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Chihuly’s Rose Crystal Tower Will Be on Display for One Year Parks’ Art in the Parks program celebrates 50 years
NYC Parks and the Union Square Partnership, in partnership with Marlborough Gallery welcomes Dale Chihuly’s eye-catching Rose Crystal Tower to Union Square Park. A part of the 50th anniversary of Parks’ public art program Art in the Parks, this piece will be on display through October 2018. The artist today joined Parks Manhattan Borough Commissioner William Castro, Executive Director of the Union Square Partnership Jennifer Falk, and representatives from the gallery on site to unveil this monumental sculpture.
“Union Square is an iconic public space, which makes it the perfect setting for Dale Chihuly’s colorful Rose Crystal Tower,” said Commissioner Castro. “Chihuly’s whimsical work has the power to bring together the thousands of diverse visitors who pass through Union Square Park every day. Parks is proud to have worked with Union Square Partnership, Marlborough Gallery and Chihuly Studio to welcome this special piece to one of New York City’s most treasured shared spaces, especially in our public art program’s 50th year.”
“New York City’s energy, architecture and rich creative history is formidable and it continues to offer infinite inspiration for artists,” said Dale Chihuly. “I am excited to share my work with the residents and visitors who pass through New York City every year.”
“Welcoming Dale Chihuly’s Rose Crystal Tower to the Union Square district is another wonderful example of the Union Square Partnership’s Art in the Park program,” said Jennifer E. Falk, Executive Director of the Union Square Partnership. “In conjunction with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, we are thrilled to collaborate with a wide range of art partners in order to bring incredible installations to Union Square, like the work of this world-renowned sculptor. We are proud to showcase Mr. Chihuly and know that this exhibit will enhance the experience of all who visit Union Square in the coming months."
The Rose Crystal Tower stands 31-feet tall and is composed of Polyvitro crystals and steel. Polyvitrois the artist’s term for a plastic material which he casts into individual chunks which resemble glass, but are lighter and more resilient. Chihuly used Polyvitro crystals in the artist’s landmark exhibition, Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem 2000.
Dale Chihuly is an American artist known for revolutionizing the Studio Glass movement and elevating the perception of the glass medium from the realm of craft to fine art. Over his 50-year career, the artist has become known for his iconic glass sculptures and ambitious architectural installations in historic cities, museums and gardens around the world.
Chihuly utilizes a variety of media including glass, paint, charcoal, graphite, neon, ice, and Polyvitro to realize his creative vision. The artist’s work is included in more than 200 museum collections worldwide including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Corning Museum of Glass. Major exhibitions include Chihuly Over Venice (1995-96), Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem (1999), de Young Museum in San Francisco (2008), the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2011), Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond (2012) and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal, Canada (2013.) Chihuly Garden and Glass opened at Seattle Center in 2012. An exhibition of new work at Marlborough Gallery in New York is planned for 2019.
Marlborough Gallery was founded in London in 1946 and is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading modern and contemporary art dealers. Marlborough has an international presence with major galleries and offices in Madrid and Barcelona to complement its long established venues in New York and London. Marlborough represents highly credentialed artists such as Magdalena Abakanowicz, Frank Auerbach, Alice Aycock, Santiago Calatrava, Dale Chihuly, Richard Estes, Antonio Lopez Garcia, Red Grooms, Tom Otterness, Paula Rego, Manolo Valdés, and the Estates of Claudio Bravo, Jacques Lipchitz, George Rickey, and R.B. Kitaj as well as a new generation of artists and programs at Marlborough Contemporary in Chelsea and London.
The Union Square Partnership (USP) is a private, not-for-profit community-based organization responsible for the revitalization of the 14th Street-Union Square neighborhood. USP’s mission is to improve the quality-of-life for the district’s residents, businesses and visitors, by providing public safety, sanitation, economic development and marketing services, as well as investing in the beautification and maintenance of Union Square Park. USP also conducts a host of free events for the public, including volunteer days, networking opportunities and “Summer in the Square,” a weekly event series in the park. For more information, visit unionsquarenyc.org.
In 2017 NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks program celebrates 50 years of bringing contemporary public artworks to the city’s parks, making New York City one of the world’s largest open-air galleries. The agency has consistently fostered the creation and installation of temporary public art in parks throughout the five boroughs. Since 1967, NYC Parks has collaborated with arts organizations and artists to produce over 2,000 public artworks by 1,300 notable and emerging artists in over 200 parks. For more information about the program visit www.nyc.gov/parks/art.
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