Chihuly is Back in Miami Through May 2007This weekend I had the pleasure of visiting Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and was reminded once again about how fortunate I am to have such a beautiful place so close to home!
I missed the Dale Chihuly exhibit last year and was looking forward to seeing this pairing of glass sculpture and tropical plants. I got lucky: Chihuly never exhibits in the same space twice, but fortunately he made an exception for Fairchild. I’ll admit, I don’t take enough advantage of this amazing place. The last time I visited Fairchild was to take a whiff of the stinky plant. Prior to that, I took a botanical watercolor class. And yet, it’s such a great place to get away for the day, a little piece of paradise just minutes from urban Miami. Chihuly Sculptures Although Fairchild is a feast for the eyes all on its own, the addition of Chihuly’s work adds to the garden’s atmosphere. I was particularly captivated by the sculpture’s ability to relate to the landscape. The abstract glass balls and tear-drops are mostly displayed on water, giving the effect of giant colorful bubbles. In the cactus garden, long red spikes imitated the vertical symmetry of the green spiny plants while contrasting them in color. In the tropical forest area as well as the conservatory, giant flowers, spikes, horns and swirling figures combined with the dense growth to demonstrate the potential of wild shapes when plant growth goes unchecked. The glass sculpture isn’t delicate, but in your face: the sculpture’s organic form seems to buzz with the same unseen energy of plants, which the human eye can only witness in time-lapse photography. Many of these sculptures are for sale and not at discount Ebay prices, mind you—the cheapest one indoors at the museum was $3,500. One of the balls in the greenhouse cost $45,000. The marriage here of botanic garden and retail gallery doesn’t particularly bother me. With Chihuly’s presence, Fairchild builds its fundraising portfolio, which is crucial for this non-profit organization. My friend and I enjoyed this excursion over about three hours, including a stop at the snack bar, where we split a delicious black forest ham wrap and refreshing tropical sodas made from naturally sweetened fruit syrups and seltzer. My passion fruit soda was so good, I came back for a refill! Do make a point of having lunch here; the concession offers quality nosh and you’ll need a break from the walking. While visiting, don’t hesitate to chat with the friendly volunteers, who are more than eager to share their knowledge of plants in the garden. If you love shopping, be aware: the north entrance and exit forces you to meander through the tempting gift shop, which sells beautiful home accessories, jewelry, toys, books and more. Most importantly, if it’s your first visit, make sure to start with the tram tour for an informative overview of the garden. Chihuly is on exhibit through May 2007. The garden is also open on Thursday evenings from 6 to 9pm for Tropical Chihuly Nights—definitely another visit for me.
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2 Comments on"Chihuly is Back in Miami Through May 2007"
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Gus says:
Wonderful article. After reading about your experience, I want to visit the Fairchild again. What time of day did you visit?
And did you really smell the stinky plant (titan arum)? I didn’t know such a thing existed:
“The titan arum’s inflorescence can reach over 3 metres (almost 10 ft.) in height. It consists of a fragrant spadix of flowers wrapped by a spathe, which looks like the flower’s single petal. In the case of the Titan Arum, the spathe is green on the outside and dark burgundy red on the inside. The spadix is hollow, pale yellow and resembles a large loaf of French bread. The upper, visible portion of the spadix is covered in pollen, while its lower extremity is spangled with bright red-orange carpels. The "fragrance" of the inflorescence resembles rotting meat. The flower’s deep red color and texture contribute to the illusion that the spathe is a piece of meat."
Fairchild’s stinky plant bloomed in 1999, 2001, and 2005. We must find out when she’ll bloom again. Stinkyplant.org is still available. All we need is one of those countdown clock scripts.
Posted on 12/20/2006 at 5:02 AM