Inspired By….

Artists Respond to the Collection

For the past five decades, Dale Chihuly has pushed the medium of glass to its limits and inspired countless glass artists along the way. From the start of Pilchuck Glass School, which Chihuly cofounded in 1971, he has turned the Seattle area into a glass mecca for artists and collectors alike. His influence on the international contemporary glass movement is a well-known and documented fact.

Since opening the Chihuly Collection in St. Petersburg in 2010, our local artists, residents and visitors could see firsthand the magnificence of the artist’s installations, creating a home-grown buzz about this iconic artist’s work and contributing to the burgeoning glass art scene in the area. Chihuly’s scope of influence now feels closer to home.

But what about Chihuly’s impact on artists who work in other mediums? We selected 10 stellar local artists, each with spheres of influences of their own, and asked them to select a piece from the Chihuly Collection they admire. They were then asked to create a work of art “inspired by” that particular piece. The artists that were asked to participate are not glass artists; they are installation artists, muralists, painters, ceramicists, and more. The idea was to show the far reach of Chihuly’s influence and inspiration beyond the realm of glass.

Some of these artists’ connections to Chihuly’s work are more straightforward than others; many were influenced by his powerful forms and sense of color. We hope this exhibition introduces you to extraordinary local artists you may not have known before, and helps you look at Chihuly’s work in a new and engaging way.

Participating artists:

Rocky Bridges

Michael Cannata    @mike_cannata_

Saumitra Chandratreya   @saumiisawyou

Amy Ilic-Volpe    @amy_ilic_volpe

Jujmo   @jujmo

Karina Mago   @karina.mago

Chad Mize   @chadmize

Diane V. Radel    @dianevradel.art

Melissa Yungbluth

Zulu Painter    @zulupainter1