First Look: Chihuly Glass at the Atlanta Botanical Garden

The majestic glassworks of artist Dale Chihuly awed visitors to the Atlanta Botanical Garden in 2004, back when the facility occupied only fifteen midtown acres. Now, more than ten years later, the setting has doubled in size and the artist has returned for an encore exhibition—this time with nineteen large-scale blown-glass pieces dotting the garden’s thirty acres. The display is one of the largest outdoor shows Chihuly has ever assembled. He created five of the installations specifically for the Atlanta garden, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

Chihuly’s work is known for whimsical shapes and bold colors. “I never met a color I didn’t like,” the artist has said. The organic forms and bright hues pop against the natural backdrop of the gardens and the Atlanta skyline. The exhibition opened on April 30 and runs through October 30, with special extended evening hours Wednesdays through Sundays—don’t miss the chance to see the sculptures lit up at night.