THE PEOPLE'S PROJECTOR
Night Lights Denver is a permanent way for The Denver Theatre District to support innovative artists with an experimental platform while attracting people downtown to experience a free, unique experience.
Our vision for this project is that Night Lights Denver truly becomes ‘the people’s projector,’ encouraging Denver to participate and contribute – including the international, national and locally-based artists we pay for commissioned artworks, schools and people walking through the district. Night Lights Denver partners include Downtown Denver Partnership, Orange Barrel Media and the Daniels & Fisher Tower.
ABOUT
The Denver Theatre District
The Denver Theatre District (DTD) enlivens a 16-block area of downtown Denver through interactive, immersive and experimental art and culture events and experiences. It provides creatives with a downtown platform and financial support for sharing their work. The DTD is a private non-profit funded through a revenue share collected from advertising on static and LED screens located throughout the District. The Denver Theatre District invests its outdoor media revenues in cultural and art-based experiences, most of which are free to the public. This model is the first of its kind, setting an example for cities nationwide in how to leverage private revenue streams to fund public art and activity.
Downtown Denver Partnership
The Downtown Denver Partnership implements a place-based economic development strategy to support its vision for an economically healthy, vibrant and growing downtown. Through creative public realm activation with a focus on iconic, inclusive public art, the Partnership is building a thriving center city – a place for the community to come together for meaningful interactions and memorable experiences. The Partnership convenes the public, private and philanthropic sectors to drive progress forward in Downtown Denver to the benefit of all those who live, work and play downtown.
Every Tuesday through Sunday evenings
August 2020 (Tues - Sun only)
8:30pm - 11:00pm
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September 2020 (Tues - Sun only)
Shows Start Between 7:30pm - 8:00pm
---FEATURED ART PIECES
Artist Name: Narkita Gold
Artwork title: Black in Denver, a portrait and interview series
Artist statement: Black in Denver is inspired by the vision of a world where all people can be authentic expressions of themselves. Gold’s series takes a critical look at identity, and seen through the lens of those photographed and interviewed, the series supports and demonstrates the notion that blackness, and identity in general, is not a monolith. In a society where Black people are often stereotyped and seen as homogenous, she hopes to change the narrative and raise awareness about the power of being one’s self.
Website: http://www.blackindenver.com/
Date: August 2020
Time: 8:30pm - 11:00pm
Note: Special thanks to series participants, Tya Anthony and Philip Clapham. Follow Narkita on Instagram @blackindenver
Artist Name: Debbie Clapper (gneural) and Justin Gitlin (Cacheflowe)
Artwork title: 41 Structures
Artist statement: Merging our disparate disciplines of illustration and generative art, we unite around a mutual love of iterative patterns, polygons, and op art. This piece was rendered by a custom shape generator that mimics Debbie's illustration techniques while allowing for infinite variations and animations. By integrating the architecture of the clocktower and parameterizing every aspect of the drawing logic, our rendering software adds Debbie's distinguished and organic graphic style to 41 unique arrangements that only it could produce.
Website: https://cacheflowe.com and https://www.instagram.com/gneural/
Date: August 2020
Time: 8:30pm - 11:00pm
Artist Name: Nari Ward
Artwork title: LAZARUS Beacon, 2020
Artist statement: The title and concept of the work references American poet and activist Emma Lazarus's sonnet “The New Colossus” published in 1883, which appears on a bronze plaque in the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. The sonnet was written to help fund the project and expresses the credo of America as a maternal country where all exiles and immigrants are welcome. Ward’s LAZARUS Beacon isolates and highlights the subjects of this poem, among them the tired and poor––all of those to whom the country has promised to offer shelter.
Website: https://www.nariwardstudio.com/
Date: August 2020
Time: 8:30pm - 11:00pm
Note: This project is curated by Diana Nawi and produced by OBM.
Artist Name: Students of the Spatial Video Class at the University of Denver
Artwork title: Black Lives Matter
Artist statement: This piece was created by the students of the Spatial Video Class at the University of Denver to raise awareness of Black Americans who have been killed by police. The video includes a non-comprehensive list of victims in the United States since 2014.
Website: https://blacklivesmatter.com/
Date: July 2020
Time: 9:00pm - 11:00pm
Note: Inaction ensures these deaths will continue. Please visit the Black Lives Matter website to learn about ways you can make a difference.
Artist Name: Erica Anderson
Artwork title: Beginning.
Artist statement: A multicolored dissolving of the past being made new for the yet unknown future. A new chapter. A fresh start. A new beginning.
Website: https://ericaofanderson.com/
Date: August 2020
Time: 8:30pm - 11:00pm
Artist Name: Letitia Huckaby
Artwork title: Suffer/Rage
Artist statement: “Suffer/Rage,” focuses on the political ethos and gender issues in our world today. Suffrage is defined as the right to vote and a series of intercessory prayers or petitions.
Website: https://www.c4fap.org/exhibitions/letitia-huckaby-suffer-rage/
Date: August 2020
Time: 8:30pm - 11:00pm
Note: "Suffer/Rage" is presented by The Center for Fine Art Photography. Please visit their website to see the online exhibition of Letitia Huckaby's artwork.
Artist Name: Bryce Walhof
Artwork title: atypic experiment
Artist statement: An atypic experiment exploring formations and simulations in 3D spaces.
Website: http://designeren.one/
Date: August 2020
Time: 8:30pm - 11:00pm
Artist Name: ArtToyz
Artwork title: Color By Numbers Explorations
Artist statement: 3D animated flythrough of geometry and color patterns parametrically encoded.
Website: http://arttoyz.com/
Date: August 2020
Time: 8:30pm - 11:00pm
Note: Thanks to Jeff Yetter for the collaboration
CONTACT
Say hello and feel free to ask questions.
info@nightlightsdenver.com