The only zoo in the state of Connecticut, the Beardsley Zoo in the city of Bridgeport, unveiled “DAZZLE: A Garden of Glass” on Saturday, March 6, 2021, in the zoo’s Victorian Greenhouse. The exhibition features a wide range of glass works by award-winning Connecticut artist Peter Greenwood, ranging from Chihuly-esque undulating colorful "stalks" or "roots" to installations of cracked-glass pitchers arranged as if the fruit of a tree.
With approximately 500 works on display, Greenwood’s colorful glass pieces have been artfully arranged in relationship to plant life in the greenhouse - including vibrant bowls floating in a pond, and colorful reeds and floral shapes poking out from the soil. These pieces evoke organic forms like vines, leaves, flowers, and waves, contributing to the exhibition’s theme “regeneration” - an appropriate topic at the current stage of the pandemic in the US, and with springtime just around the corner.
In addition to glasswork, the RISD graduate also works with wood, iron, stone, and stainless steel. His studio and gallery space is located in the historic Union Church in Riverton, Connecticut. Much of the work in “DAZZLE” has appeared in previous exhibitions, and was in storage before the zoo suggested the exhibition.
“I had never been to the zoo before,” Greenwood told the Connecticut Post. “This was my first time coming here. But I liked the idea that I could help promote the zoo. Everyone needs help these days.”
While the zoo is currently open daily from 9 AM - 4 PM, COVID-19 precautions such as enforced social distancing and mask -wearing remain in effect. For example, traffic through the exhibition is one-way only. Timed tickets must be purchased in advance online. Entry to “DAZZLE” is included in the price of zoo admission, and the exhibition will be open through Tuesday, April 6th.
IF YOU GO:
On view through April 6, 2021
Peter Greenwood
“DAZZLE: A Garden of Glass”
Beardsley Zoo
1875 Noble Avenue
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Website
info@beardsleyzoo.org
Tel: 203-394-6565