CHIHULY at the ROM with Kids in TOw

At first I was absolutely terrifed to let my kids loose in a room full of gorgeously and intricately displayed glass.

Turns out, I had nothing to worry about. CHIHULY, the latest exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum by the American sculptor Dale Chihuly, had my son stopped in his tracks.

The shapes and colours and imaginative worlds Chihuly created are fascinating and had my seven-year-old’s imagination going right from the start. There were no questions needed from mom to kickstart the conversation. He skipped (a sign of his level of happiness) through the lower-level gallery and renamed every installation — “Germs” for Sapphire Neon Tumbleweeds; “Campfire” for Red Reeds on Logs; “Under the Sea” for Laguna Torcello; “Boat full of Planets” for Float Boat.

 

Seeing it through his eyes brought a new appreciation for Chihuly’s work. I really don’t think I would have lied on the floor to observe the glass ceiling had it not been for my kid in TOw.

This is Chihuly’s first major exhibition in Toronto but he is known worldwide for his ambitious and stunning site-specific architectural installations in public spaces. Near the end of the exhibition, you can see photos of his international work and a video on how these sculptures are created.

TRIP TIPS:

Low-down: Admission prices to the permenant galleries vary depending on whether you include Chihuly and/or Tattoos. For the whole shabang it’s $33 for adults and $22.50 for kids (4-14.) For all other trip tips, directions and what to visit in the permanent collections, check out this review.