Chihuly Inspired Recycled Art

Dale Chihuly is an American Artist that pioneered never-before-seen glass blowing techniques. Over the years, he has developed innovative techniques to achieve his unique artistic vision. He is keen to experiment and unafraid of failure, which makes his art deliver uniquely immersive experiences by uniting color, light, form, and space that is inspired by architecture and gardens.

We have been collecting recycled water bottles and plastic dishes/cups/bowls/tops, in different sizes to create our own Chihuly inspired art. After collecting a good amount, we placed them in the oven on broil for 30seconds-1 minute to change the form into gardenesque shapes/sculptures like Chihuly's bowls. We explained to the children that the heat causes the molecules in the plastic to move and then fall apart. At the correct heat, the plastic softens and loses its stiffness, becoming malleable like the glass art Chihuly creates. Once we looked at images of his art work, we provided Colorations tempera paint and brushes, and invited the children to paint. 

Through this STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) activity, the children are not only using creative and critical thinking skills they are also being exposed to famous artists and the different types of art. The more a child is exposed to the arts, the more techniques they are aware of, the more they can problem solve to think critically, the more they can creatively express themselves, the more accepting they are, and the more beauty they can see in the world around them just like Chihuly.