DNA Tower
Encyclopedia
DNA Tower, a public sculpture by American glass artist Dale Chihuly
, is in the Morris Mills Atrium of the VanNuys Medical Science Building, on the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), which is near downtown Indianapolis
, Indiana
. It was commissioned for the Indiana University School of Medicine
through a gift from an anonymous donor and was dedicated on September 30, 2003.
DNA Tower is 20.2 feet (6.2 m) tall and 4.7 feet (1.4 m) in diameter; its wooden base is 5.4 feet (1.6 m) in diameter.
The sculpture is composed of 1,200 blown-glass globes and weighs a total of 3,000 pounds. Each globe has a different texture and weighs between 1 and 2 pounds. The mauve, green and blue globes represent the four nucleobases, while the yellow globes represent the double helix, or sugar and phosphate group, to which the bases are attached. The glass is held in place by a steel
armature
that is painted blue. The base support of the sculpture is surrounded and protected by a 5' tall circular cherry wood base that is 5'5" in diameter.
and his colleague Francis Crick
.
The glass pieces and painted steel armature were fabricated in Chihuly's Seattle studios.
On September 23, 2003, the Indiana University School of Medicine launched a statewide, week-long centennial celebration at each of its nine campuses. The installation of the glass components of DNA Tower began on September 24, 2003. When the globes were removed from their crates, installation experts and volunteers carefully sorted and organized them. The globes were then attached to the armature by metal wire. A time-lapsed video of the installation is available at Chihuly's official website.
On September 30, 2009, the unveiling and dedication of Chihuly's DNA Tower sculpture in the Morris Mills Atrium of the VanNuys Medical Science Building coincided with the dedication of the new, 128215 square feet (11,911.6 m²) Indiana University's School of Medicine Research II facility on IUPUI's campus. The Research II facility houses the Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Walther Oncology Center, Indiana Center of Excellence in Biomedical Imaging and the Indiana Center for Biological Microscopy.
Of DNA Tower, Chihuly stated: "This installation is really unlike anything I’ve created before – I’m proud that it will be on permanent view at the Indiana University School of Medicine."
in 1941. Chihuly received an M.S. in sculpture from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1967 and earned his M.F.A. in Ceramics from Rhode Island School of Design
(RISD) in 1968. He became the first American to apprentice at Venice's Venini Glass Factory in 1968. Chihuly then began to specialize in glass. However, a car accident in 1976 and subsequent surfing injury in 1979 caused Chihuly to relinquish the position of gaffer, or chief glassblower, for good. Chihuly has since directed the work of others at his studio in Seattle, employing around 100 people.
In 1992, Chihuly was honored as a Living National Treasure
by the Institute for Human Potential at the University of North Carolina
. He has also received numerous honorary doctorates and awards, including two National Endowment for the Arts
Individual Artist grants. As of 2005, Chihuly's work was exhibited in over 170 museums around the world. In 2004, Chihuly's earnings were estimated at $29 million.
(VAI) founder Jay Van Andel
to create another DNA glass sculpture, entitled Life. Dedicated on October 27, 2005, the 14-foot, 1,200 pound Life is suspended from the ceiling in the VAI lobby located in Grand Rapids, Michigan
. Although Life is a memorial to Jay Van Andel's wife and VAI co-founder Betty Van Andel, it is also considered to be a commemoration of the 1953 discovery of the structure of DNA.
. Fireworks of Glass consists of two parts: a ceiling filled with 1,600 pieces of glass and a 43 feet (13.1 m) tower constructed of over 3,200 pieces and weighing 18,000 pounds. According to the Seattle Times, President and CEO Jeffery H. Patchen convinced the museum's board to commission the piece for $4.5 million.
1989 campaign organized by Heritage Preservation: The National Institute of Conservation partnered with the Smithsonian Institution
, specifically the Smithsonian American Art Museum
. Throughout the 1990s, over 7,000 volunteers nationwide have cataloged and assessed the condition of over 30,000 publicly accessible statues, monuments, and sculptures installed as outdoor public art across the United States
.
Dale Chihuly
Dale Chihuly is an American glass sculptor and entrepreneur.-Biography:Chihuly graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Tacoma, Washington. He enrolled at the College of the Puget Sound in 1959...
, is in the Morris Mills Atrium of the VanNuys Medical Science Building, on the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), which is near downtown Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. It was commissioned for the Indiana University School of Medicine
Indiana University School of Medicine
The Indiana University School of Medicine is a leading medical school and medical research powerhouse connected to Indiana University. With several teaching campuses in the state, the School of Medicine has its predominant research and medical center at the Indiana University – Purdue University...
through a gift from an anonymous donor and was dedicated on September 30, 2003.
DNA Tower is 20.2 feet (6.2 m) tall and 4.7 feet (1.4 m) in diameter; its wooden base is 5.4 feet (1.6 m) in diameter.
Description
The sculpture is a symbolic, rather than accurate, representation of Deoxyribonucleic acid, (DNA), the blueprint of life. DNA is a double-helix molecule, and its distinctive shape is often described as a twisted ladder. The outside of the twisted ladder is composed of sugar and phosphate groups, while the rungs, or steps, of the ladder are formed by two nucleobases connecting to each other via hydrogen bonds.The sculpture is composed of 1,200 blown-glass globes and weighs a total of 3,000 pounds. Each globe has a different texture and weighs between 1 and 2 pounds. The mauve, green and blue globes represent the four nucleobases, while the yellow globes represent the double helix, or sugar and phosphate group, to which the bases are attached. The glass is held in place by a steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
armature
Armature
Armature may refer to:* Armature , the kinematic chains used in computer animation to simulate the motions of virtual characters...
that is painted blue. The base support of the sculpture is surrounded and protected by a 5' tall circular cherry wood base that is 5'5" in diameter.
