Dale Chihuly at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN - In the book of Genesis, it took God seven days and seven nights to create the heavens and the earth.

At Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, it took a team of five people three and a half days just to assemble the sun for an exhibition titled "A New Eden."

Dale Chihuly's "Summer Sun," one of 15 installations by the renowned glass artist, will go on display for the summer at Meijer Gardens.

The yellow and orange sculpture, made up of some 1,700 pieces of glass, is one of the pieces crafted especially for the exhibition opening Friday.

"Part of the inspiration came from your incredible summer sun, at twilight and at dawn," said Britt Cornett, head of exhibitions for Chihuly's studios, who supervised the installation.

"Summer Sun," in the Sculpture Park, joins "Blue Moon," installed nearby at The Groves and Hekman Pond, as two pieces created especially for the exhibition celebrating Meijer Garden's 15th anniversary in 2010.

"We know that many thousands of people will pass through our doors this summer to help us celebrate our 15th anniversary," said David Hooker, president and CEO.

Thousands and thousands of colored pieces of glass, blown into balls and horns, molded into blocks, will be at Meijer Gardens from April 30 to Sept. 30, scattered throughout the 132-acre campus.

"Blue Polyvitro Crystals" floating in the wetlands, "Red Reeds" rising from the Amphitheater Hillside, and "Niijima Floats" resting in the water and on the rocks of the Sculpture Park waterfall, can be seen this summer.

"We wanted to find ways for the artwork to coexist with horticulture and nature," said Joseph Becherer, chief curator and vice president for collections and exhibitions at Meijer Gardens.

Indoors in the Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory, an assortment of sculpture forms -- macchias, ikebanas and persians -- are scattered among the flora and fauna.

"We want people to experience the depth and breadth of Meijer Gardens, and we couldn't think of a better way than with the art of Dale Chihuly," Becherer said.