CHIHULY Turquoise Reeds at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

If you are blessed to live in or near Grand Rapids, Michigan, which is where Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is located, then you know this is a place where there are so many beautiful and amazing things to see all year long, but this is even more true now through November 1st as the Dale Chihuly exhibit is able to be enjoyed throughout the Sculpture Park. I thought it would be interesting to share with you some information I found online about the beautiful sculptures and a bit of background on each piece - today I'm happy to give you a closer look at CHIHULY Turquoise Reeds at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park . . .

Dale Chihuly’s "Turquoise Reeds" are monumental, slender, blown-glass tube sculptures. Turquoise Reeds is a key example. They evoke the essence of water and botanicals as they rise organically from natural settings like logs, ravines, and creek beds. 

Creation and Design

Medium: Hand-blown glass formed into elongated, tubular shapes.
Technique: First developed in 1995 at the Hackman factory in Nuutajärvi, Finland, utilizing large annealing ovens and high ceilings necessary to cure massive glass components reaching up to 10 feet or more in height.
Process: Glassblowers work from elevated lifts, blowing into pipes while handlers pull the molten glass toward the ground. 

Notable Installations

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art: Featured prominently in Bentonville, Arkansas, the Turquoise Reeds and Ozark Fiori (2012) installation is nestled directly into a natural ravine and creek bed, interacting dynamically with the surrounding forest and water. 
Exhibitions: Similar series and variations, such as Turquoise Reeds on Logs, have been staged in major indoor and outdoor museum retrospectives globally to contrast sharp industrial glasscraft with soft organic landscapes.

The Turquoise Reeds is one of my favorite parts of the Chihuly exhibit - I love the blues and I love where they put them - in the little waterfall in Vickie's Garden. The blues of the Turquoise Reeds, just stand out in the very best way possible.

If you live near Frederik Meijer Gardens, or are able to visit before November 1, 2026, be sure to check out the Chihuly exhibit - I do believe you will be so glad you do!