Portland, OR. The Portland Winter Light Festival is taking on an entirely new form this year to safely reflect our current pandemic reality. Instead of a large, centralized festival event, the 6th annual festival has modest pop-up light art installations throughout the city. It takes place over two weekends, February 5-6 & 12-13. Organizers say, “The expanded timeline and decentralized footprint will allow guests more space and time to view installations, minimize crowding, and allow for physical distancing while still celebrating light and art during the darkest time of the year. Installations are presented in windows, storefronts, and public spaces throughout the city.” Below are links to maps.
This year’s (non)Festival aims to continue building community by bringing art and technology to inclusive audiences during the pandemic.
There are Covid-19 safety guidelines: for a safer experience, it’s required that guests wear a mask at all times, observe social distancing, and follow all recommended protocols to protect themselves and others. Enjoy the art from six feet apart.
Organizers have collaborated with community members, artists, and businesses for 2021.
There are over FIFTY art installations (including Twinkle Trees, pictured above). It’s a free, all-ages, citywide experience. (Photo of Twinkle Trees by Brooke Hoyer. PDXWLF 2020)
From Willamette Light Brigade;
The Portland Winter Light Festival (a Willamette Light Brigade event), powered by PGE renewable energy, is a free, all-ages community-wide celebration illuminating the city’s public spaces with installations by premier light artists and designers. No tickets are needed for the festival. The Willamette Light Brigade is a Portland, OR-based nonprofit committed to connecting community and enriching the public realm by harnessing the power of artful lighting to transform the cityscape. We light bridges, produce a dynamic winter light festival, and advocate for the importance of night-time identity and place-making. The Willamette Light Brigade was founded in 1986 with a mission to enhance and beautify the city of Portland by lighting the bridges that span the Willamette River and therefore uniting the East and West sides of the city. Over the last two decades, the Willamette Light Brigade has successfully advocated for and facilitated the lighting of many of Portland’s iconic bridges, and continues to be part of long term planning for the bridges in the city of Portland.
Portland, OR. If you didn’t have a chance to check out the second annual Portland Winter Light Festival, you’ll enjoy these photos of the highlights. The theme was Between the River and the Stars. This year’s #PDXLightFest expanded to include Zidell Yards on the West side of Tilikum Crossing. Presented by the Willamette Light Brigade and powered by PGE renewable energy, the Portland Winter Light Festival, is a winter event hosted at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI).
The Cosmic Messenger by Miki Masuhara-Page is an interactive piece where festivalgoers write messages to one another in chalk “from out of this world and back.”
The Flamethrower Chandelier is a 5-arm chandelier with LEDs and a bowl of fire on each arm made by Ryan Ramage. When pulled, a chain with a crystal handle can be ‘played’ in short poofs or long blasts of pyrotechnics to illuminate the landscape. Inspired by the gasoliers of the 1800s, but also incorporating modern technology, the Flamethrower Chandelier is part steampunk, part cyberpunk, and part percussion instrument.
Stoicheia by Lilli Szafranski and Jesse Banks is an homage to Earth’s earliest thinkers, Plato and Euclid, merging modern technology with the foundations of mathematics, and dedicating it to the culture from which modern academia was born. A perfect dodecahedron, each side depicts the iconography of one of the Twelve Olympians, the major deities of the Greek pantheon.
The Wasabi SOAR ladies got into the spirit of Winter lights.
Ivan McLean enjoys making things that glow in the night. His 14’ Fire Dragon breathes fire and is also a bbq.
The Portland Spirit Lights were created by Mark LaPierre.
Here’s a video of the first year of the festival.
Inspired by light festivals in some of the most popular cities around the globe, the Portland Winter Light Festival is designed to celebrate the spirit of winter and warmth of community. Using light, color, artistry, performance, and imagination, PWLF brings people together during a time of year typically reserved for the indoors. Organizers say bundle up and come celebrate again next February.
Portland, February 6th, 2016. Building facades were glowing with animated projections, light was dancing off the Willamette River near OMSI during the inaugural Portland Winter Light Festival. The festival, organized by the nonprofit Willamette Light Brigade, attracted premier artists who brought excitement to the city during a time of year when it is often quiet.
Chad ‘Fez’ Gaetz of GuildWorks and the Alchemy Arts Collective designed Helianthus Enormae – The giant luminous sunflower.
Hosted by OMSI, no tickets were needed for this event on the East Bank of the Willammette River.
There were many associated events. Clever Cycles had a one-of-a-kind bike parade with battery-powered lights.
For a different view, some took a free ride on the Portland Spirit right to the festival’s hub.
The free event showcased light art and performance from Northwest artists as a series of light-based installations, projections, performances and activities that expand the boundaries of art and technology.
The Portland Winter Light Festival is partnered with 14 Affiliate Events, featuring an array of artists, performers, and interactive experiences during the four nights of the festival.
Featured this year:
ZGF & Uncorked Studios – Wayfinding Towers Clever Cycles – Lighted Bike Parade Night Shade Shadow Theater – Shadow puppet performance Oregon Shadow Theater – Shadow performance Hollywood Theater – Neon Sculpture PNCA – Projector installation Portland Spirit – Free rides and entertainment from Portland Opera Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) – Video Projection PSU School of Art & Design Students – Installation Oregon Rail Heritage Center – Illuminated building The Cosmic Messenger – Interactive lighted sculpture TriMet – Dana Lynn Louis, Circus Luminescence, & Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers
From Portland Winter Light Festival:
The Portland Winter Light Festival (PWLF) is an event of the Willamette Light Brigade, a non-profit organization. The PWLF is a free, community-wide, annual winter arts attraction and cultural event that will transform, illuminate and animate Portland’s nighttime urban landscape each February. It’s focus is a series of light-based installations, projections, performances and activities that expand the boundaries of art and technology.
We gratefully accept donations year round to help the Portland Winter Light Festival grow. Your individual donation is tax deductible as the Willamette Light Brigade (WLB) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit
NONPROFIT BENEFIT TICKET GIVEAWAYS!
Sign up for our free weekly highlights for the chance to win two tickets terrific nonprofit events! If you "like" us on facebook, or sign up for our weekly news highlights, you'll be entered to win! Sign up today!
Look for another ticket giveaway soon! Are you a nonprofit looking to bolster your publicity with facebook and tweets? Email us and we'll run a contest with tickets to your event! [email protected]
