#KnowTheO: Chihuly Chandelier at PKI

The University of Nebraska’s Peter Kiewit Institute (PKI) is home to not only the UNO College of Information Science & Technology and UNL's College of Engineering, but also “Toreador Red,” a larger than-life red glass piece created by renowned glass sculptor Dale Chihuly.

The hanging chandelier measures approximately 12 feet long and 6 feet wide. “Toreador Red” was brought to UNO as part of the state’s “1% Art Program.” The program stems from a state law that requires every time a new building is built using state dollars that 1% of the funds are used on art. The piece is valued at almost $160,000.

Hesham Ali, professor in the College of Information Science & Technology, says the Chihuly sculpture is important to the building because of its visual representation of the PKI mission. “This is not a piece of art that existed before and was transferred to us. This notion of working across different scientific areas and with community partners was something that was emphasized about PKI early in our interactions with the Chihuly group. We believe these discussions triggered the design of the art piece as a volcanic knowledge eruption.”

Quick Facts About “Toreador Red”

• Each of the shapes was hand blown by Chihuly in his Seattle studio

• Chihuly worked with eight glassblowers to create the massive sculpture

• Predominantly orange and red

• Composed of dozens of individual glass shapes

• The combination of clear and opaque elements adds to the depth of color in the piece