Discover Chihuly at Biltmore: A Peek Inside the Exhibition

Chihuly at Biltmore is a new exhibition featuring 33 different artworks, including pedestal works, Drawings, and large-scale installations of Chandeliers, Towers, Mille Fiori, and Neon by world-renowned artist Dale Chihuly.

Get ready to be transported to another world as you move through the breathtaking galleries of Amherst with a peek inside this must-see exhibition.

Glass sculptures of icicle towers and chandeliers by Dale Chihuly.
Dale Chihuly, Icicle Chandeliers and Towers, Biltmore, Asheville, North Carolina, installed 2024 © 2015 Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved.

Explore artwork throughout seven galleries

“This is the first time Biltmore has hosted a Chihuly exhibition since 2018 when his work was displayed primarily in the gardens,” said Travis Tatham, Director of Entertainment and Event Programming.

By hosting the exhibition in Amherst at Deerpark®, you will have a chance to explore Chihuly’s work in a gallery setting. The location enabled our team to select works of art that are different from the last exhibit and highlight additional aspects of Chihuly’s remarkable career.

It took three years of collaboration and planning to create a custom-designed space for this large-scale exhibition to be displayed throughout seven galleries.

Installation from Chihuly at Biltmore, March 25, 2024 – January 5, 2025 at Amherst, Dale Chihuly, Tabac Baskets, 2008 with Western trade blankets, Soft Cylinders (detail), 2008-14, and Peach Cylinders with Indian Blanket Drawings, 1995-2016, Biltmore, Asheville, North Carolina, installed 2024, © 1995 Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved.
Neon shapes and glass reeds on logs.
Dale Chihuly, Sapphire Neon and Neodymium Reeds on Logs (detail), 2023, Biltmore, Asheville, North Carolina, installed 2024 © 2023 Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved.

Learn about the artist, Dale Chihuly

“With Chihuly at Biltmore, you’ll experience a curated exhibition that showcases how inspiration, design, and technique come together in breathtaking objects and installations,” said Travis.

As part of the exhibition, a comprehensive timeline offers details into Chihuly’s development of innovative techniques and inspired exhibitions throughout his career.

“There is a beautiful variety of art on display made up of various colors, shapes, and compositions,” Travis said. “This is an ideal setting for you to not only view the installations, but learn about Dale Chihuly’s life, work, and his powerful influence on art, as well as Biltmore’s own connection to glass art.”

Installations around the estate

In addition to the awe-inspiring installations in Amherst, you have the opportunity to marvel at two large-scale installations presented on estate grounds: A Winter White and Glacier Blue Tower on the East Terrace in front of Biltmore House and a freestanding Torchlight Chandelier at the Entry Green in Antler Hill Village.

While in the Village, be sure to admire Chihuly’s Iris Gold and Garnet Chandelier in the Winery. Installed in 2023, it was created especially for Biltmore and is part of the estate’s permanent collection.

Amherst at Deerpark venue on Biltmore Estate
Installation from Chihuly at Biltmore, March 25, 2024 through January 5, 2025 at Amherst at Deerpark. Chihuly at Biltmore exhibition, Asheville, North Carolina, 2024, © 2024 Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved.

You don’t want to miss Chihuly at Biltmore

While Dale Chihuly’s work is represented in museums and collections throughout the world, viewing it here at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC, brings past and present full circle.

“The estate has always been a destination for art and culture, from the glass art and other remarkable objects the Vanderbilts collected–including paintings by Claude Monet, John Singer Sargent, and James Whistler–to the beautiful gardens and grounds designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, landscape architect, and our award-winning wines handcrafted at Biltmore’s Winery,” Travis noted. “That’s why Biltmore is the perfect place to experience this extraordinary exhibition!”

Just as George Vanderbilt loved sharing world-class artwork with his guests over a century ago, we look forward to sharing Chihuly at Biltmore with you!

Featured image: A family discovers the iconic Persian Ceiling in the exhibition. Dale Chihuly, Persian Ceiling, 2012, 25 x 15′, Biltmore, Asheville, North Carolina, installed 2024 © 2012 Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved.

Presenting the Artist: Dale Chihuly

Renowned for pushing the limits of glass as a medium, Dale Chihuly has presented groundbreaking artworks all around the world.

With Chihuly at Biltmore now on display, we invite you to learn more about the artist and his lasting influences on contemporary art.

