Windchime-adorned trees at the entrance to the Azumino Art Hills Museum
安曇野アートラインは１８軒の美術館で、その代表なのは子供の絵本作家岩崎ちひろの安曇野ちひろ美術館と彫刻術の碌山美術館と、今回に紹介したいグラスアートの
安曇野アートヒルズミュージアム
この3件を含めて安曇野アートラインの特徴は美術品の展示はもちろんですが、それぞれの建物や庭は安曇野の北アルプスの麓の場所や田舎の風景に合うのです。
安曇野アートヒルズミュージアムもそうです。北欧やフランス「ポップ」や日本（特に信州の若手グラスアーティスト）のグラスアートの展示と充実した体験プログラムも魅力の上に、周りの庭はグラスと自然のコラボレーションが印象的。
玄関の木々からぶら下げているグラス風鈴の音、
美術館の北側に池と野原はどれが自然の花か、どれがグラスか迷うぐらい。
この田舎の長野だからこそグラスの世界の体験・実感ができ、嬉しいです。
The Azumino Art Line is comprised of 18 art museums. Probably the most notable are the Azumino Chihiro Art Museum featuring works by childrens book artist Chihiro Iwasaki, the Rokuzan Art Museum of sculptures, and Azumino Art Hills Museum of glass art, which our family visited on our recent trip to Azumino.
All 18 museums, but especially these 3, share a common bond: not only do they display beautiful works of art, but their buildings and gardens are an awe-inspiring complement to the majestic Japanese Alps and the bucolic Azumino countryside.
The Azumino Art Hills Museum pays wonderful tribute to the glass art of Scandinavia, France's modern 'pop' art, Japan (especially the young generation of glass artists here in Nagano) and more. And they offer an extensive variety of hands-on (and lips-on) glass making and blowing lessons. But on top of that, outside the museum is an amazing combination of glass art and nature. Visitors are greeted by an almost mystical sound coming from glass windchimes hanging from the trees at the entrance. The pond and wildflower garden on the north side causes you to look closer to discern which flowers are real and which are made of glass.
Having such an extensive glass museum here in the Nagano countryside (or perhaps, it's because it is the Nagano countryside) is such an exhilerating feeling!
安曇野アートヒルズミュージアム Azumino Art Hills Museum
Look closely: some of those flowers are glass!
