of artist Dale Chihuly, a native of the Seattle area, which inspired some of his creations. Chihuly’s 15- foot Sealife Tower features twisting, blue-tinted glass representing starfish, conch shells, sea anemones, and other creatures, some in golden yellow tones. “The Sealife Tower was inspired by Dale Chihuly’s love of water and growing up along the Puget Sound,” says gallery attendant Lorraine Robinson. “It does reflect water in all its different nuances, shades, and light degradations. It’s very graceful.” The Winter Brilliance Gallery has translucent pointed glass shooting out like icicles amid a white snow-like setting. In the Mille Fiori gallery (the title meaning a thousand flowers in Italian), Chihuly created his so- called gardens of glass with large yellow flowers surrounded by red stems and green and blue plants among other shapes. Intricate multicolored chandelier artworks hang from the ceiling in another gallery. Outside the museum, exotic glass artworks representing trees and plants shoot up from flower gardens. You don’t have to be a fan of science fiction to find the Seattle Center’s Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) simply fascinating yet also on the quirky side. Within its amorphous-shaped and multi-color stainless steel and aluminum exterior, exhibits include an actual storm trooper helmet and model of the Death Star from the Star Wars movies. There’s also a creature suit from the 1979 movie Aliens, all part of the museum’s extensive collection of artifacts from science fiction films and TV shows. Being a musician, I’m particularly intrigued by the towering guitar vortex in MoPOP with a mix of basses, drums, keyboards, and even classical instruments, all seemingly glued together and swirling up two or three stories in the shape of a tornado. A prominent exhibit showcases a tribute to Seattle native son and rock legend Jimi Hendrix entitled Wild Blue Angel: Hendrix Abroad 1966-70. Key features include handwritten song lyrics, some of his outfits worn on stage, his white Fender Stratocaster he played at the 1969 Woodstock music festival and his own signature black-rimmed hat with purple trim that he wore on an album cover and during some performances. MoPOP’s collection also includes guitars formerly owned by famous rock and pop musicians including Kurt Cobain, Chuck Berry, and Eric Clapton. As part of Seattle’s great outdoor culture, several city parks offer touches of both wilderness and art. On the edge of downtown, the Seattle Art Museum
Star Trek movie memorabilia is found in the Seattle Center’s Museum of Pop Culture
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