James Mongrain, Dale Chihuly, and Andrea Lesnett, Rotolo in process, The Hotshop, The Boathouse, Seattle, 2013. ©Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved.
James Mongrain, Dale Chihuly, and Andrea Lesnett, Rotolo in process, The Hotshop, The Boathouse, Seattle, 2013. ©Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved.

Chihuly the innovator

Born in Tacoma, Washington, Dale Chihuly embarked on his journey into the world of glass during his studies of interior design. His fascination with the medium led him to a Fulbright Scholarship that saw him travel to the renowned Venini glass factory in Venice, where he immersed himself in traditional techniques and team glassblowing.

His innovative teaching methods and artistic vision left an undeniable mark on the field, pushing boundaries and emphasizing collaborative glassblowing techniques. Chihuly’s ideas have pushed the limits of glass as an artistic medium, with his work included in more than 200 museum collections worldwide, earning him numerous awards, including two National Endowment for the Arts fellowships and 13 honorary doctorates.

Dale Chihuly Paintbrushes, 2016 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, installed 2019 © Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved.
Dale Chihuly Basket Forest, 2001 Garfield Park Conservatory, Chicago © Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved.
Dale Chihuly Cobalt Reeds and Fiori, 2012; Glasshouse Sculpture, 2012; and Pacific Sun, 2011 Chihuly Garden and Glass, installed 2012 © Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved.

Exhibitions around the world

Chihuly’s love for travel began with his first trip to Italy at the age of 21, where he pursued the study of art in Florence. He returned to Italy in 1996 for perhaps his most iconic project, Chihuly Over Venice, a massive undertaking that started with glassblowing sessions in Finland, Ireland, and Mexico.

At this time, his work has been featured in 26 countries and Chihuly continues to present ambitious exhibitions at museums and botanical gardens across the globe.

Dale Chihuly, Ethereal White Persian Pond, 2018, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore, installed 2021 © 2018 Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved.
Dale Chihuly, Ethereal White Persian Pond, 2018, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore, installed 2021 © 2018 Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved.

Art on a grand scale

Chihuly’s work boasts more than a dozen acclaimed series, each a testament to his mastery of form and color. Among these are Cylinders, Baskets, Seaforms, Macchia, Persians, Venetians, Niijima Floats, Chandeliers, and Fiori—many of which are incorporated in the current exhibition at Biltmore!

Chihuly’s lifelong fascination with nature and glasshouses grew into a series of exhibitions within botanical settings, including London’s Kew Gardens, Chicago’s Garfield Park Conservatory and Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay. In 2012, his long-term exhibition, Chihuly Garden and Glass, opened at Seattle Center.

In 2018, Biltmore welcomed Chihuly at Biltmore, an exhibition showcasing the artist’s breathtaking large-scale glass sculptures in the century-old gardens of America’s Largest Home®. This unique visual experience marked the first art exhibition in Biltmore’s historic gardens and the first garden exhibition of artist Dale Chihuly’s works in North Carolina.

Dale Chihuly, Mille Fiori (detail), 2023, 8 1/2 x 34 1/2 x 15′, Biltmore, Asheville, North Carolina, installed 2024 © 2023 Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved.
Dale Chihuly, Sapphire Neon and Neodymium Reeds on Logs (detail), 2023, Biltmore, Asheville, North Carolina, installed 2024 © 2023 Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved.
Dale Chihuly, Ikebana Doppio Drawing Suite #9, 2001, 7 x 30′, Biltmore, Asheville, North Carolina, installed 2024 © 2001 Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved.

An all-new Chihuly at Biltmore

The success of Chihuly’s 2018 outdoor exhibition at Biltmore paved the way for an all-new Chihuly at Biltmore exhibition, now on view inside the galleries of Amherst at Deerpark®.

Featuring 33 curated artworks, including pedestal works, Drawings, Chandeliers, Towers, Mille Fiori, Neon, and two large-scale installations on estate grounds, this exhibition offers you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the captivating world of Chihuly’s iconic artworks.

Dale Chihuly, Iris Gold and Garnet Chandelier, 2022, 9-1/2 x 6 x 6′, Biltmore Winery, Asheville, North Carolina, installed 2023 © 2022 Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved.
Dale Chihuly, Iris Gold and Garnet Chandelier, 2022, 9-1/2 x 6 x 6′, Biltmore Winery, Asheville, North Carolina, installed 2023 © 2022 Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved.

