TOP PHOTO: Atlanta Botanical Garden
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The neon-yellow Dale Chihuly sculpture on loan to the Atlanta Botanical Garden since 2016 has found a permanent home: the Atlanta Botanical Garden.
“Saffron Tower,” first seen in 2016’s Chihuly in the Garden exhibition, joins the Garden’s permanent fine art collection. The 30-foot-tall piece, which emits a warm glow from more than half a mile of glass and 312 hand-formed neon tubes, is found in Storza Woods.
The Garden introduced Atlanta to Chihuly in 2004 with an exhibition that doubled its annual attendance and membership levels. The acclaimed Seattle-based glass artist returned in 2016 with Chihuly in the Garden.
Also in the Garden’s permanent fine art collection are Chihuly’s “Blue & White” sculpture; “Nepenthes Chandelier,” inspired by the pitcher plants that are part of the Garden’s conservation work; and a series of drawings found in the Garden’s Longleaf restaurant.
The “Saffron Tower” acquisition was made possible by gifts from the city of Atlanta, foundations and individuals.
Chihuly, 77, studied at the University of Washington, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Rhode Island School of Design. His work is part of more than 200 museum collections worldwide. He’s received numerous awards, including 12 honorary doctorates and two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Botanical Garden is next to Piedmont Park at 1345 Piedmont Ave. NE in Midtown.
