Chihuly at the Phipps: WOW!

Our daughter flew in from Chicago for the weekend, and we wanted to do something besides join the feral mall shoppers. The Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens has been featuring a glass installation by renowned artist Dale Chihuly. I had been wanting to go but, naturally, something else always came up. Lucky for us, the show, originally scheduled to close last month, has been extended to February 24, 2008. We had no problem reserving tickets at the last minute-reservations are used for crowd control due to the popularity of this event-so off we headed to downtown Pittsburgh.

We weren't exactly sure what to expect. I had seen some pictures in the PostGazette. They looked....interesting. But for some reason it wasn't enough to propel me out of my seat with any sense of urgency to visit. Yes, it was an EVENT. Yes, I love glass. Yes, I wanted to see the exhibit before it closed. But navigating my way in and out of town, looking for a parking place....those thoughts had tempered my enthusiasm. Thank goodness for my artsy daughter's visit and my distaste for crowded shopping malls on a Saturday.

The chandelier in the 50 foot rotunda at the entrance is the first piece that you see. It has been purchased with a grant from the Colcom Foundation, and that installation will remain permanently at the Phipps. I had read some raves about it, and it is "nice," but, frankly, it did not do too much for me. There were some birds who had found their way indoors and seemed to be trying to nest in it. Now that made it fun.

Step through the doors into the Palm Court. Tower of blue and yellow twists of glass in the midst of the trees. Hmm. Better. We followed the path to the right and were delighted to find some glass "surprises" tucked amongst the greenery, including a pink flamingo-like piece. More fun.

And then the Serpentine Room. Yikes! Stretching before us were tall, snake-like orange tongues among the canna lilies, picking up their amber color....striking against the green foliage of the elephant's ears, vines and grasses. We were ramped up to "Wow!" at this point. It was facinating to inspect the amber Cattails, to see the texture, the twists, the layers of glass used to make each one unique and yet alike. "Look at this one!" we'd repeat over and over again.

The fern room was next and still remains in my mind. Possibly because of the holiday season, the red glass reeds, some over 10 feet tall and rising out of the lush ferns, reminded me of a Christmas centerpiece with red tapers. I wanted to take it home.

We were so busy looking at the glass "floral arrangements" in the orchid room that we had to remind ourselves to check out the live flowers. We wanted to see the glass installations from every angle and debated over which angle was best. Who'd have thought we'd be so engrossed? Yet, isn't that what art is all about?

For the art-challenged thinker, the Fiori Sun in the Stove Room, looking like an orange, red and yellow fireball, was positioned next to a fire bush with a sign indicating the plant's name. Ah, yes....Installation. That means considering the surroundings and how a piece will fit in. This was echoed later with a yellow sun-like structure hanging over the Desert Room. No sign though. No need. By now we "got it."

The Float Boat, or"boat of balls" as we called it, was fabulous in the South Conservatory. Relaxing, colorful, soothing, exciting, it is a setting for sitting. It would be wonderful if this, too, could become a permanent installation.

The brilliant color in the Sunken Garden made it a standout as well, although we didn't think the installation itself was as well integrated into the setting. The focus here was more on the artwork itself, but that's not a bad thing. This Macchia Forest was made up of hugh glass bowl-type structures that resembled poppy flowers. The insides and outsides were different colors, with speckles of color variations in each layer. We actually circled the room twice to experience how different it was seeing it from each side of the room. It was almost like two different exhibits.

There is a beautiful floral chandelier called "Persians" in the Victoria Room that looks lovely reflected off the water below it. But our favorite room by far was the last one, the East Room. For us, it was breathtaking. The installation was fully integrated into the room. The blues of the glass forms played off of the blue-gray foliage and water features in the room. It was cool, calming and seemed absolutely perfect.

We were surprised to discover as we were leaving that we'd been there for four hours. Although that included a snack break at the Phipps Cafe midway through our excursion, again, who'd have thought? It had been a terrific day, and we're still talking about what a great time we had and how much our expectations had been exceeded. Wow!

So if you're looking for something to do, and I know that Frommer's just listed Pittsburgh as one of THE places to go in 2008, get thee to Chihuly at the Phipps before it's too late. It's not about the pictures. It's about the experience.

Upgrade Beyonce

According to my dictionary, upgrade means to raise to a higher grade or position. Does anyone else find it ironic, then, that Beyonce's commercial for a TV company [I won't name it because I'm not about to promote them] focuses on the word "upgrade," yet it is degrading to females?

Does she really need the money that badly? In comparison, her commercial for American Express tries to show her as caring, wanting to purchase a personal gift for a relative on her own [with the help of her AmX card of course].

I've heard both males and females of various ages comment on how the TV commercial demeans women. Beyonce does nothing but shimmy and move suggestively while repeating the word "upgrade." Upgrade to what? The message seems to be, move up to a slut???!!! Is that the message that someone with her talent and position wants to send to the young girls who look up to her?

Shame on her! She should be using her fame to make the world a better place for the women who follow. She's already got a fortune. Wouldn't it be fortunate if she'd look deeper than the dollar?