A maroon blown-glass sculpture donated to the Park City Habitat ReStore sold shortly after staff posted it on the store's Facebook page in late July, but the real story started in the comments.
More than 40 people piled on, debating whether the piece was an authentic Dale Chihuly or a convincing reproduction. Estimates of its value ranged into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, with one commenter guessing it could be worth a million. No one has confirmed the piece is real.
"That's all private customer information," ReStore Assistant Manager Mike Power told TownLift when asked whether staff, the buyer or the donor knew the sculpture's provenance.
The mystery has turned the Silver Creek Drive thrift store into an unlikely art-world conversation piece. The ReStore, operated by Habitat for Humanity of Summit and Wasatch Counties, started as a construction-materials resale shop but now sells furniture, clothing and household goods at thrift-store prices. Every dollar funds Habitat's affordable homeownership programs in a community where the median single-family home sells for $3.95 million, according to Park City Community Foundation housing data.
Park City freelance artist Shannon Lawrence, who works with U.S. Ski & Snowboard and once worked across the street from Chihuly's studio in Seattle, is a regular ReStore shopper. She wanted the sculpture but said it wouldn't have fit in her small car. Lawrence called the ReStore itself a treasure.
Like the other commenters, she said she could not tell from the photo whether the piece was genuine. Authentication of Chihuly glass typically requires an etched signature at the base, pontil marks indicating handblown work and documentation from Chihuly Studio, according to auction-house guides. Authentic pieces sell for $6,000 to $30,000 at the lower end and $35,000 to $100,000 for rarer works, though large installations have fetched far more. Chihuly's 30-foot "Olympic Tower" in the lobby of Salt Lake City's Abravanel Hall was purchased in 2002 for $625,000. Chihuly Studio had not responded to TownLift's inquiry as of Wednesday, Aug. 5.
Habitat for Humanity board member Britney Comer framed the episode as proof of what makes the ReStore worth visiting. The organization's June 20 Overall Ball at Montage Deer Valley raised more than $400,000, enough to fund the equivalent of one full home build. To qualify for Habitat homeownership, families must earn 80% or less of the area median income.
The ReStore is open at 6280 Silver Creek Drive, Suite B. Whether the next donation is a Chihuly or just Chihuly-esque, proceeds go toward keeping Summit County workers closer to where they work.
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