The Hotel Murano collection of glass is not to be missed. It includes an impressive sampling of our Northwest favorites, including Dale, Preston and Dante. However, there is a broad spectrum of artists, new to me, from all parts of the world of studio glass, some dramatic and some quite humorous. Each floor features one artist’s piece behind glass, with a graphic design of the artist statement or information about the artist. Photographs of the artist at work complete the display along the corridors of each floor.

Hotel Murano is beautifully laid out. The display of art starts in the lobby, which is packed with wonderful pieces. My personal favorite is a piece of Venetian glass that shows a maestro leading a group of glass blowers (pictured). It is a wonderful piece and the maestro is supposed to be Dale Chihuly himself.

My docent experience at the Murano has been complicated by the elevators and how they work. One needs an electronic key card to access the floors above the lobby for security purposes. Since I relocated from the Los Angeles area to Tenino (population 1,600 with no sewers, stop lights or elevators), I am out of touch with how these conveniences work. Getting to the correct floor has been a comedy of errors with some unexpected results. Now I have decided to appoint a member of the tour group to operate the elevator, hopefully someone who is familiar with modern city life.

Image Credit: Italian Creation, Lucio Bubacco b. 1957, lampworked and blown glass, 2007, Commissioned exclusively for the Hotel Murano. (Photo by Kathy Hillig)