FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Janet Makela
Makela Public Relations
(858) 573-1702
jmakela@earthlink.net

Jerusalem Wall of Ice Symbolizes Hope for the Future American Artist Dale Chihuly Lends Creativity, Inspiration and Drama to Millennium Festivities in the Holy Land

WHO: World-renowned American artist Dale Chihuly of Seattle, Washington

WHAT: At sundown on Saturday, October 2, as the Sabbath draws to a close, Chihuly will begin a 24-hour long project to construct a 12 x 40 foot wall of ice beneath the Old City walls of Jerusalem. As evening falls on October 3, Chihuly will unveil his spectacular 64-ton ice phenomenon. The ice, known as "Arctic Diamond", was cut from a lake near Fairbanks, Alaska, and is said to be the purest in the world. Chihuly shipped 24 blocks of ice, weighing 2-3 tons each, to Israel for the event. In July, Chihuly kicked-off a year-long millennium exhibition, Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem 2000, with the creation of 15 major glass installations at the Tower of David Museum of the History of Jerusalem. His artworks have already delighted and captivated nearly a quarter of a million visitors. Following the October 3 event, the Jerusalem Wall of Ice will melt, symbolizing the hopes and dreams of a nation and of a people, wishing to dissolve tensions in the up-coming millennium.

The construction of the Jerusalem Wall of Ice was made possible with the support of The Boeing Company. Boeing's headquarters are in Seattle, Washington.

WHERE: The Tower of David Museum of the History of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel. The event will take place on a grassy knoll between Jaffa Gate and Zion Gate, just west of the Old City walls.

WHEN: The evening of October 3, 1999. The ice is expected to last 3-5 days, depending on weather conditions.

WHY: Chihuly wanted to the celebrate the millennium and the hope it represents to humankind.

*To receive a hard copy, fax or electronic version of press kit materials, arrange for a direct broadcast feed day of event, or schedule a phone conference/briefing with Dale Chihuly, please contact Janet Makela, Makela Public Relations at (858) 578-1702 or via e-mail at jmakela@earthlink.net