Inside the geodesic dome (Photo: Jason Poncheri)
Neighborhood Lights is an immersive community arts program of Light City Baltimore, organized by the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts, that branches out beyond Baltimore’s Inner Harbor into five neighborhoods throughout Baltimore City. Selected artists work directly with one of five participating neighborhoods to create an illuminated public project within the neighborhood of their residency during the inaugural Light City Baltimore festival.
As the artist-in-residence for the Hampden neighborhood, I worked with community members to create a light-based art installation on 36th Street - otherwise known as “The Avenue”. The installation was open to the public during the week of the Light City Festival. Prior to the festival, I hosted a two-day animation workshop at Art With a Heart, where residents of all ages created flip-books and stop motion animations. These animations were included in the final art installation as both digital projections and as part of an interactive component where visitors could 'remix' the animated cycles using an iPad controller. With the help of artist Christopher Brannan, I also constructed a 16-foot diameter geodesic dome with custom-mapped projection to invite viewers to physically immerse themselves in a 180-degree artwork.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Role: Public Art Commission
Client: Baltimore City
Run Time: Varies
Completed: 2016
Specifications: 16' diameter geodesic dome projection, rear window projections, interior projections, interactive component, community workshop
Client: Baltimore City
Run Time: Varies
Completed: 2016
Specifications: 16' diameter geodesic dome projection, rear window projections, interior projections, interactive component, community workshop
Opening night a spaceman showed up for the dome (Photo: Jason Poncheri)
Outside of the dome. (Photo: Lloyd Fox, Baltimore Sun)
The fulldome film Infinite Horizons, by Diana Reichenbach, played inside the dome. (Photo: Chris Brannan)
Inside the dome. (Photo: Lloyd Fox, Baltimore Sun)
Interactive station where visitors 'remixed' animated cycles (Photo: Lloyd Fox)
Demonstrating the interactive component of 'Flipbook (re)Cycle' (Photo: Jason Poncheri)
The controller interface for 'Flipbook (re)Cycle (Photo: Chris Brannan)
Users could adjust scale, rotation, and speed of animations (Photo: Lloyd Fox)
The "Equisite Corpse' was created during an animation workshop (Photo: Chris Brannan)
(Photo: Lloyd Fox, Baltimore Sun)
Animation created by Diana Reichenbach (Photo: Chris Brannan)
Visitors included Mayor Rawlings-Blake and BGE CEO Calvin G. Butler Jr.
#HampdenLights spectrum glasses for visitors (Photo: Chris Brannan)
Vacant space on 36th Street was donated by Royal Farms
The frame of the dome was built with PVC piping
Building the geodesic dome in the installation space on 36th Street
Frames were built for stretching fabric to enable video projection
Frames were built for stretching fabric to enable video projection
Over 40 frames were built to cover the dome
Fabric was stretched and secured to the frames
Fabric panels were secured to the frame of the dome for video projection
Three projectors were mapped into a sphere shape using BlendyDome Software
"Between the Frames" Animation Workshop at Art With a Heart (Photo: Christina Ralls)
Flipbook station at the workshop a few weeks before the festival (Photo: Christina Ralls)
