Laninga's Travel Blog

Tacoma has an extensive glass art history, especially with Dale Chihuly being a native son.  There are glass objects all over downtown, especially Union Station (which was closed today, darn!)   It is interesting to see the huge variety of art objects, all made from glass!  We did visit the Museum of Glass, a very interesting tour.  A visiting artist was making one of his signature glass elephants, with the help of the local crew.

Unfortunately, photography was not permitted in the gallery itself.  There were some fascinating works of art, all using glass as the main medium.  But photography was permitted in the Hot Zone, where the making of artwork was in progress.  So here are some pictures of the Hot Zone, as well as a few others taken in the area.

Union Station - you can see all the Dale Chihuly glasswork in the top windows

Chihuly Bridge of Glass

On the Bridge of Glass

Outside of the Museum Hot Zone

Looking up inside the Museum Hot Zone

The very start of making the elephant head

Forming the head round

Heating the trunk for bending

Heat soaking the head in a working oven

Cleanup of the elephant head

Unfortunately, we did not have time to stay and watch the completion of the entire elephant.  That was a 3 hour process.  But we learned a lot from what we were able to see.