A Chihuly for LSU

The recently-built LSU Health Sciences building—located at 5246 Brittany Drive—has a new, indefinite house guest: a Dale Chihuly glass sculpture. Received on loan from the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, the piece features “red spears” made from ruby-colored glass.

Washington-based glass artist Dale Chihuly, now seventy-three, is famous around the world for his unique and massive glass installations. In addition to over twenty exhibits since the early ‘90s, his work can be seen in permanent installations in the United States, Canada, England, Singapore, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.

Dr. George Karam, director of LSU Health Sciences, said he hopes the sculpture serves to encourage reflection in all who stop to see it. “When we were planning the move from Earl K. Long to partnering with Our Lady of the Lake, we wanted this environment that we hoped would simulate the human element—something healing and reflective,” Karam said. “What we do here is more than just science. There’s a human element to our profession—we wanted a humanism garden.”

Karam said that the new LSU Health Sciences building was designed to recall certain Art Deco elements of LSU’s campus (including a tower standing in for Tower Drive), and the Chihuly sculpture is apparently no less symbolic. Ruby gemstones historically represent wisdom and health, Karam added, and the “red spears” conjure medical wisdom specifically—not to mention their obvious relevance to the English translation of “Baton Rouge.”

“It was really a great symbolic fit for where it is,” Dr. Karam said.

The sculpture will remain on the second floor of the building indefinitely.