Light, Color, and Form Interact
in New Chihuly Installation

Sunlight slides along the glass edges of geometrically improbable forms. The hard edges of glass seashells melt into the soft warmth of glass anemones. Impossibly light glass lily pads float on a pond beneath deep-green ferns.

Dale Chihuly’s glasswork turns a delicate medium into an otherworldly element. One of the pioneers of blown glass, Chihuly creates works that range from single, fragile pieces to huge outdoor installations. He has had recent shows and installations at the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago; the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, England; the Tacoma Art Museum; and the New York Botanical Gardens. Now, thanks to a grant from the Koret Foundation, he will have a three-month installation at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

As part of a $600,000 three-year grant, Koret will sponsor not only Chihuly’s installations at both the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum and the Legion of Honor but also two other exhibitions, including The Sculpture of Louise Nevelson: Constructing a Legend. Organized by New York’s Jewish Museum, this collection of 65 pieces will showcase the themes of Jewish migration, female identity, and modernism through the works of one of America’s most innovative sculptors.

Since reopening in its new Golden Gate Park location, the de Young has experienced unprecedented growth. Attendance has increased fourfold, and the visitor demographic has become more gender balanced, young, and ethnically mixed. The membership base has increased to 81,000, up from 45,000 the previous year. This diversification and growth were due in part to support from Koret, and we look forward to continuing to support one of San Francisco’s premiere art institutions.