Acquisition
DNA Tower was commissioned to commemorate both the 100th anniversary of the IU School of Medicine (founded 1903) and the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the structure of the DNA molecule (discovered 1953) by 1950 IU alumnus James D. WatsonJames D. Watson
James Dewey Watson is an American molecular biologist, geneticist, and zoologist, best known as one of the co-discoverers of the structure of DNA in 1953 with Francis Crick...
and his colleague Francis Crick
Francis Crick
Francis Harry Compton Crick OM FRS was an English molecular biologist, biophysicist, and neuroscientist, and most noted for being one of two co-discoverers of the structure of the DNA molecule in 1953, together with James D. Watson...
.
The glass pieces and painted steel armature were fabricated in Chihuly's Seattle studios.
On September 23, 2003, the Indiana University School of Medicine launched a statewide, week-long centennial celebration at each of its nine campuses. The installation of the glass components of DNA Tower began on September 24, 2003. When the globes were removed from their crates, installation experts and volunteers carefully sorted and organized them. The globes were then attached to the armature by metal wire. A time-lapsed video of the installation is available at Chihuly's official website.
On September 30, 2009, the unveiling and dedication of Chihuly's DNA Tower sculpture in the Morris Mills Atrium of the VanNuys Medical Science Building coincided with the dedication of the new, 128215 square feet (11,911.6 m²) Indiana University's School of Medicine Research II facility on IUPUI's campus. The Research II facility houses the Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Walther Oncology Center, Indiana Center of Excellence in Biomedical Imaging and the Indiana Center for Biological Microscopy.
Of DNA Tower, Chihuly stated: "This installation is really unlike anything I’ve created before – I’m proud that it will be on permanent view at the Indiana University School of Medicine."
Artist
Dale Chihuly is an internationally-recognized glass artist and entrepreneur. He was born in Tacoma, WashingtonTacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
in 1941. Chihuly received an M.S. in sculpture from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1967 and earned his M.F.A. in Ceramics from Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design is a fine arts and design college located in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1877. Located at the base of College Hill, the RISD campus is contiguous with the Brown University campus. The two institutions share social, academic, and community resources and...
(RISD) in 1968. He became the first American to apprentice at Venice's Venini Glass Factory in 1968. Chihuly then began to specialize in glass. However, a car accident in 1976 and subsequent surfing injury in 1979 caused Chihuly to relinquish the position of gaffer, or chief glassblower, for good. Chihuly has since directed the work of others at his studio in Seattle, employing around 100 people.
In 1992, Chihuly was honored as a Living National Treasure
Living National Treasure
Living National Treasure or Living Human Treasure is a title awarded in several countries, and denotes a person or a group which is regarded as a national treasure while still alive....
by the Institute for Human Potential at the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
. He has also received numerous honorary doctorates and awards, including two National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
Individual Artist grants. As of 2005, Chihuly's work was exhibited in over 170 museums around the world. In 2004, Chihuly's earnings were estimated at $29 million.
Life
In 2004, Chihuly was commissioned by Van Andel InstituteVan Andel Institute
Van Andel Institute is a 501 nonprofit organization in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Institute’s mission is to improve the health and enhance the lives of current and future generations through disease research and science education...
(VAI) founder Jay Van Andel
Jay Van Andel
Jay Van Andel was an American businessman best known as co-founder of the Amway Corporation, along with Richard DeVos. He also served as Chairman of the U.S...
to create another DNA glass sculpture, entitled Life. Dedicated on October 27, 2005, the 14-foot, 1,200 pound Life is suspended from the ceiling in the VAI lobby located in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
. Although Life is a memorial to Jay Van Andel's wife and VAI co-founder Betty Van Andel, it is also considered to be a commemoration of the 1953 discovery of the structure of DNA.
Fireworks of Glass
Indianapolis is also home to Chihuly's largest permanent installation of blown glass to date, Fireworks of Glass (2006), at the Children's Museum of IndianapolisThe Children's Museum of Indianapolis
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is the world's largest children's museum. It is located in the United Northwest Area neighborhood on Meridian Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums. It is with five floors of exhibit halls...
. Fireworks of Glass consists of two parts: a ceiling filled with 1,600 pieces of glass and a 43 feet (13.1 m) tower constructed of over 3,200 pieces and weighing 18,000 pounds. According to the Seattle Times, President and CEO Jeffery H. Patchen convinced the museum's board to commission the piece for $4.5 million.
Documentation
A Museum Studies course at IUPUI recently undertook the project of researching and reporting on the condition of 40 outdoor sculptures on the university campus. Although DNA Tower is located inside the VanNuys Medical Science Building, it was included in this movement due to its high profile on IUPUI's campus. This documentation was influenced by the successful Save Outdoor Sculpture!Save Outdoor Sculpture!
Save Outdoor Sculpture! is a community-based effort to identify, document, and conserve outdoor sculpture in the United States. By fostering awareness and appreciation, SOS! aims to advocate proper care of a nationwide public resource....
1989 campaign organized by Heritage Preservation: The National Institute of Conservation partnered with the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, specifically the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is a museum in Washington, D.C. with an extensive collection of American art.Part of the Smithsonian Institution, the museum has a broad variety of American art that covers all regions and art movements found in the United States...
. Throughout the 1990s, over 7,000 volunteers nationwide have cataloged and assessed the condition of over 30,000 publicly accessible statues, monuments, and sculptures installed as outdoor public art across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.