Slog
News & ArtsWednesday, March 31, 2010
City Are Chihuly Fans Being Bribed for Their Support?
Posted by Dominic Holden on Wed, Mar 31, 2010 at 1:03 PM
Fans of a new Facebook page and website called Chihuly at the Needle, an advocacy entity in favor of constructing a Dale Chihuly glass museum at the Seattle Center, have been thanking the group for gift cards to eat at the Space Needle restaurant. The owners of the Space Needle, the Wright family, are the same people behind the museum. Here's a screen grab of the Facebook page:
Who is behind it remains unclear, officially, as the page lists no creator and the adjoining website also lists no contact information. However, PR strategist Roger Nyhus—who people thank in the thread shown above—has been involved in plugging the project on Twitter and has been the subject of gratitude for "working so hard."
At the public meeting last night, Cienna Madrid spoke to an employee of Nyhus Communications who confirmed that the firm is indeed representing the Chihuly museum project.
According to a reliable source reached this afternoon, the group posted a notice that said people had to be a member of the group to qualify for the gift card; they were asked to send a letter to the Space Needle to claim the gift card. However, no such notice is currently on the Facebook pace.
Two calls to Nyhus asking about his role in the project and asking why fans of the page are apparently receiving gift cards to the Space Needle restaurant have not yet been returned.
2
Shouldn't the names of the commenters be blocked out? Or does commenting on a FB page make it fair for publication?
4
When the silicon dust settles (glass houses & all that), one hopes they ask this man to compose a Grand Opening Fanfare for the Cyclopean Artiste played on the rims of crystal goblets. One hopes....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Philip…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Philip…
6
This makes me sick to my stomach. They're going to steamroll this thing through, with no real public support.
C'mon Sloggers, make yourself useful. Game that FB page! Call 'em out!
C'mon Sloggers, make yourself useful. Game that FB page! Call 'em out!
9
This whole thing shows the phoniness and hypocrisy of this whole region.
We have a great glass museum in Tacoma.
It's directly accessible by Train and Streetcar...it's a great example of using public transport to bring people to a thing they couldn't get locally.
So what do Seattle leaders do? Make a mess because they can't figure out any new ideas for the Space Needle. Instead of optimizing resources in the Tacoma-Seattle corridor, they punt and do the classic trick of Northwest "innovators" -- they copy something else rather than developing unique ideas.
This whole thing shows the phoniness and hypocrisy of this whole region.
We have a great glass museum in Tacoma.
It's directly accessible by Train and Streetcar...it's a great example of using public transport to bring people to a thing they couldn't get locally.
So what do Seattle leaders do? Make a mess because they can't figure out any new ideas for the Space Needle. Instead of optimizing resources in the Tacoma-Seattle corridor, they punt and do the classic trick of Northwest "innovators" -- they copy something else rather than developing unique ideas.
10
When the silicon dust settles (glass houses & all that), one hopes they ask this man to compose a Grand Opening Fanfare for the Cyclopean Artiste played on the rims of crystal goblets. One hopes....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Philip…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Philip…
11
Why doesn't someone create a No Chihuly at the Needle Facebook page? (I would if I was that smart.)
12
This isn't failbook. You can see their names just by clicking on the link. Go there, and yell at them. You can also use the web page to email all the council members using their bandwidth. Fun!
19
You could also try posting comments on the "Space Needle" account on FB and see if they get deleted there. That acct has been encouraging people to join the Chihuly Needle group. Scroll down to their postings from March 9 - March 15:
http://www.facebook.com/spaceneedle
http://www.facebook.com/spaceneedle
21
Sure he is, Will. You met him at one of those super-secret meetings with you, McGinn, Obama, JFK, and Elvis, right?
22
No, really.
Altho I do have a knack for showing up at secret meetings people aren't supposed to know about ...
It's a small small world and especially so in Seattle.
Altho I do have a knack for showing up at secret meetings people aren't supposed to know about ...
