Chihuly inks deal with Arts Center

Dale Chihuly (center) signs a commitment to open a museum at the Arts Center in downtown St. Petersburg. Also pictured are, from left, Terry Brett, chairman of the Arts Center board; St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker; and Evelyn Craft, executive director of the center. [Photo courtesy of the city of St. Petersburg]

Internationally famous glass sculptor Dale Chihuly today formalized his commitment to a new St. Petersburg museum for his colorful glass sculptures at a contract-signing ceremony in Seattle, where he lives.

St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker and Arts Center officials attended the ceremony. Baker issued this statement: "St. Petersburg continues to build on a growing worldwide reputation as
Florida's center of the arts. We welcome Dale Chihuly back to St. Petersburg
to establish a permanent home for some of the most dynamic artwork in the
world."

Baker gave Chihuly a book of letters and drawings made by Arts Center students, and a sculpture incorporating glass made by children from five areas of the city.

The Arts Center, located in downtown St. Petersburg, is planning an expansion that will include the Chihuly museum, the first of its kind in the world. Ground-breaking for the museum and expansion is scheduled for fall 2008.

-- Lennie Bennett, Times staff writer

Comments

[OOHLALA]

PLEEEAASE let this commitment go through...not fall through like cheffy-poo Robert Irvine!

Why take the "Two arrested over neighborhood feud" comments off the blog??? What's the matter St Pete Times? Were those comments a little too real for you??? How about doing a feature on the abundance of violence in the city that bears the same name as your paper (St.Petersburg) I guess that would be a little too relavant. Removing comments that talk about issue's that require much needed addressing, is like turning your back on St. Pete's violence problems. What's next? Are you gonna further turn your back on the town and rename your paper after a town with less of a negative connotation? The town needs your help! Do a feature on the violence in St. Pete, interview the experts. Do your part in bringing positive change to a city that you named your paper after.

[JH Skyscrapercity]

^I would suggest making such commentary in the appropriate place(like a letter to the editor), instead of hijacking a blog about art to air your concerns over why this newspaper isn't fighting crime to your satisfaction...

And btw, it's a newspaper. They aren't responsible for the myriad failures of our political leaders. The idiot voters are solely responsible.

[TLS]

Must be nice that in the time of budget cuts that the Mayor sees fit to waste time and money to travel to Seattle to execute a contract that will only lend profit to Chihuly.