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FeedTacoma: A glass act
Blown glass revitalizes an old timber town
Tacoma, Washington, was built on lumber, coal, shipyards and rail yards, but it has reinvented itself as a community of artists working in one medium, glass, and inspired by Dale Chihuly. Take a long weekend for a mesmerizing look at this city of glass.
FIRST GLASS DIGS: HOTEL MURANO Last year, a ’60s-style Sheraton was transformed into the new Hotel Murano, a living glass museum with a major collection of international glass art showcased all over the hotel: Check out the door handles.
Every floor features a glass artist (including, of course, Chihuly) with photos of artists at work and completed pieces on display. You choose amenities from: a pillow menu (foam or feather?), a spiritual menu (Gideon’s Bible or Bhagavad-Gita?).
There’s a day spa, a restaurant (Bite, on the mezzanine) and 24-hour room service, fitness and business centers. Best of all, Hotel Murano is within walking distance of (or a free light-rail ride to) the museum district, the glass art heart of Tacoma. 1320 Broadway Plaza, 888-862-3255, hotelmuranotacoma.com.
LOOKING AT GLASS. Tacoma’s new identity as a world center for studio glass artists grew from the revolutionary approach Tacoma native Chihuly brought to the ancient art of glass-blowing. Chihuly works on a monumental scale that makes glasswork creation a team endeavor.
Tacoma is as full of artists inspired by Chihuly’s work as it is full of Chihuly’s work. Take advantage of Ear for Art, a cell phone-guided walking tour of Chihuly’s glass works that guides you to 12 stops. You can also take a guided Chihuly Walking Tour. Cost is $15 per person and includes admission to the Tacoma Art Museum. TAM has the largest retrospective collection of Chihuly’s art on public long-term display, but the museum itself, with its undulating rock courtyards echoing the wave forms of Puget Sound, is worth exploring.
Next, walk across Chihuly’s Bridge of Glass, pausing to admire the Crystal Towers. The Museum of Glass is dedicated entirely to glass; at its center is the world’s largest hot shop amphitheater, where you can watch glass artists at work. Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave., 253-272-4258. Museum of Glass, 1801 Dock Street, 253-284-2129, museumofglass.org.
BUY IT OR BLOW YOUR OWN Controlling a blinding-hot blob of glass on the end of a blow pipe and heating it in the “glory hole,” or crucible, yourself gives you insight into the glass art you’ve been viewing in Tacoma. Schedule a hands-on session at Tacoma Glassblowing Studio, 114 S. 23rd Street, 253-383-3499.
If you’re interested in buying a serious piece, visit the William Traver Gallery in the museum district. Traver has been working with glass artists for decades and his daughter, Sarah Traver, manages the Tacoma gallery. Go to travergallery.com.
FILL YOUR GLASS. The Swiss Pub displays Chihuly glass over the bar, and a vast array of microbrews, imports and cocktails behind it. Choose from a menu of snacks, pasta and sandwiches. The Sea Grill, three blocks from Hotel Murano, specializes in seafood and showcases work from the Tacoma Glassblowing Studio. Pacific Grill offers steak and seafood. Swiss Pub, 1904 Jefferson Ave., 253-572-2821. Sea Grill, 1498 Pacific Ave., 253-272-5656. Pacific Grill, 1502 Pacific Ave., 253-627-3535.
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