Pictures of the Light Bulb Art in Spartanburg Sc

A new large-calibration public art project in Spartanburg is joining the endeavor to make art more accessible to people in their daily lives.

Spartanburg Fine art Museum is leading the project "Lighten Up Spartanburg!" that volition place 28 light-bulb sculptures in public spaces effectually Spartanburg's Downtown Cultural District this fall.

Elizabeth Goddard, executive director of the museum and curator of Lighten Up Spartanburg, said the projection has been in the works for only a few months but moved forrard quickly thanks to community support and enthusiasm.

"People are hungry for more public art," she said. "And when you lot talk to people who have a vested interest in downtown, there's a real desire it seems to bring more public art downtown. Nosotros're doing a groovy chore inside the museum, so we thought we'd bring that out to more of a public realm."

For the project, the museum deputed 28 opaque fiberglass lite bulbs. The bulbs are vi feet tall and bridge almost iii feet at the widest role.

The bulbs have been distributed to local and regional artists, designers and architects who were given gratis rein to paint, shape and decorate the sculptures.

Mat Duncan, assistant curator of Lighten Up Spartanburg, said he'due south eager to see the variety of designs.

"We're going to meet bulbs that are altered to wait like totally dissimilar things that aren't low-cal bulbs," he said. "It should be a really interesting range of what tin be washed with this form and shape."

Goddard said Lighten Up Spartanburg was inspired by a similar project completed last year by the city of Lincoln, Neb., where artists decorated 51 fiberglass bulbs for a public art project.

"We were looking for something unique and thought of the idea of using a form that was already made that would symbolize where Spartanburg is in terms of innovative public fine art programs and art," she said.

Spartanburg artist Bailie, who is known for his murals in Spartanburg County schools, the Farmer's Tabular array restaurant and Sugar-Due north-Spice, is designing a bulb for the project.

"I take been a professional person working creative person for xviii years. I was extremely excited and flattered to be asked to exist function of this project," Bailie said. "I have been a muralist for 20 years besides and have worked on multiple public art pieces, 3 here in boondocks. (Lighten Up Spartanburg) has given me a nifty idea to use the shape of the canvas."

Bailie's seedling will exist one of three unveiled Sept. 29 at Indigo Hall during a public, ticketed consequence hosted by the museum. The seedling locations and 25 other bulb renderings likewise will exist revealed.

The first three bulbs will be installed in October, Goddard said. The remaining bulbs will exist finished and installed beyond the Downtown Cultural District past next March.

The museum will be creating interactive, app-based experiences that include maps, artist information and more to supplement each seedling, Goddard said.

The exhibition of lite bulbs will run through March 2018 and then the bulbs will be auctioned off at a museum-sponsored upshot.

"The great thing almost public art is you don't have to seek it out," Goddard said. "Some people still retrieve a museum is some sort of exclusive cultural experience. Just we don't experience that manner at all and that's also why I think it'due south significant for us to bring art out into the public."

Duncan said the public fine art project too aims to foster connections between local businesses and the arts.

Spartanburg businesses take sponsored the construction and ornament of private bulbs.

"This project is a 'by Spartanburg, for Spartanburg' project," Duncan said. "Businesses, artists and people who are hither in Spartanburg are coming together to make information technology happen, rather than something from somewhere else being transplanted here."

Follow Alyssa Mulliger on Twitter @AMulligerSHJ

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Source: https://www.goupstate.com/story/news/2016/09/23/light-bulb-project-to-illuminate-public-art-in-spartanburg/25387156007/

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