Experience awe-inspiring artwork at Biltmore

Ready to immerse yourself in a world of wonder? Plan your visit and reserve your special admission-inclusive overnight package at one of our distinctive hotels for this must-see exhibition.

Featured Image

Dale Chihuly with Laguna Torcello II, Biltmore, Asheville, North Carolina, 2018 ©
2018 Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved.

Biltmore Winery Welcomes Chihuly Chandelier

Biltmore Winery welcomes you to marvel at Iris Gold and Garnet Chandelier created by world-renowned artist Dale Chihuly.

Learn more about the inspiration, creation, and location of this beautiful Chandelier by artist Dale Chihuly!

Inspiration for the Chihuly Chandelier

“We are thrilled to share the acquisition of the Iris Gold and Garnet Chandelier by Dale Chihuly,” said Bill Cecil, President and CEO of Biltmore and great-grandson of George Vanderbilt.

Portrait of George Vanderbilt and three bottles of wine
George Vanderbilt (left; portrait by John Singer Sargent) was a thoughtful collector of wines whose legacy continues to inspire our handcrafted Biltmore wines today.

“We know that George Vanderbilt was a thoughtful collector of art and wine who enjoyed bringing beautiful objects to fill his home and sharing excellent vintages at his table,” Bill said, “so our family commissioned this piece to represent the importance of wine in our history, from the Vanderbilt era to our modern-day winemaking philosophy.”

The stunning chandelier draws inspiration from the vibrant hues found in Biltmore’s red, white, and rosé wines.

Creating the intricate composition

Travis Tatham (center), Biltmore’s Director of Destination Entertainment and Events, looks at the plans for the new Iris Gold and Garnet Chandelier with members of Team Chihuly.
Travis Tatham explores color options for the new Iris Gold and Garnet Chandelier
Travis Tatham participates in glassblowing with Team Chihuly in The Hotshop in Seattle, WA.

Chihuly’s Chandeliers are composed of hundreds of blown glass elements that together make up elaborate, intricate compositions. Chihuly began the Chandelier series in 1992 and has since created them for locations all around the world.

Detail of Chihuly Chandelier at Biltmore
Dale Chihuly, Iris Gold and Garnet Chandelier, 2022, 8x6x6′, ©2023 Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved.

“What makes the Chandeliers work for me is the massing of color. If you take hundreds of blown pieces of one color, put them together, and then shine light through them, now that’s going to be something to look at. Hang it in a space and it becomes mysterious, defying gravity or seemingly out of place, like something you have never seen before.” — Dale Chihuly

A welcome addition to Biltmore’s collection

Stained glass La Farge windows
George Vanderbilt’s father commissioned artist and interior designer John La Farge to create several stained glass panels that represent “The Fruits of Prosperity”.

“While we have decorative glass objects in Biltmore’s private collection, such as a Tiffany vase and the La Farge stained glass windows, this commissioned Chihuly Chandelier is the first fine-art glass sculpture to be added to Biltmore’s private collection,” said Ellen Rickman, Director of Museum Services.

Tiffany vase
Part of the Biltmore collection, this handblown vase by famed art glass maker Louis Comfort Tiffany features different layers of glass in different colors, with a gold metallic surface and woven sterling silver overlay.

Dale Chihuly is recognized for having a significant impact on the art world, just as artists like Paul Auguste Renoir and Claude Monet did in their time. We are honored to welcome this work of art into our collection alongside important works by other great artists.

Savor and share Biltmore Winery’s new Chihuly Chandelier

Couple on a romantic date entering the Winery at Biltmore
Biltmore’s Winery offers wonderful ways to savor and share all year round, including the new Chandelier by Chihuly.

All Biltmore guests with estate admission, Annual Pass membership, or an overnight stay are welcome to view the Chihuly Chandelier inside the Wine Shop of our estate Winery in Antler Hill Village. For current hours of operation, visit biltmore.com/hours.

For those who enjoy sharing their memories on social media, we invite you to use our official tags:

  • Handles: @biltmoreestate @biltmorewines @chihulystudio
  • Location tag: Biltmore, 1 Lodge Street
  • Hashtag: #ChihulyatBiltmore #Chihuly #Biltmore

Featured image: Dale Chihuly, Iris Gold and Garnet Chandelier, 2022, 8x6x6′, ©2023 Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved.