Supporters of a privately financed Dale Chihuly exhibition hall at the Seattle Center are catching a lot of flak from folks who think the proposal is being ramrodded through without enough public process.
They may have a point; the Seattle Times reports museum backers signed up for the first 60 or so speaking slots before a recent meeting of the Seattle Center Advisory Committee, probably figuring to dominate the conversation. The chairman, Bill Block, thwarted that by starting to call on speakers from the middle of the list.
Down here, we think of Chihuly as a local boy made good. Apparently many Seattlelites turn up their nose at the thought of having a paid-for Chihuly-theme facility on their hallowed Seattle Center grounds (it would be sited on what is now the old Fun Forest amusement park). The $15 million cost of the Chihuly hall, art park, cafe and large glass house – collectively “Chihuly at the Needle” – would be paid by the Wright family, which owns the Space Needle.
Just read some of the comments on the Seattle Times article. You’d think Chihuly would be stocking the place with glass versions of the poker-playing dogs.
This is just another, “Make Dale Chihuly rich,” scheme. Like the man himself, the move is arrogant, bombastic and insensitive. He is not a “hometown” boy, and he has already charged, in real dollars, the City of Tacoma over $1 million in design fees for the “bridge of glass,” that uninspired eyesore over I-705 with the blue garbage bags dominating the lack of creativity.
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“Spooley Chihuly” has been a freakin space cadet since grade school !
This opportunistic pos wants the taxpayers to cough-up money for “art” that he has not produced in years !
Please Seattle, Take Him, Please !
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If he still did some of his own work we might have some trust left. But he has become a glass hacker. There are many more talented artists producing works of far better artistic merit. Chihuly has hyped himself into a caricature.
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Chihuly’s expertise is marketing Chihuly. He is doing great for a 3rd rate “artist” but his success has more to do with marketing than art.
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Please,,,, No more tax dollars for this guy.
If private donors or the public sector want to pick up the tab for this guy, fine.
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just what we need put 1 individual and put him on a pedastal who can take a piece of glass and melt it while the government laysoff employees. Raise electric rates and raise taxes when the economy suck
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