A day of Seattle glassblowing adventures, Chihuly and all
Glassblowing is more than just an art form in Seattle. It’s an Emerald City obsession in a city where visitors can get a taste of it in a variety of ways.
Chihuly Garden and Glass at the Seattle Center houses Dale Chihuly’s dazzling, vibrant glass sculptures — and the museum’s new restaurant allows you to sip and dine among his collections. However, you can also go to glass art studios around town, watch glassblowing demonstrations, and even make your own molten glass keepsake.
Consider it an immersive adventure of the highest caliber.
Investigate the Chihuly legacy
Chihuly’s wildly creative glass installations can be found in museums and venues all over the world, from Japan’s Toyama Glass Art Museum to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, which has the largest permanent collection of his work.
But Washington holds a special place in the heart of this legendary glass artist from Tacoma. His work can be found at the Tacoma Art Museum, on the campus of the University of Puget Sound — where the alum dedicated a glass installation to his favorite professor — and, of course, in Seattle, where Chihuly’s studio is just a few miles from the 74-acre urban park that houses Chihuly Garden and Glass.
The museum’s striking glass edifice and sculpture garden, just steps from the Space Needle, showcase towering glass structures both inside and out. When the museum first opened in 2012, the massive, suspended scarlet and yellow Glasshouse Sculpture was installed. Indoors, you’ll find the vibrant Mille Fiori — a floral glass garden that practically glows — as well as boats filled with ikebana and glass floats, among other things.
If you’re curious about how glass is made, glassmiths or gaffers give outdoor glassblowing demonstrations every day at 11:15 a.m. at the museum’s retrofitted 1967 Airstream, known as the Community Hot Shop.
Raise the bar
There are cafeterias or restaurants in many museums. This one has a cocktail bar called The Bar. It pays homage to the Pacific Northwest, with locally sourced ingredients and seasonal menus that complement the cocktail program; beer and wine are also available.
With 25 of Chihuly’s private collections on display, The Bar is almost like a second museum. Small glass bottles and other trinkets nestle beneath the glass-topped dining tables, and Chihuly drawings line the walls.
Sip a barrel-aged negroni or a pistachio-infused rye and bourbon Inkwell ($17 each) with warm, smoked king salmon dip ($13) and crispy calamari ($11), highlighting the Pacific Northwest’s oceanic offerings (fish and chips, soft shell crab, and miso clams are also available). Alternatively, a Columbia Valley wine ($16) can be paired with slightly spicy Bolognese pasta ($16) or wagyu beef sliders with smoked scamorza cheese ($17 for two).
The housemade sodas are anything but basic for those who don’t drink alcohol — think red wine vinegar, blood orange, and cedar smoke ($9). Additionally, communal cocktails ($55, serves four) are available for those who came for the social experience.
Make your own
Head to the Seattle Glassblowing Studio, a half-mile walk away, once you’ve gathered enough inspiration (but preferably not immediately after indulging in a cocktail). A team of talented artists awaits you in the hot shop to open their kilns and share their knowledge of glassblowing with you as you embark on a DIY project.
Although the studio becomes hot and protective gloves and goggles are required, the experience is surprisingly interactive. So pick a project from the wall of beginner options — paperweights, bowls, maybe a decorative pumpkin — and let the pros guide you through the process.
There are a few safety rules and tricks to follow, such as moving constantly so that the melted materials don’t fall back into the oven while you’re working. You’ll be fine if you follow the studio’s instructions.
Paperweights provide the most creative freedom. However, you can use the bowls you make here as long as you keep them away from the heat. Don’t put them in the dishwasher or microwave, for example. (Tip: Ship your handmade glass art home to ensure its safe arrival.)
Begin a collection
Do you want to go shopping? The shelves at the Seattle Glassblowing Studio shop have everything from large vases to animal trinkets, some of which may have been created by the expert who just assisted you.
Then visit additional glassblowing studios and shops. Seattle’s Totally Blown Glassworks, Glasshouse Studio, Avalon Glassworks, DeCicio Artisan Glass, Karaba Art Glass, and Fremont Antique Glass Co. are among the possibilities, as are galleries such as Edge of Glass and Blowing Sands.
When selecting blown glass, think outside the box. Of course, you can buy artwork to adorn your walls, but many blown glass items — drinking glasses, lamps, jewelry dishes — are designed to be used. They are both attractive and functional.
