(gentle music) (people speaking indistinctly) - Yes.

Yes.

The Columbus Indiana Visitor Center, A warm, cozy place to what else?

Meet and greet visitors.

It's the place where travelers can get their first official taste of Hoosier hospitality.

In Columbus, the folks are mighty proud of their newly renovated and expanded center, and part of that pride is due to the work of this man, Dale Chihuly.

- [Dale] I don't know what it is about my work that tends to be very natural and organic, but it seems like whatever I make it sort of, it looks like it comes from the sea or from a volcano or something alive.

It's partly the process of the glass blowing.

- [Narrator] Regarded as the man most responsible for transforming glass from craft to fine art.

Dale Chihuly has exhibited his work throughout the world.

He is one of only three Americans to have had a solo exhibition at the Louvre.

And President Clinton gives Chihuly glass to dignitaries when he travels abroad.

But today, there's no need to travel to some far away place to see a Chihuly masterpiece, all you have to do is visit the Columbus Indiana Visitor Center.

- I think this one has about 900 pieces in it, and it's got 50 feet of yellow neon inside it, which illuminates it.

And I don't remember what it weighed.

I think it weighed 700 pounds.

So it... And it's just hung, they're hung there individually.

You start from the bottom, hang one, keep building it when you take it apart to ship it.

And if we put it up, if we take it apart and put it back up again, it's always a little different.

(dramatic music) - [Narrator] From his studio in Seattle, Washington.

Chihuly creates his masterpieces with the help of a talented team.

Chihuly rarely blows glass himself these days as a near fatal car accident in 1976 left him sightless in one eye.

But his artistic vision remains clear and focused.

- I've worked with a team almost my whole life, it seems like.

And I rely on artists and craftsmen, creative people to work with me in not only in blowing the glass, but also in assembling the glass and mocking it up.

And there are a lot of creative aspects to what we do other than just the making of the glass.

So it's many ways, it's a collaboration, it's a team effort.

You know, I'm the one that gets the credit for it.

I get to put my signature on it.

- [Narrator] Chihuly's vision also makes for a busy personal schedule.

A national PBS documentary, "Chihuly Over Venice" is in the works.

Chihuly will also travel to Mexico soon to work with glassblowers there.

And now, Dale Chihuly can add a proud little city in South Central Indiana to his long list of world travels.

- I'm just proud to be a part of, a small part of one of the buildings that where, you know, architecture lovers will come for centuries to come, I would imagine to visit some of these beautiful buildings that you have.

It's really a quite an exquisite place you have here.

(upbeat music) - [Narrator] For more "Across Indiana" stories, go to wfyi.org/acrossindiana.