My Blue Dots–Chihuly Dedication
When people walk into the Lorry I. Lokey Stem Cell Research Building for the first time, they can't help but stop and stare, their eyes drawn upward to the imposing 2 ton, blueglass sculpture that hangs in the atrium. Spanning more than 3 stories, the artwork that glistens with gold when lit up at night is called the Tre Stelle di Lapislazzuli Chandelier (Italian for “Three Stars of Lapis Lazuli Chandelier”) and is an iconic symbol of the importance of combining art with science.
“Art can inspire people in life's activities, and works of art provide important symbols that remind us why we are doing what we are doing,” said Irving Weissman, MD, director of the Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. Art in the building will also be symbolic of the creative process that the building is designed to foster, Weissman added. “Art reminds us all of the importance of interaction across disciplines, and that such creative interactions are going on in this place.”
The concept for the Chihuly chandelier came about during the groundbreaking in 2008, when Weissman had a conversation with Sue McCollum, a local philanthropist who had established a non-profit organization that supports cancer research and cancer care programs. They discussed their admiration for Chihuly's innovative work in his permanent installations and temporary exhibits all over the world.
Chihuly and McCollum had collaborated on several things in the past. Thus, Weissman and McCollum decided to ask Chihuly to create some glass artwork for the building.
In the words of Dale Chihuly: “Art, architecture, and science seem to all work interchangeably with one another. I was pleased to have been asked by Sue McCollum, the founder of My Blue Dots to create a work of art for the spectacular atrium in the Lorry I. Lokey Stem Cell Research Building.”
The Chihuly sculpture was donated by the My Blue Dots foundation that McCollum organized to support cancer research after her own struggle with breast cancer. She was treated at Stanford by radiation oncologist Albert Koong, MD, PhD, who is one of the cancer researchers whose work has since been supported by My Blue Dots. The name My Blue Dots comes from the blue tattoos that served as permanent guide marks for repeated radiation treatments. For over ten years, My Blue Dots has supported scientific research as well as cancer programs at Stanford combining art with science for healing, hope, and health.
The 2,071 pieces of glass for the chandelier were blown earlier this year and carefully arranged on metal armatures in Chihuly's studio in Seattle. The work was so large that it had to be hung in separate pieces. Then it was taken apart, packed in 161 boxes, and shipped to Stanford for final assembly, which took place over 2 weeks in August and September. The finished work, weighing 4,300 pounds, is 33 feet long and the lower tip dangles 13 feet above the floor.
This magnificent Tre Stelle di Lapislazzuli Chandelier will stand as a symbol of the importance of combining art with science for generations to come.
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