Born in 1941 in Tacoma, Washington, Dale Chihuly was introduced to
glass while studying interior design at the University of Washington.
After graduating in 1965, Chihuly enrolled in the first glass program in
the country, at the University of Wisconsin. He continued his studies at
the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he later established
the glass program and taught for more than a decade.
In 1968, after receiving a Fulbright Fellowship, he went to work at the
Venini glass factory in Venice. There he observed the team approach
to blowing glass, which is critical to the way he works today. In 1971,
Chihuly cofounded Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State. With
this international glass center, Chihuly has led the avant-garde in the
development of glass as a fine art.
His work is included in more than 200 museum collections worldwide.
He has been the recipient of many awards, including two fellowships
from the National Endowment for the Arts and thirteen honorary
doctorates.
