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Thursday, March 4, 2010

City Chihuly Museum Yanked From Today's Agenda

Posted by Dominic Holden on Thu, Mar 4, 2010 at 9:34 AM

Today at 2:00 p.m., the Seattle Design Commission, which oversees development projects on public land, was supposed get more information about a proposal to build a Chihuly glass museum in Seattle Center. But the Seattle Center canceled the presentation yesterday, at about the same time Jen Graves posted this piece on the project—which would supplant two-acres of public land with a private exhibit requiring paid entry.

"They didn't give us a reason at all why they pulled it," says Valerie Kinast, who works for the City's Department of Planning and Development and staffs the design commission.

Proposal for two-acre Chihuly museum next to Space Needle

Proposal for two-acre Chihuly museum next to Space Needle

The Chihuly museum has sparked controversy in the last day, in part because the project eats up some of the 17 remaining acres of public land in Seattle Center (out of 74 acres), and because it works against the Seattle Center Master Plan, which calls for an open lawn and pond in that space, not more buildings for private use.

For its part, the Seattle Center says the growing controversy—including skepticism from City Council Member Sally Bagshaw, chair of the Parks and Seattle Center Committee—had nothing to do with pulling the discussion from the table. Robert Nellams, manager of the Seattle Center, had only looked at concept drawings earlier this week and "thought it was a good idea to hold off until it was resolved," says Seattle Center spokeswoman Deborah Daoust. Until what was resolved? "I don't even know what they were—a couple minor things," says Daoust. "We did talk about that this would attract attention."

Comments (14) RSS

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i think they realized that chihuly is tacky!

Posted by Max Solomon on March 4, 2010 at 9:55 AM

Kmart eye candy.

Posted by notafan on March 4, 2010 at 10:09 AM

Recycle Chihuly Glass.

Posted by 8Way on March 4, 2010 at 10:15 AM

I love the downright petty hatred Northwesterners have towards Chihuly. Mention his name and the mouths start to foam.

Posted by burgin22

on March 4, 2010 at 10:45 AM

Leave Chihuly in Tacoma where he belongs!

Posted by tshicks on March 4, 2010 at 10:45 AM

Uck.

Posted by elenchos on March 4, 2010 at 10:54 AM

I guess I would be more welcoming to the idea of a glass museum/exhibition hall as long as it included glass art by other artists from around the world and not just by Chihuly.

Posted by Simone on March 4, 2010 at 11:18 AM

Jesus. A Chihuly museum next to the EMP/SF Frank Gehry monstrosity?

It would look like a pack of feral cats ate a truckload of Kool-Aid, then hacked up piles of psychedelic furballs on Seattle's front lawn, which the local pretensia (since we appear to lack a local intelligentsia) promptly labeled "art".

Posted by Smartypants on March 4, 2010 at 11:23 AM

An open space could be used for Bumbershoot, which is just as good a reason as any to say "fuck off" to this proposal.

Posted by keshmeshi on March 4, 2010 at 11:40 AM

Put the Chihuly museum where it belongs, in the Gates Foundation parking lot.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on March 4, 2010 at 12:25 PM

@4, I might have a shred of respect for Chihuly if he was an actual artist, and actually blew glass (which he hasn't done in many many years). He's not an artist. He's a manager who takes credit for the work of other artists in his employ.

Posted by Reverse Polarity on March 4, 2010 at 12:41 PM