It's a small small world and especially so in Seattle.
24
We would like to correct misleading information in this post.
Our social media team, which manages the Space Needle’s Facebook page, created another fan page early this month specifically for the Chihuly at the Needle project proposal. When they did that, the Space Needle’s typical promotion offering $25 coupons for Sky City was also placed on the new page. When this mistake was discovered (within 24 hours), the promotion was removed immediately. Out of 1,535 fans of the Chihuly at the Needle Facebook page, only 20 requested the coupon.
The Space Needle’s restaurant promotions have absolutely nothing to do with the Chihuly proposal. The Space Needle often gives away coupons, in person and online, to promote the Sky City restaurant.
Our social media team, which manages the Space Needle’s Facebook page, created another fan page early this month specifically for the Chihuly at the Needle project proposal. When they did that, the Space Needle’s typical promotion offering $25 coupons for Sky City was also placed on the new page. When this mistake was discovered (within 24 hours), the promotion was removed immediately. Out of 1,535 fans of the Chihuly at the Needle Facebook page, only 20 requested the coupon.
The Space Needle’s restaurant promotions have absolutely nothing to do with the Chihuly proposal. The Space Needle often gives away coupons, in person and online, to promote the Sky City restaurant.
25
We would like to correct misleading information in this post.
Our social media team, which manages the Space Needle’s Facebook page, created another fan page early this month specifically for the Chihuly at the Needle project proposal. When they did that, the Space Needle’s typical promotion offering $25 coupons for Sky City was also placed on the new page. When this mistake was discovered (within 24 hours), the promotion was removed immediately. Out of 1,535 fans of the Chihuly at the Needle Facebook page, only 20 requested the coupon.
The Space Needle’s restaurant promotions have absolutely nothing to do with the Chihuly proposal. The Space Needle often gives away coupons, in person and online, to promote the Sky City restaurant.
Our social media team, which manages the Space Needle’s Facebook page, created another fan page early this month specifically for the Chihuly at the Needle project proposal. When they did that, the Space Needle’s typical promotion offering $25 coupons for Sky City was also placed on the new page. When this mistake was discovered (within 24 hours), the promotion was removed immediately. Out of 1,535 fans of the Chihuly at the Needle Facebook page, only 20 requested the coupon.
The Space Needle’s restaurant promotions have absolutely nothing to do with the Chihuly proposal. The Space Needle often gives away coupons, in person and online, to promote the Sky City restaurant.
26
Wow, the "social media team" can't figure out how to post a comment on a blog w/o double posting. Over payed fucking morons. Take your tax shelter for the uber wealthy and ram it up your pooper. What Seattle needs is public space for families, not a free gallery for the northwest's most egotistical, arrogant, self-centered asshole. This is NOT a museum, it is a for profit but tax free gallery/catering facility for the owners of the space needle. It is a land grab by private industry that Seattle will regret forever.
27
Please join the cause against the Chihuly Ego Museum:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages…
NO to Chihuly at the Needle - Facebook page
Thanks.
Caleb
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages…
NO to Chihuly at the Needle - Facebook page
Thanks.
Caleb
28
This man's "art" is no longer made by him. He is a bully personified in the Glass Art industry. I love art but dislike the tactics that this Marketing Mavin uses to intimidate and aggressively bully anyone else in his medium. Many artists feel the same way about him....and few would ever pass the threshold of a museum of his art.....how's that other Museum doing?
We have his glass EVERYWHERE....let people go to Tacoma if they want to see his exhibitions.
We need OPEN SPACE...not another building to house STUFF...especially ugly stuff that breaks.
NO. No. No. No. No. Do not spend money on a travesty.
If you support more open space and activities that encourage the enjoyment of outdoor spaces and a community, then do not allow a structure to be built.
