Dale Chihuly (b. September 20, 1941 in Tacoma, Washington, USA) is a modern day glass sculptor.
Chihuly grew up and graduated from high school in Tacoma. Supported by his mother after his brother George's death in a flight-training accident in Florida and his father's death of a heart attack, he had no intention to continue his education until his mother convinced him to enroll at the College of the Puget Sound (now University of Puget Sound) in 1959. A year later, he transferred to the University of Washington at Seattle, where, though he studied interior design and architecture, he first tried glass-blowing.
Since losing the vision in one of his eyes in an automobile accident in 1976, Chihuly no longer has the depth perception necessary to handle the molten glass himself. Instead, he conceptualizes each project with paint and canvas and then employs a team of artists to do the handiwork.
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