People Who Stay in Glass Hotels...

Next March is the official opening date for Hotel Murano (formerly the Sheraton Tacoma Hotel), decked out with works of (world class) glass from more than forty artists from around the world. Works by native son Dale Chihuly and other notables will help showcase the ongoing multimillion-dollar makeover of downtown’s largest and most distinguished hotel---and the emerging district around it. Hotel Murano even has an art curator, Tessa Papas--how many lodging facilities can make that claim?

It's no secret that the area around the hotel has undergone a stunning transformation in just the past few years. The BIA and other parties are now involved in helping to align this significant new private venture with public and nonprofit investments in Tacoma’s brand as a center for glass art. Hotel Murano's glass art will help tie key locations like the Museum of Glass and its distinctive cone-shaped hot shop, the Tacoma Art Museum’s collection of early Chihuly works, and the Bridge of Glass into one conceptual whole. It's also one more reason to brand Tacoma as one of America's most creative cities.

Featured artists include Chihuly, Hiroshi Yamano of Japan, Richard Whiteley of Australia, Miriam de Fiore of Italy, Karen La Monte of the Czech Republic, Vibeke Skov of Denmark, Janusz Walentynowicz of Poland, and Costas Varotsos of Greece, among others.

Admittedly, March is a long time to wait to experience the excitement; fortunately, Hotel Murano maintains the Looking Glass, a blog celebrating the hotel's renovation and promoting positive happenings throughout downtown.