from the beach’s white sand. It was held in a huge tent, shaded from the sun, and cool inside.
A for Aardvark.
Mr. Beaver.
An eagle.
We meandered through the one-way path observing this amazing and unique artwork. The sculptures were arranged according to the alphabet…like many children’s books: A for aardvark, B for bear, C for cat, etc…and the displays were all different animal types.
These two reminded me of Frog and Toad – beloved children’s book characters.
It was fascinating.
My favorite: the leopard…his spots were holes in the sand.
A wise old owl.
A fun creature: the platypus.
There was one artist working silently on a dog sculpture, putting on the last touches. It would be fun to watch the whole process…starting from the top down. I’m sure it takes a long time. It definitely takes talent.
One artist working on a dog sculpture.
The peacock was extraordinary.
R for rabbit and rhinoceros’.
It’s hard to remember these are all sculpted using fine sand.
S for sloth.
U for unicorn.
Y for Yeti.
It was really fun to walk through this display of sand animals…an unusual “walk on the beach” experience.
We were in Florida last week, on the gulf side, close to Clearwater Beach. It was beautiful. Sunny… every day, temperatures in the 80’s…every day.
Sunset over Clearwater Beach.
We spent time near the water, and submerged ourselves in the water once. It felt wonderful. We walked along beaches and enjoyed the fine, white, sugar sand, and seeing the awesome shades of turquoise water, beautiful blue skies, shore birds, sea shells, sail boats. We “soaked” it all in…sun, waves, sea air, warm temps.
We didn’t know the name of these interesting shorebirds.
Usually when I am on the water’s edge I look for sea shells…(or rocks if I’m on Lake Superior’s rocky shore). I can’t help myself. As I walked along looking for shells I thought about a poem I wrote several years ago. I looked it up after we returned home and am sharing it below.
Shells found along the sea in Florida.
Along the Sea (2010)
Here I go again...
Walking along the beach,
Tides go out, tides come in,
I’m open to what it’ll teach.
Water rolling over the toes,
Sun sparkling across the sea,
The gentle sound of waves,
All soothes the core of me.
I walk along and sing psalms
As the pulsing waves repeat,
I feel a sense of calm
As my eyes draw to my feet.
I reach down for a token
From the bounty of the sea.
And check to see if it’s broken,
If so, I toss it back quickly.
I can’t resist, so I pick up more
Searching for one without mars,
Noting what likeness to people they bore,
Broken, wounded, with scars.
So, I start being less selective
And find new beauty in these...
My mind gently corrected
As I choose shells along the sea.
