If you’re looking for a reason (excuse) to visit the beautiful Maker’s Mark Distillery for the first or fifteenth time, here you go: Star Hill Farm is hosting a special exhibit this summer and fall of world-renowned glass (and many other media) artist Dale Chihuly.
Chihuly has brought visiting and permanent exhibits to the Loretto, Kentucky distillery before.
I recently had a chance to take some family members for a Saturday evening stroll around the spectacular Maker’s Mark grounds. The historic distillery is beautiful anytime you visit, but the addition of new Chihuly pieces makes this truly a sublime experience. A Maker’s Mark cocktail in one hand and a map highlighting each of the art pieces is an amazing way to spend a few hours.
You instantly know you’re looking at a Chihuly creation; his brightly colored work is unlike any other art work you’ll see. Whether two feet tall or towering twenty feet in the air, they display a craftsmanship and quality that demand inspection.
Spectacular works of art with clever names greet you just before you enter the visitors’ center, at the end of the tour in the gift shop, and all along the route in between.
The exhibits are as different as night and day, depending on when you see them. The view in full sun sparkles, the early evening sunset offers some new perspectives, and fully-lighted at night makes you think you’re seeing an all-new piece.
Some large pieces are displayed outside in various locations around the distillery. But don’t miss some smaller pieces nestled in amongst aging barrels as you walk through a rick house. And you’ll want to linger even longer as you tour the Limestone Cold Storage Facility (a.k.a. the Cellar), where Maker’s 46 is now sharing its space with some stunning Chihuly glass. You won’t find air conditioning again until the Gift Shop, so take your time to savor the cool art and the cool air.
"Our founders, Margie and Bill Samuels Sr., built this brand on culture, community and an uncompromising pursuit of great bourbon. Our partnership with Dale Chihuly reflects that perfectly unreasonable spirit. This exhibition, shaped by nature and Dale's imagination, reinforces our vision to make Star Hill Farm the most endearing, culturally rich and environmentally responsible homeplace in the world."
Maker’s Mark employees are on hand to tell you about the making of the bourbon and the beauty of the artwork. On this visit, they were as friendly and helpful as they always are, obviously proud of the where they work and the products they create.
Mr. Chihuly wasn’t around when we visited, but here’s what he had to say about his trips to Loretto: “Working with Maker’s Mark over the last decade has been a creatively fulfilling experience for me. I drew a lot of inspiration from the landscape and architecture of the campus, and I’m excited to return with a new exhibition that responds to this special place in new ways.”
And if you need even more incentive, they’ve rolled out a new cocktail and culinary program this summer at Star Hill Farm. You’ll want to include some time at the Star Hill Provisions restaurant to check out its expanded menu and new outdoor patio.
The Chihuly exhibit remains on display at Maker’s mark through December 7. There are a number of different experiences you can book. My recommendation is go twice: once in the daytime and another time after dark. Prices for tours at Maker’s Mark tours start at $26 and can be booked at http://makersmark.com/distillery/visit-us.
About Dale Chihuly
Dale Chihuly is an American artist who transforms spaces with experiments in color, light, transparency, and form. He is known for his exhibitions and large-scale architectural installations around the world and for revolutionizing the studio glass movement. Chihuly works with a variety of media including glass, paint, charcoal, neon, ice, and Polyvitro, and his work is included in more than 200 museum collections worldwide, including Metropolitan Museum of Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum and Corning Museum of Glass. Major exhibitions include Chihuly Over Venice (1995–96); Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem (1999); de Young Museum in San Francisco (2008); Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2011); Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond (2012); Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (2013); Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto (2016); Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas (2017); Groninger Museum, Groningen, the Netherlands (2018); Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London (2019); Gardens by the Bay, Singapore (2021); and Adelaide Botanic Garden, Australia. Chihuly Garden and Glass, a long-term exhibition located at the Seattle Center, opened in 2012.
Source: Maker’s Mark
About Maker's Mark
(From the distillery) Maker's Mark® is the iconic handmade Kentucky bourbon driven by a vision for better flavor and a better world. Maker's Mark began with the innovative spirit of Margie and Bill Samuels, Sr., who in 1953, fulfilled their dream to create a delicious bourbon without the bite, using soft red winter wheat instead of rye to enhance the softness, sweetness and signature creaminess. Highly desired around the world, Maker's Mark is handmade, hand-dipped in our signature red wax, and every barrel continues to be rotated by hand and is aged to taste not time. Always true to the founders' vision, Maker's Mark continues to shape the brand's future through purposeful, flavor-driven innovation. In recent years, the brand has introduced thoughtful, super-premium expressions to its portfolio, including Maker's Mark 46, Maker's Mark Cask Strength, and Maker's Mark Cellar-Aged, all Double Gold winners of the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, as well as Maker's Mark Private Selection: the brand's custom barrel program.
