CHIHULY Flori Boats at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

I have been writing about Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park which 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 on the edge of Grand Rapids, Michigan. I thought it would be interesting to share with you some information I found online about the beautiful sculptures you are able to see throughout the park and a bit of background on each piece - today I'm happy to give you a closer look at CHIHULY Flori Boats at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park . . .

Dale Chihuly’s Fiori (often referred to as "Flori") boat installations feature wooden or metal boats overflowing with vibrant, brilliantly colored blown-glass floral and spherical forms. Fiori translates to "flowers" in Italian. These striking sculptures merge art with natural outdoor and aquatic backdrops. 

Origin and Inspiration

Nuutajärvi, Finland (1995): Created during the Chihuly Over Venice project when the artist tossed experimental glass pieces into the Nuutajoki River. 
Rowboat Retrieval: Local teenagers gathered the floating glass in small wooden rowboats, inspiring Chihuly to mass large collections of blown glass inside actual watercraft. 

Design and Variation

Fiori Boats: Filled with abstract, multi-shaped, and brightly colored flower-like elements from his Fiori and Ikebana series.
Float Boats: Loaded instead with dozens of large, colorful blown-glass spheres (often called Niijima Floats), which draw inspiration from Japanese fishing floats.
Scale: Installations vary significantly in size; for instance, a 2018 Fiori Boat measures roughly \(6 1/2 times 24 1/2 times 8) feet. 

Notable Locations

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art: Features a permanent Fiori Boat (2016) set along forest trails surrounded by Sedge grass.
Chihuly Garden and Glass: Showcases permanent Ikebana and Float Boat installations in Seattle.
Traveling Exhibitions: Frequently featured in botanical gardens and museums globally, including recent displays at Frederik Meijer Gardens in Michigan and previous exhibitions at the New York Botanical Garden and Gardens by the Bay in Singapore.

CHIHULY Flori Boats is a very interesting part in the exhibit at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. I love where it is located near the waterfall in the Japanese Garden - it is a piece which will absolutely get your attention!

If you live near Frederik Meijer Gardens, or are able to visit before November 1, 2026, be sure to check out the Chihuly exhibit - the CHIHULY Flori Boats absolutely will give you another reason you will be so glad you do!