Museum of Glass - Tacoma, Washington

I am going to try something a little different here, and mix the pictures with the text. When I first got on Blogger it was not an option, so I have the habit of not doing it, but there are times when it could work well.

We drove to the museum, but you have a great approach from downtown Tacoma by crossing the Chihuly Bridge of Glass. There are some gorgeous buildings, including Union Station, open since 1911 and done in the Beaux-Arts Style, as well as the courthouse and Washington State History Museum. So, going by train is a good option as well.

Since we drove, and parked in the nearby lot, we approached via the Water Forest and Fluent Steps first. Water is an important part of both designs, and this makes sense, as you are right on the sound, and a marina lies before you.

Inside the museum we found the regular galleries, combining traveling and permanent pieces. There were some very interesting pieces. The Links Exhibition, which consisted of works by glass artists connected between Australia and the Pacific Northwest, included some artists I had seen earlier at the Chihuly exhibit that the Portland Art Museum had many years ago, so there was a nice touch of familiarity.

There were some gorgeous pieces, and together it was a good illustration of how much variety can exist within a single medium. In general I thought the displays were advantageous - someone had carefully considered lighting and placement to show the best aspects of the work.

There was an interesting flow to wandering through the galleries. Although the spaces do not initially seem that large, with every corner that you turn there is more, so you are lost in a labyrinth of glass art. It is easy to miss things, so after going through once I had to thread my way back.

I do not believe it was obvious at any point where one exhibit ended and another began, except by the difference in style, so there may be some missing opportunities for context, and for what works actually belong there, but the signage for individual pieces was pretty good.

Heading past the theater, there was one other gallery. It was really more of a hallway, with windows and natural light, and this is where you could see the pieces from the Kids Design Glass Collection. Each piece was accompanied by the child's drawing that it was based on, and as interesting as it was to see the transformation for a non-involved adult, that must be amazing for the kids. It reminds me of the Monster Engine, but in 3-D.

http://www.themonsterengine.com/

After that I visited the Hot Shop, where you can watch artists blowing glass. The inverted ice cream cone outside isn't just a cool-looking idea, but it helps vent the heat.

Although there is a limit to how close you can get, there are chairs and a screen, turning it into a kind of theater, and there is another screen outside of the hot shop where you can watch in a slightly cooler environment.

After exploring the gift shop, we were done with the inside, but of course there was still the bridge.

The first pleasant surprise was that while the stairs look like quite a climb, the steps are low, and going up is really not that strenuous.

One thing that had been disappointing about the inside of the museum is that there just hadn't been much Chihuly, and we sort of thought there would be. As  you reach the first part of the bridge, suddenly there are 109 Chihuly sculptures in the Venetian Wall, and there are the colors and the elegant lines and tentacles and putti.

Then you have the Crystal Towers in the center, which you can see pretty well from the road and the ground, and then there is another covered area, but looking through it seems pretty ordinary. The second surprise happens when you look up. I did not get a good picture, but there is a really good one on the web page where it is illuminated at night, so make sure to check that out:

http://museumofglass.org/outdoor-art/chihuly-bridge-of-glass

This is the Seaform Pavilion, and the name itself obviously leads you to think of sea foam, but it also reminds me of jellyfish.

On our way back to the parking lot, we noticed that many people had placed the stickers they were given after paying admission on this pole. I don't totally approve, as it is too close to littering for me, but it certainly is colorful.

I just wanted to say one last thing about the parking lot. You drive in, and as you walk out you stuff cash, based on how long you are going to stay, in the box with your space number. It is a good-sized lot, so make sure you take note of your number before you leave your car. It's kind of a weird system, but it seems to work.

http://museumofglass.org/