Hundreds of people gathered at the Royal Ontario Museum on Friday to kick off the Friday Night Live ROM season and explore colour, light, and form, with complimentary access to the special exhibition, Chihuly.

“I’ve been coming to this event for a couple of years,” said Josh Parto, a recent University of Toronto graduate. “It’s always been a tradition for me and my mom to come to as many Fridays as we can.”

As people made their way through the museum, almost all of the exhibits were accessible, but it was Dale Chihuly’s showcase of hand-blown glass sculptures that stole the show.

“Chihuly blows glass and he uses the same tools and techniques that were used 2000 years ago,” said Deirdre Keleher, a learning teacher at the ROM. “What’s so amazing about the exhibit is that for thousands of years when artists looked at glass as a medium, they made little bottles. But Chihuly decided to make 20-foot-tall sculptures.”

Chihuly is an American sculptor whose work is included in more than 200 collections worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Corning Museum of Glass.

The evening, presented by Ford and sponsored by Peroni Italy and NOW Magazine, invited guests to enjoy live entertainment, interactive gallery experiences, local food vendors and featured exhibitions.

Every Friday night from Sept. 30 to Nov. 25, the ROM will be transformed with new themes that vary by week.  While the re-launch of the event was titled Spark, ticket holders can expect to see a number of different showcases, including Thanks Canada (Oct. 7), Goosebumps (Oct. 28) and Afterglow (Nov. 25).

The exhibition at the ROM is Chihuly’s first major exhibit in Toronto and will be on display until Jan. 2.

Details and ticket information for Friday Night Live at the ROM can be found online. This is a 19+ event.