Elaborate, intricate chandelier being built in Columbia Art Museum

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - There's a new one-of-a-kind addition to the Columbia Museum of Art that weighs 1,600 pounds.

"There's roughly a little over 800 pieces," said Team Chihuly member Rick Holland. "They're all hand-blown in Seattle."

It's a gnarly configuration of multi-colored glass shapes, the calling card of internationally celebrated artist Dale Chihuly.

"It's unbelievable," said Maryanne Belser, part of the museum's Contemporaries group, a fund-raising organization that saw Chihuly's work a few years ago and never looked back.

"They had seen a Chihuly exhibition when they were in London and they said wouldn't it be great if we had something like that here," said Belser.
     
During the past five years, they raised more than $360,000.

On Monday, 200 boxes arrived. Escorting them were three members of Team Chihuly, who spent Tuesday hanging the central steel cage on cables strong enough to suspend a four-door sedan.

Since then, they've been arranging glass.

"They hand-wire in each piece of that glass individually, which is unbelievable to me," said Belser. "I'm glad it's not me!"

"There is an immense amount of pressure to satisfy everyone who has put an immense amount of time and effort into it," said Holland.
     
The team put the chandelier together once in Seattle, but the sculptures never fit together the same way twice.
     
One of the advantages of this space, the team says, is a balcony that allows an up-close look for passersby.

"We still have a lot of interaction with people while we're working and that's cool," said Team Chihuly member Zane Kirkhuff.
     
People that each have their own interpretations.

"Today I heard someone say it reminds them of monkeys," said Kirkhuff.
     
Others will say it's a Carolina Sunset or an outgrowth of Columbia's "Famously Hot" logo. Museum supporters just hope that the one of a kind draws people in for a chance to look up.
     
The team thinks they can have the chandelier done by Friday night if everything goes as planned. They'll be working through the day, and if you want to see them action, stop by the museum.