Dale Chihuly is known for his large-scale blown-glass sculptural works. Born in Tacoma, Washington, he studied at the University of Washington, at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he began working with glassblowing under the tutelage of Harvey Littleton, and the Rhode Island School of Design. After traveling to Italy on a Fulbright fellowship, where he worked at the glass factories in Murano, he taught at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts and cofounded the Pilchuk Glass School in Washington State. His works are characterized by their use of bold color and include series inspired by ikebana, or flower arranging, Navajo blankets, and Persian art. He is represented in numerous public collections and is the subject of a permanent exhibition at the Seattle Center, which opened in 2012.
