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St. Pete Arts Center Pens Deal To Make Glass Its Backbone

Tribune photo by KAREN HAYMON LONG

Glass artist Dale Chihuly’s The End of the Day sculpture tower is permanently on display in the Windows to the Tropics Conservatory at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.

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By NEIL JOHNSON | The Tampa Tribune
and CARLOS MONCADA | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 25, 2008

Updated: 03/25/2008 06:13 pm

ST. PETERSBURG - Mayor Rick Baker and officials from The Arts Center signed an agreement today that will bring a permanent exhibit of Dale Chihuly's unique glass artwork to the city's downtown.

The exhibit of the Seattle artist's work is part of an expansion of The Arts Center on Central Avenue that will include a learning center, a glass blowing area with a viewing area for the public and doubling gallery space to 10,000 square feet.

Center officials hope to start the expansion in September and finish the project by middle to late 2010.

"The renaissance of St. Pete is so tied to the cultural arts renaissance downtown," Baker said from Seattle, where the signing took place. "And to confirm the Chihuly collection is coming I think is going to be another great jewel in the crown of St. Pete and its museums and galleries."

Chihuly said he, too, is pleased with the arrangement.

"I'm very happy with everything," the 66-year-old artist said. "It's always great to have your work in a permanent situation where the public can come and see it. Because I'll only be around for so long."

The Chihuly exhibit at the 30,000-square-foot Arts Center will make it the only museum devoted to his work, though his glass is in museums and traveling exhibits across the country.

Officials announced plans for the Chihuly exhibit in 2005, saying it would be combined with a residential and retail development called The Arts Village of St. Petersburg.

The housing slump has slowed progress on the 500 residential units and retail space with an art theme, but the expansion of The Arts Center will move ahead.

The Arts Center expansion is only one project for downtown St. Petersburg. The Museum of Fine Arts expansion and a new Salvador Dali Museum are planned or under way.

Chihuly's work is in museums in nearly 40 states, including the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg.
Much of the artwork in The Arts Center will be designed for the display.

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