Press Release
Lectures, Tours and Events
Gardens of Glass: Chihuly at Kew
Supported by GlaxoSmithKline
28 May 2005 - 15 January 2006
With the gardens and glasshouses at Kew transformed by Dale Chihuly's large-scale, vibrantly-coloured glass installations, a programme of lectures, tours and hands-on sessions will provide visitors with a further insight into the fascinating world of glass.
Summer Lecture Series
Tuesday 24 May - Dale Chihuly: Past Work and Recent Projects
Jennifer Lewis, Chihuly Studio Project Director, Museum and Special Exhibitions
Thursday 16 June - Houses of Glass - Oranges and their Fashionable Display
Dr Sally Jeffery, Birkbeck University of London
Thursday 7 July - There's more to Glass than meets the Eye - The Science of Glass
Dr Robert Hill, Reader in Materials, Imperial College
Friday 29 July - Chihuly and other Contemporary Glass Artists in the V&A
Jennifer Opie, Former Head of Ceramics & Glass Collection, V&A Museum
Venue: Jodrell Lecture Theatre. Entry via Jodrell Gate on Kew Road.
Time: Doors open at 6.30pm . Lectures commence at 7pm prompt.
Tickets £10 each
Available by post (enclosing an S.A.E.) from: Kew Summer Lecture Series, Finance Section, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB
Cheques payable to Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . For debit / credit card bookings and enquiries please telephone: 020 8332 5626 or e-mail: adulted@kew.org
Exhibition Tours
'A Garden of Earthly Delights'
This thought-provoking tour will compare Dale Chihuly's exuberant glass sculptures with the exotic plants and historic landscape amongst which they are set.
June, July, August, September
Tuesdays and Saturdays 12pm and 3pm
Starting from Victoria Gate Visitor Centre
FREE OF CHARGE, limited to 15 on a first-come, first-served basis. Please register with the guide from 15 minutes before the tour.
Hands-On Sessions
Visitors will have the opportunity to handle a variety of exotic glass elements from Chihuly's installations and discover the ingredients that are used in the manufacture of glass.
June, July, August, September
Wednesdays and Sundays 2pm - 4pm
Temperate House
FREE OF CHARGE on a drop-in basis
Ends
Further information:
For further information and images please contact Anna Quenby, Lauren Bird or Oliver Basciano in the Kew Gardens Press Office, Telephone 020 8332 5607, email pr@kew.org.
Visit www.kew.org for further information about the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew .
Notes to Editors:
Gardens of Glass: Chihuly at Kew
Gardens of Glass: Chihuly at Kew, supported by GlaxoSmithKline, is a major exhibition of large-scale, vividly-coloured, organically-shaped glass installations by renowned American artist, Dale Chihuly. This spectacular sequence of uniquely-shaped and vibrantly-coloured glass sculptures displayed in Kew's historic glasshouses and unique garden landscape is the first exhibition of its kind in to be held in Europe. The exhibition has been specifically designed to respond to the plants, trees, historic landscape, architecture and sweeping vistas of Kew . The exhibition is on from 28 May 2005 until January 2006, giving visitors the opportunity to experience the works throughout the changing seasons. www.kew.org/chihuly
Royal Botanic Gardens , Kew
Kew Gardens is a major international visitor attraction and its 132 hectares of landscaped gardens attract over one million visitors per year. Kew was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2003 and represents over 250 years of historical landscape. RBG, Kew is a world famous scientific organisation, internationally respected for its outstanding living collection of plants and world-class herbarium as well as its scientific expertise in plant diversity, conservation and sustainable development in the UK and around the world. www.kew.org.
GlaxoSmithKline
Gardens of Glass: Chihuly at Kew is supported by GlaxoSmithKline as part of the company's community support programme. With global headquarters close to Kew in Brentford, the company has a continuing programme of charitable activities in the UK , funding a variety of projects in the following areas: healthcare, scientific education, medical research, the arts and the environment. The company is a longstanding supporter of Kew , having sponsored a number of projects at the Gardens, the most recent of which was the Go Wild festival in 2003. For further information on GSK's community programmes please visit www.gsk.com/community
For further Press information please contact:
|
Kew: Public Relations Tel: +44 (0)20 8332 5607/5619 |
Wakehurst Place: Public Relations Tel: +44 (0)1444 894018 |
