Dale Chihuly (born September 20, 1941, in Tacoma, Washington) is a legendary American artist who revolutionized the Studio Glass Movement by elevating blown glass from a functional craft into the realm of large-scale, fine-art sculpture. His works are featured in more than 200 museum collections worldwide. His long-running Garden Cycle integrates monumental structures into landscapes, highlighted at major permanent installations like Chihuly Garden and Glass in Seattle. And now the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery in Waterloo has added one of his chandeliers to their permanent collection.
The major Dale Chihuly artwork at the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery—a monumental, hand-blown piece titled the Lapis Blue Chandelier (2013) was generously gifted to the gallery’s permanent collection in February 2026 by art patrons Erica and Andrew O’Born. Following its donation, it was permanently installed 12 feet overhead in the gallery’s Tower Gallery and officially unveiled to the public on September 18, 2026.
The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery is an award-winning, national institution based in Waterloo Region celebrating the art and craft of clay, glass, and enamel. Situated at 25 Caroline Street North
Waterloo, Ontario, and closed on Mondays. While the artwork itself was a donation, the gallery hosted an exclusive VIP preview fundraiser called “Preview in Blue” to celebrate the installation, with entry tickets priced at $150 per person to help fund the gallery’s ongoing free-admission community programming.
The Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery opened its doors in Waterloo, Ontario, in 1993 as a special place to celebrate art made from fire, earth, and sand.
In the 1980s, a group of artists who loved working with clay, glass, and stained glass had a big dream. They wanted a special home to show off Canada’s best artwork—things made from mud (clay) and melted sand (glass). They didn’t want it to be in a giant city like Toronto. Instead, they wanted it in a place where people loved to make things. They chose Waterloo!
To build this special home, they held a giant contest for architects. A talented architect named John Patkau won the contest! He designed a beautiful building right next to Silver Lake. The building itself is like a piece of art, with high ceilings and cool shapes that let the sunlight dance through the windows to light up the glass inside.
- It protects beautiful art made by Canadian hands so that children, parents, and grandparents can look at them for years to come.
- The Community Gallery: It has a special room just for local artists! This means our neighbors, teachers, and friends can show their art to the world.
- Hands-on Clay Classes: The gallery runs pottery and glass classes and camps where anyone can learn to become an artist.
Some of their recent workshops have involved mosaics, fused glass suncatchers, painting ceramic vases, making ceramic picture frames, Oktoberfest steins, Leaf impression plates, stained glass autumn leaves and ceramic wall hangings. Visit their website for upcoming workshops. https://www.theclayandglass.ca/
The Gallery is a great place to visit and has a gift shop where you can buy original pieces from Canadian artists all over Canada. Plus, you get to see the new Chihuly and perhaps go for lunch at one of the nearby pubs/cafés.
