Friday, June 12, 2009

Amber and Ice: Dale Chihuly Art Installation at UC Davis



Chihuly Sculpture Finds New Home at the University of California Davis
The glass sculpture by internationally renowned artist Dale Chihuly that previously graced the main lobby at ALZA plaza has found a new home at the University of California at Davis. The 1200-pound chandelier, donated to the University by ALZA with guidance from the Johnson & Johnson Office of Corporate Contributions, hangs in the main lobby of Valley Hall, a new instructional facility with the School of Veterinary Medicine.

Trivia: This is a very sentimental post for me ....as I am retiring from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine today.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am so grateful for your contributions to one of the world's best Veterinary Schools. I wish you the best in all of your future interests. Best, L&R.

Leif Hagen said...

COOOOOL photo! It reminds me of the HUGE glass chandelier which hangs in the lobby of the Minneapolis Institute of Art - maybe same artist? I also saw something similar while staying at the Ritz Carleton Hotel in Singapore. Regards from EAGAN daily photo in the Twin Cities of Minnesota

Debbie Doo said...

While we'll miss your occasional photos of campus life, we can't wait to have you full time in West Sac. Love you, Mom! Happy Retirement Day!

PS - Cool artwork!

Sharon said...

Another gorgeous Chihuly!! Congrats on the retirement.

Shadow said...

Great sculpture! Having not yet retired myself, I can't say anything to ease retirement blues, however I hope that you find enjoyment in your next adventure.

Matt McGuire said...

I love Chihuly Sculptures. Here are a few of the photos I took.

http://idigphotography.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=509&ppuser=1

Anonymous said...

Another gorgeous Chihuly!! Congrats on the retirement...great work..

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Geronimo said...

One of my most frustrating artistic endeavors--the installation of a Dale Chihuly glass sculpture in the lobby of Alza's new headquarters back in 2000. We'd struck a great deal with the sculptor because he had nothing in Silicon Valley, and our project would be his entree to this desirable audience.

At installation time, the project reported to me. I checked with our facilities director to find out if we had enough in the budget to film the installation process. It drove me crazy to think that one day the lobby ceiling would be an empty space four stories high, and a few days later this dramatic sculpture would be hanging there with no record of how it all happened.

I contracted with a former H-P videographer (who'd shot the announcement ads at Hewlett and Packard's old garage when Carly Fiorina became CEO of the company) to shoot a documentary video. I brought him three glass harmonica CD's to use in the soundtrack. I thought that the sound of the instrument and the sight of a glass sculpture would cross-link in the audience's mind, and reinforce the whole delicate tension inherent in a "glass sculpture."

After sitting through a couple editing visits, I got his "final" version. He had excluded the glass harmonica tracks altogether, because he didn't like them. He declared his work finished, unless we paid him extra to re-edit. I declined.

When Johnson and Johnson bought the company and dismantled it, they donated "Amber and Ice" (below) to University of California at Davis, where it remains. Every time I hear beautiful glass harmonica music, I have a tendency to re-live that frustrating story. Doesn't spoil it, but it does bring it back. Great to see it in its new home!