The Sculpture Park is a perfect example of the poor use of property to aggrandize an INDIVIDUAL PERSON'S idea of good taste. Although it was nice to walk around there a few times, it is most certainly not something that SHOULD have occupied prime RE on our downtown waterfront. There are local artists "on the fringe" in Seattle that actually "create" much better examples of sculpture art and need a place to create it and display it.
If a structure is what is necessary...build it green and make sure it becomes an example of the future possibilities to reduce a carbon footprint. Masses of people will gravitate to that kind of exhibit. Local, regional and international. Use local firms to build and design it. I'd much rather see some kind of facility that offered local budding artists a place to be "creative" and exhibit REAL hand crafted art.
The PR nightmare over this has disgusted me. Who is in charge? Frankly, with so many people out of work, they can't find someone who would turn the Seattle Center Around? Clueless.
In this economy, I question any money spent on something not absolutely NECESSARY as foolish and wasteful. The city council should be balancing the budget and all of this other nonsense should be tabled until they can pay attention.
Get the spending under control and stop all projects that are not necessary. Period.
Organizing a flotilla of indentured servants to fill the seats with only "Chihuly" supporters at that meeting put a very, very bad taste in my mouth...and I am NOT alone. It will be a complete disaster if the city does this and our public "officials" will most certainly not be serving the MAJORITY of citizens.
If someone feels that passionate about his "art" then let them fund it, support it and buy the land to erect the alter where glass artists can pay homage. I don't think it worked out too well for Tacoma.
There are much better ideas out here in the community for the use of this space and a more productive way to get "connected" to the citizens that our city council members are making decisions for.
More...
We have his glass EVERYWHERE....let people go to Tacoma if they want to see his exhibitions.
We need OPEN SPACE...not another building to house STUFF...especially ugly stuff that breaks.
NO. No. No. No. No. Do not spend money on a travesty.
If you support more open space and activities that encourage the enjoyment of outdoor spaces and a community, then do not allow a structure to be built.
The Sculpture Park is a perfect example of the poor use of property to aggrandize an INDIVIDUAL PERSON'S idea of good taste. Although it was nice to walk around there a few times, it is most certainly not something that SHOULD have occupied prime RE on our downtown waterfront. There are local artists "on the fringe" in Seattle that actually "create" much better examples of sculpture art and need a place to create it and display it.
If a structure is what is necessary...build it green and make sure it becomes an example of the future possibilities to reduce a carbon footprint. Masses of people will gravitate to that kind of exhibit. Local, regional and international. Use local firms to build and design it. I'd much rather see some kind of facility that offered local budding artists a place to be "creative" and exhibit REAL hand crafted art.
The PR nightmare over this has disgusted me. Who is in charge? Frankly, with so many people out of work, they can't find someone who would turn the Seattle Center Around? Clueless.
In this economy, I question any money spent on something not absolutely NECESSARY as foolish and wasteful. The city council should be balancing the budget and all of this other nonsense should be tabled until they can pay attention.
Get the spending under control and stop all projects that are not necessary. Period.
Organizing a flotilla of indentured servants to fill the seats with only "Chihuly" supporters at that meeting put a very, very bad taste in my mouth...and I am NOT alone. It will be a complete disaster if the city does this and our public "officials" will most certainly not be serving the MAJORITY of citizens.
If someone feels that passionate about his "art" then let them fund it, support it and buy the land to erect the alter where glass artists can pay homage. I don't think it worked out too well for Tacoma.
There are much better ideas out here in the community for the use of this space and a more productive way to get "connected" to the citizens that our city council members are making decisions for.
29
Post #28 is quite right: public money should NOT be spent on a museum in a public space.... and in fact one of the great things about the Chihuly project is that it is all privately funded AND will bring over $100,000 per year of revenue to the city.
The Chihuly project is not inhibiting green space, it is providing green space plus art plus education plus tourism and city revenue. There are not public funds for green space right now, the alternative is asphault.
The Chihuly project is not inhibiting green space, it is providing green space plus art plus education plus tourism and city revenue. There are not public funds for green space right now, the alternative is asphault.
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