MIAMI, FLA.- Dale Chihulys mesmerizing Mosaic Persian that was commissioned in 1998 for collectors Dale & Doug Andersons Palm Beach home will soon grace the entrance of the
Lowe Art Museum. The installation comprises 32 spectacular glass elements that will be reconfigured specifically for the Lowe. The sculpture is expected to be installed by the Spring of 2018, coincident with the Museums Year of Glass, which will run through the next calendar year and will feature special glass-focused programming and exhibitions.
The Andersons remarkable gift to the Lowe Art Museum is truly transformative, says Dr. Jill Deupi, Beaux Arts Director and Chief Curator of the Lowe. Not only is their stunning Chihuly installation destined to become one of the Lowes signature works of art, it will also highlight for our visitors the remarkable collections housed in our Myrna and Sheldon Palley Pavilion. The latter, which is being reinstalled in anticipation of the Museums upcoming Year of Glass, includes works by some of the Studio Glass Movements most significant artists, including Dale Chihuly, Harvey Littleton, Dante Marioni, William Morris, Therman Statom, Lino Tagliapietra, Howard Ben Tré, and Toots Zynsky. We are deeply grateful to Dale & Doug for their generosity of spirit and their belief in the power of art to touch and to change lives.
Dale & Doug Andersons magnificent gift of their Mosaic Persian allows the Lowe to document Dale Chihulys leadership role since the last quarter of the twentieth century, comments Davira S. Taragin, the Lowes Consulting Curator of Glass. This exquisite piece reflects the passage of blown glass from the confines of the small, precious object into the realm of large-scale contemporary sculpture. With works like this, Chihuly has established the blown glass form as an accepted vehicle for installation and environmental art.
When Davira introduced us to Jill, we immediately knew that we had found the right home for our Chihuly installation. Not only is the Lowe based in Florida, where we wanted the piece to remain, it also has notable collections of modern and contemporary art. We were equally delighted that our gift would be going to a university art museum whose community is refreshed each year and where a diverse population of students are able to learn through the visual arts. Dale and I are delighted to be able to join our friends, Myrna and Sheldon Palley, in support of the Lowe and its Director, Doug Anderson said.