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What a difference a few decades make! The images of New York City were taken in 1970 (Bernard Gotfryd, Library of Congress) and in 2018 by Afif Ramdhasuma (from pexels.com). Earth Day has been celebrated on April 22 since it was established through grassroots efforts in 1970. It was a response to increasing concerns caused by smog (intense air pollution caused mainly by exhaust fumes), Great Lakes at risk of dying from pesticide runoff and waste dumping, and rivers that caught on fire (the Cuyahoga River in Ohio famously caught fire in June of 1969). It was also the year when monumental legislation was enacted to address all kinds of environmental concerns. ...read more
At Home | Inspiration
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If it’s true, as they say, that seeing is believing, then we at Mast Store would like to propose another entry to your quip collection: Doing is moving. “Doing” not only requires movement - “doing” moves you both physically and emotionally. ...read more
Local Flavor | Mast Family Favorites | Travel
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What is a library? It’s a big building with lots of books in it. But wait, it’s so much more. The library is a gateway to your wildest dreams, a place to learn, a place to imagine, a place to make friends. Today’s libraries are repositories of books, but they also are places to get help to learn to read or improve your reading, to improve your math skills, to listen to a performance by a string quartet, to watch a movie, to refine your crafting skills, and to gather with fellow writers. Yes, libraries are SO much more. ...read more
Adventure | Inspiration | Mast Family Favorites
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... Our favorite foods! Food is universal because everybody’s got ta eat! And the last two months of the year are filled with more than their fair share of family meals, work gatherings, special outings to favorite restaurants, tins filled with homemade cookies and fudge, and the anticipation of food traditions handed down from generation to generation ...read more
At Home | Recipes
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Even before we bought the Mast General Store, we were taken by the beauty of Valle Crucis. We’ve heard people describe the drive out Broadstone Road as traveling through a time portal. In the 1970s, fields in the river bottoms would be filled with tobacco, cabbage, or high with hay to feed cattle that were grazing in the summer pasture. ...read more
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The lucky few who have seen the Earth from a different perspective – astronauts - all echo the same viewpoint upon their return. Yuri Gagarin, a Russian cosmonaut and the first human to go to space, commented, “Orbiting Earth in the spaceship, I saw how beautiful our planet is. People, let us preserve and increase this beauty, not destroy it.”
Behind the Scenes | Inspiration
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After nearly two years of planning and installation, the collaborative efforts of the Biltmore Estate and renowned American artist Dale Chihuly have resulted in one ambitious glass exhibit, Chihuly at Biltmore. It is the first art exhibition at Biltmore’s gardens and the first garden exhibit of Chihuly in North Carolina. See how these works complement and contrast with the remarkable layout of the grounds designed well over a century ago by revered landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, whose portrait by John Singer Sargent prominently hangs in “America’s Largest Home.”
Glass is the most magical of all materials. It transmits light in a special way. – Dale Chihuly
After nearly two years of planning and installation, the collaborative efforts of the Biltmore Estate and renowned American artist Dale Chihuly have resulted in one ambitious glass exhibit, Chihuly at Biltmore. It is the first art exhibition at Biltmore’s gardens and the first garden exhibit of Chihuly in North Carolina. See how these works complement and contrast with the remarkable layout of the grounds designed well over a century ago by revered landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, whose portrait by John Singer Sargent prominently hangs in “America’s Largest Home.”
This is a visual spectacle that must not be missed.
“I want people to be overwhelmed with light and color in some way that they’ve never experienced.” – Dale Chihuly
After the initial “wow factor” of viewing the opulent 250-room mansion’s limestone façade, the impressive and immense, Sole d’Oro (Golden Sun), greets visitors at the head of the long front lawn. A shimmering, soft white-gold sunburst enrobed in a tangle of spiraling tendrils shooting out in every direction, this mesmerizing sculpture is a commanding presence. It is comprised of 1,300 hand-blown glass pieces and weighs over 5,000 pounds.
At the front entrance and terrace, Sky Blue and Cobalt Fiori (Flowers) welcome everyone in an array of blue-hued shoots, orbs, and spirals. As one enters the grand foyer, the Laguna Torcello (Torcello Lagoon; Torcello is a tiny island near Venice, Italy) entices viewers to the fountain of the Winter Garden, a glass-roofed solarium encircled with palm trees and other lush plants, which features the only Chihuly piece inside the house. The twisting glass shoots of amber, white, and gold remind one of sea anemones, spiraling upward from the water pulling the eye towards the marble and bronze centerpiece sculpture, Boy Stealing Geese. This piece was created solely for the exhibit at Biltmore and represents Chihuly’s love of water and Venice.
Outside, explore the grounds that lead to the elegant Italian Garden, featuring three symmetrical pools accented by sculptures and grassy panels. The Float Boat languidly sits in the first of the pools- a rustic, wooden dinghy packed to overflowing with large speckled and streaked glass orbs in rich, vibrant colors and various sizes. As if they tumbled out of the boat, even more of these marbles on steroids, called Niijima Floats (Niijima is a Japanese island), dot the serene water laden with Victorian lily pads and Japanese koi swimming about.
The back pool features the Fiori Boat, filled with an array of colorful curvilinear vines, straight-edged reeds, and luscious bulbs. Sharing the watery space are the Neodymium Reeds (in stunning purple) surrounded by Fiori Verdi (Green Flowers), marking another interesting visual contrast of slender, up-shooting pieces juxtaposed with the glittering, twisting cornucopia-horned shapes and translucent arching stems with diving buds.
Truly, the Italian Garden alone is a mesmerizing feast for the eyes. Spend some time here, drinking it all in.
Leisurely strolling through the shady Pergola, an archway with lichen-covered walls and winding wisteria vines, one will see displayed four marble busts. Each represents a season of the year and is flanked by glass installations in organic shapes and cool-colored hues, called the Pergola Fiori. Below the Fall sculpture, however, was an arrangement that really stood out from the others. It was a group in warm colors (bright red, orange, and yellow) of vertical, rounded shoots that looked like a cadre of hooded cobras standing guard. Just a first impression; open to many interpretations.
The Walled Garden, a marvelous collection of plants, flowers (the roses and hibiscus were especially lovely), and fountains, features eye-catching tall and twisty glass structures, like the Electric Yellow and Deep Coral Tower, while Cattails and Copper Birch Reeds are scattered throughout the plant beds to enhance the surroundings.
At the edge of the Walled Garden, is the Conservatory, a huge greenhouse with arched windows that holds a variety of exotic plants and flowers. Hanging from the ceiling’s riveted metal beams are three Burnished Amber, Citron and Teal Chandeliers shimmering in the sunlight from the glass roof above- the only other interior pieces in the exhibit, though it feels like one is outside exploring the wonders of a rainforest.
These are just a few of the many highlights of this awesome installation, Chihuly at Biltmore. The monumental exhibit is a testament to how three-dimensional visual art can complement the existing environmental landscape and brings together the creative brilliance of two gifted artists from different eras.
All it took was imagination.
“We are the music-makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.” -Willy Wonka (from the opening line of British poet Arthur O’Shaughnessy’s “Ode” from Music and Moonlight)
Chihuly at Biltmore runs until October 7, 2018. The exhibit can be viewed during the daytime or see the dramatic change when it is illuminated at night. For ticket information, visit follow this LINK.
For more information about Dale Chihuly, his life and work, visit: www.chihuly.com