Venice, 1996. People look in awe at the large glass chandeliers that have invaded their town during the Venice Biennale of Glass. In the canals, in the streets, in the alleys, the bright colorful sculptures light up the dark sky.”Chihuly Over Venice,” an exhibit by world-renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly, brought those same colorful “chandeliers” to the Columbus Museum of Art on Sept. 26. The exhibit, which runs until January 3, 1999, consists of 11 of the original 14 works that were on display during the glass festival in Italy. One of the chandeliers will be given to the museum, according to Susan Poling, manager of public relations at the museum.Named for the location where they were hung in Venice, the chandeliers consist of hundreds of pieces each and over 2,500 pieces in all. Each chandelier is different in color, shape and size, and some hang over 10 feet long. Made in Ireland, the “Campiello Remer,” the only crystal chandelier in the collection, weighs over 2,200 pounds. The chandeliers differ from the typical chandelier because they reflect light rather than emit light.The museum is offering a new perspective on the collection displaying each piece in a separate gallery to compliment the paintings. The workers at the museum had to reinforce the ceilings to hang the chandeliers, which were originally set up on tripods throughout Venice. One area of the museum is used to display Chihuly’s drawings, which he used to guide the glassblowers. It also consists of non-chandelier glass pieces – two pears that stand over three feet tall.The exhibit took a crew of 10 people, including some from Chihuly’s studio, a week to set up the chandeliers. Three semis were used to bring five tons of glass to Columbus. Vera Toran, a tour guide for “Chihuly Over Venice,” compared the packages that contained the glass pieces to a large egg carton with one piece in each spot.The numerous pieces allow much flexibility in each chandelier’s setup, which varies with each exhibition. Some pieces are left out, which lead to an original chandelier in Venice known to the crew as “The End of the Day,” Poling said. Designed in Italy, the chandelier consists of pieces from all of the other chandeliers to make a kaleidoscope of colors. This chandelier, the “Isola Di San Giacomo in Palude,” is on display in Derby Court.Chihuly began working on the chandeliers’ series in 1995 with the help of approximately 40 people. The chandeliers were made in various countries including the United States, Finland, Ireland, Mexico and Italy.Chihuly, born in 1941, traveled to Venice in 1968 on a Fulbright Fellowship where he worked for a year with one of the most prestigious glass houses in Italy. The Tacoma, Washington native stopped blowing glass after losing eyesight in his left eye from a car accident in 1976. He has received several national awards and founded the glass department at the Rhode Island School of Design and co-founded the Pilchuck Glass School in Washington.Since its creation, “Chihuly Over Venice” has been on display only four times before coming to Columbus. This will be the last time before the year 2000 to see this exhibit.Various museum programs correspond to the exhibit, such as guest lecturers and several guided tours. A brief video of the creation of the “Chihuly Over Venice” exhibit can also be viewed at no additional cost. For more information contact the Columbus Museum of Art at 221-4848.The Riley Hawk Glass Gallery, located at 642 N. High St., is also displaying some of Chihuly’s work, including two chandeliers. The exhibition is running through Nov. 30. Admission is free.Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Admission is $2 for students, $4 for adults and children age 5 and under are free. Thursday evenings are also free.