Dale Chihuly sculptures and other illuminations at the Desert Botanical Garden

At the entrance to the Desert Botanical Garden were three sculptures by Dale Chihuly.  He had a big temporary installation of his work in the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix from Nov '08 to May '09.  (If you follow the link, click on the tiny red triangle at the bottom to see more pics.)  My parents went and really enjoyed it.

The following are pics of "Desert Towers - 2008" at the entrance.  It's hard to see, but the light is coming from inside the sculptures.

A last pic, of all three, after I learned how to use the tripod.

Not related to the glass sculpture, but also near the entrance were cement benches inlaid with some stones that were lit from underneath/inside, creating a glowing stone bench.  I have to say I much prefer this type of night-time illumination in the garden to training a spotlight on certain plants, something I feel ruins the beauty of the desert at night, especially in the moonlight.

 But by far, my favorite form of illumination in the garden at night is stars, just stars.  Here's a pic of Orion rising over the desert.