San Francisco, CA—Put your wallet away—the opening weekend of Chihuly at the de Young is free for all visitors June 14–15 thanks to the support of Target. In addition to viewing the largest show ever staged of the artistry of Dale Chihuly, visitors to the de Young can also enjoy live music, family activities and fire and industrial art programming by the Oakland-based non-profit, The Crucible.

The Crucible will partner with the de Young all weekend demonstrating the broad scope of fire and industrial arts. Their Educational Response Vehicle, a 1960 International Harvester fire truck, will be parked in front of the de Young on Tea Garden Drive and will host displays of arc welding, oxy-acetylene torch cutting, blacksmithing and glass flame working throughout the day. The circus arts will be represented by Gregangelo, Velocity Circus and $teven Ra$pa Productions who will be clowning and presenting a “sideshow spectacular” of extreme jugglers, contortionists, hula hoop artists and musical saws outside the de Young. The Von Stilt Family of stilt walkers will greet visitors on Tea Garden Drive as they enter the festivities. Live music, including the groups Fishtank Ensemble, Loop!Station, Space Heater Blast Furnace and the Smith Dobson V Quartet will entertain on three stages in and around the de Young.

Kids and families can participate in a variety of hands-on art activities all weekend including Marshmallow Madness, Wonderful Weaving, Chandelier Challenge, Tower Trouble and Sticker Garden Surprise which will be located in front of the de Young. Or visitors can gather on the Terrace outside of the Museum Café to observe a bronze pour of the logos of the de Young, Target and The Crucible.

Visitors can also attend one of four screenings of the new documentary, Chihuly at the Hot Shop, in the Koret Auditorium all weekend.

Ticketing Information
Free, timed tickets to the special exhibition, Chihuly at the de Young, will be available at the admissions desk at the de Young. There will be no advance ticketing for this weekend. The number of tickets available to the exhibition is limited and will be issued on a first come, first served basis. Visitors will be allowed four tickets per person. Strollers, baby-carrying backpacks, diaper bags and regular backpacks must be checked before entering the special exhibition galleries. The de Young’s permanent collection galleries will be free all weekend and will not require a ticket.

The Exhibition: Chihuly at the de Young
Chihuly at the de Young includes 11 galleries of new and archival works representing the breadth and scope of Dale Chihuly’s vision over the last four decades. The de Young Museum is the only venue for this show. This exhibition represents all the creative periods of the artist’s career, from drawings to single vessels to architectural installations. Included in the exhibition:

• Glass Forest #3 recreates one of Chihuly’s earliest installations. Comprised of white milk glass and neon, the first version of this work was exhibited in New York at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts (now the Museum of Arts & Design), and has not been viewed in the U.S. since 1972.
• Five Chandeliers will dramatically transform an entire gallery. Their titles suggest a feast of color and form, characteristic of one of Chihuly’s most celebrated series: Ruby Red, Turquoise Icicle, Orange Hornet and Eelgrass, Chiostro di Sant’ Apollonia, and Palazzo de Loredana Balboni.
• The Tabac Baskets will be displayed alongside Chihuly’s personal collection of vintage Pendleton blankets and Northwest Indian baskets–all objects that inspire his work.
• A 56-foot-long Mille Fiori garden of glass composed of bold forms in vibrant colors provides a powerful conclusion to the exhibition.

Chihuly Lectures and Book Signing on Sunday, May 15–Tickets Required
The weekend culminates in a lecture and book signing by Dale Chihuly on Sunday at 1:00 and 2:30 pm. in the Koret Auditorium. Timothy Anglin Burgard, Ednah Root Curator-in-Charge of the American Art Department, will introduce the lecture. Tickets are required for the lecture and are available to the public for $20 ($15 Members).

The book signing in the Piazzoni Murals Room will begin at 3:30 pm and is free to the public.

Please see schedule for the specific times of events.

About Target
Minneapolis-based Target serves guests at 1,613 stores in 47 states nationwide by delivering today’s best retail trends at affordable prices. Target is committed to providing guests with great design through innovative products, in-store experiences and community partnerships. Whether visiting a Target store or shopping online at Target.com, guests enjoy a fun and convenient shopping experience with access to thousands of unique and highly differentiated items. Since 1946, the corporation has invested five percent of its income in the communities it serves. Target (NYSE:TGT) gives more than $3 million a week to its local communities through grants and special programs. Target partners with nonprofit organizations, guests and team members to help meet community needs.

de Young Visitor Information
The de Young Museum, designed by Herzog & de Meuron and located in Golden Gate Park, showcases American art from the 17th through the 21st centuries, international textiles and costumes, and art from the Americas, the Pacific, and Africa.

Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco, CA 94118-450

Hours:
Saturday and Sunday 9:30 am–5:15 pm. Café open 9:30 am–4:30 pm. Museum Store open 9:30 am–5 pm.

Admission:
$10 adults; $7 seniors; $6 youths 13–17 and students with college I.D. Members and children 12 and under are free.

$5 surcharge will apply to special exhibitions.

deyoungmuseum.org