Fiori dei Bambini: A Chihuly Garden of Glass for Children “Grows”
at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

Think back to childhood stories like “Alice in Wonderland,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “The Secret Garden.” Do you remember the wonder as Alice, Charlie and Mary stepped into a magical place where color was bolder, flowers were larger and everything seemed to sparkle? Your experience will be similar as you come face-to-face with some of renowned artist Dale Chihuly’s most dazzling glass creations. Fiori dei Bambini: A Chihuly Garden of Glass for Children, will be at The Children’s Museum June 3 – Sept. 9, 2007.

Fiori dei Bambini is the latest installation in Chihuly’s Mille Fiori style. Mille Fiori is Italian for “a thousand flowers,” and a traditional glassmaking term for beautifully complex canes of glass. Strands of glass are pressed and melted together and then cut, revealing intricate mosaic-like designs that resemble flowers. Chihuly has combined many elements found in nature to create extravagant pieces of glass resembling the same organic shapes you’d see in any outdoor garden.

Chihuly and his team have built this fantasy world on a low, black stage. Using forms such as Birds of Paradise, Fiddle Heads and Cat Tails, children of all ages will be delighted with the play of color and light in the space. Chihuly’s glass garden pieces, which have also been displayed in varying forms at the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago, the Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio, and the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, England, are both natural and fantastic. Using light and glass, Chihuly creates a living, vibrant illusion of reflecting pools and sunny skies.

Additional areas in Fiori dei Bambini will feature works by other artists, including members of Chihuly’s Hilltop Artists in Residence program in Washington, which offers at-risk youth the chance to learn glass art while providing positive experiences, mentoring and tutoring. The exhibit will also feature the work of students and faculty from Anderson University, the only institution of higher learning in Indiana that offers a major in the art of studio glass. Blown glass from the Indianapolis Art Center, which offers glassblowing classes for anyone over age 10, will also be on display. Art Center faculty and artists will visit on occasion to share their experiences and art. You’ll also have a chance to explore art in the studio area, participate in hands-on activities, meet with area artists and create your own works of art!

While Fireworks of Glass is a permanent exhibit, Fiori dei Bambini will only be at the museum for a limited time. Don’t miss the opportunity to be dazzled as you wander through this magnificent garden of glass!

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is a nonprofit institution committed to creating extraordinary learning experiences that have the power to transform the lives of children and families. The 433,000-square-foot facility houses 11 major galleries. Visitors can explore the physical and natural sciences, history, world cultures, the arts, see how dinosaurs lived 65 million years ago in Dinosphere: Now You’re in Their World®, and experience Fireworks of Glass, the largest permanent installation of blown glass by renowned artist Dale Chihuly. The Children’s Museum, situated on 13 acres of land in Indianapolis, presents thousands of programs and activities each year. For more information about The Children’s Museum in English and Spanish, visit ChildrensMuseum.org.

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