Pooh Pooh Chihuly

It's been barely a year since the news that Dale Chihuly and his partners, Seattle Center owners, the "Wrights" have been in talks to develop the "Forest" at the Seattle Center. They need an attraction similar to the rides and amusements that have been so popular there, yet with a Chihuly flair--we were thinking Chihuly mini-golf. But now comes the public backlash-- and some of it is apt. Most not, naturallly. Here is what the Seattle Times Editorial pages March 21st says.

"The museum would be a bad investment and we should find something that interests children." Florence Evans, Normandy Park

"Seattle residents can agree to disagree about how schlocky, kitsch and banal Chihuly’s work is and whether the Northwest isn’t saturated with his industrial “art” that comes off his assembly line like so many Toyotas.
However, the compelling issue is whether our public parks are going to be used to promote a private enterprise. Regardless of the rent the city might receive from Chihuly, the biggest benefits will accrue to Chihuly himself in the form of publicity and sales."
Don Glickstein, Seattle

"There are already so many glass museums throughout the country that it has gotten to be an “old hat." Cathy Schmidt. Issaquah

The idea is for Chihuly to be let loose to see what kind of attraction (in glass) he can create for the public. This proposal to replace Seattle Center's outdated Fun Forest with a 44,000-square-foot exhibit space for the famed glass artist Dale Chihuly. This project reopens a decades-long debate about how the Center should reinvent itself and still pay its way.

The Wright family, which built and owns the Space Needle reportedly is in partnership with Chihuly and Seattle. They say a Chihuly "Forest" could attract more than 1,000 visitors a day. The Seattle area residents think this will be a $15 million tribute to the glass artist. We at Nourot Studio say well, DUH.
We think is is a grand idea. We believe the crowds who have be flocking to his shows all over the US for years-- can't get enough. A Chihuly glass forest will succeed. The rub is to create an attraction at the going rate of about $5 per entrance fee.

Go Dale. There are enough glassmakers out of work currently that it'd be pretty easy to find hands. Go for it. Let the greatest showman in glass show us what he can do outside of entrancing the museum snobs. Try it Seattle, you can't go wrong.