Man Wrecks Chihuly Sculptures Causing Over $240,000 Worth of Damage
14March 20, 2026
A man, identified in court documents asAlexander Weis, wreaked catastrophic havoc at the Seattle Center’sChihuly Garden and Glass museumon Monday evening, causing $240,000 worth of damage to the facilities and destroying several glass sculptures of plants byDale Chihuly, theSeattle Police Departmentreported this week.
The man, purportedly Weis, who is now in police custody, was discovered late Monday night by security after hearing reports of someone destroying glass sculptures on the grounds. He’s now officially been accused of damaging twelve pieces of artwork in total, each valued at around $20,000. Investigators have not said how the suspect was able to gain access to the museum, according toKOMO News.
Upon being confronted by museum security, the man became belligerent, threw shards of glass at the guards and tried to stab one museum security officer with a broken piece of glass, police said. The suspect was apprehended by police a little after 11 p.m.
The Seattle police report includes images of glass shards found at the scene and what appear to be sample headlines for journalists covering the story. One reads: “Man Shattered to Learn He is Under Arrest After Damaging Chihuly Museum.”
“There’s really no words,” a patron of the Chihuly Garden and Glass, told KOMO News. “The time and effort it takes to make these things and put them on display just to have someone come in and do that.”
Chihuly’s often oversize, highly popular glass works have made him the preeminent practitioner of the medium in the United States—his most expensive creations usually sell for around $200,000.