Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!!

 

Thank you for a great year!

How to take a Selfie...

We recently took a selfie at our annual office Christmas outing! We're always thinking outside the box here at ALD...

Selfie from our annual office Christmas outing!

Decorating with GOBO the Elf!

GOBO is getting the office into the holiday spirit... making our days merry and LIGHT!!!

December is here... and so is GOBO!!

December has arrived and so has GOBO the Elf!! We'll have to see what sort of hi-jinks he gets into in our office this year! He's warming up to these LED lights... and planning to start decorating the office soon!

Thanks again to our friends at B-K Lighting for sending us GOBO last year.

The benefits of Light Therapy!

My wife Jeni and I welcomed our first child, Gwendolyn Hope Rainone (we call her Winnie), into this world on October 10th. Both mother and baby are doing wonderfully but the journey was not without it's stumbling blocks. As some of you may know, a common problem among newborns is jaundice, which is the buildup of a chemical called bilirubin in the body causing the skin and eyes to yellow. 

As a new parent it is never desirable to hear that your baby needs to be readmitted to the hospital only five days after being born but the doctors assured us that the treatment was really simple and quite effective. It's phototherapy or light therapy! 

Bilirubin is broken down by certain wavelengths of light (420-470nm) as it penetrates the skin, allowing the body to rid itself of the chemical more easily. In days past, if a child was jaundice after birth, the doctors would tell the parents to put the baby in a sunny window. Luckily modern LED technologies have made many things more efficient. The current inpatient therapy with "Bili-lights" is a combination of an overhead blue LED light system which can be paired with an internally illuminated blue LED platform to bathe an infant in as much light as possible for a period of 12-24 hours. The infant must wear eye protection to prevent any damage from the intense lighting but aside from that the procedure is completely non-invasive. As you can see in the photos, Winnie took to it like she was spending the day at the spa. I may have annoyed my wife by spending so much time investigating the lights and reading the labels on the machines but once a lighting designer, always a lighting designer. 

My wife and I were amazed at the effectiveness of the treatment! Our daughter's bilirubin levels were cut in half in the span of only 12 hours of treatment and we were released the following afternoon. I have to say that as a parent, I was incredibly grateful that this type of technology and treatment was available and that it is so effective in these situations. But as a lighting designer, I was fascinated by how a topic that is so close to my heart, lighting technology, ended up playing such a significant and unexpected role in the newest part of my life.

View from the light board: CRIMES OF THE HEART

 
Congratulations to the cast and crew of CRIMES OF THE HEART at Rhode Island College on a wonderful opening night!!

Tickets are still available for the show, which runs through this Sunday, by calling the RIC Box Office at (401) 456-8144.

Time for Tech!!

Kathy is currently serving as the lighting designer for the upcoming production of Crimes of the Heart at Rhode Island College. She will be working with a student associate designer on the project. 

Training the next generation of lighting designers is vital to the ongoing success of the industry and it is something many of us here are ALD are passionate about doing. Knowledge of theatrical lighting design is a great foundation for architectural work as well.

We start the tech process this weekend and the show will be performed in the Helen Forman Theatre on the RIC Campus from Wednesday, November 11th through Sunday, November 15th. 

You can purchase tickets to the show by calling the Box Office at (401) 456-8144.

Adam Goes to LSI & West Point

Earlier this month I was in attendance for the Lighting Services Inc (LSI) Fall Foliage Conference and factory visit in New York.  I have been working with LSI for as long as I have been at Abernathy Lighting Design, so it was a great experience to visit their facility and see how the products we specify are produced and meet the people who produce them.  It was very interesting to see how their products go from initial design to final product and then shipped out to their customers.

The conference was both entertaining and informational because not only was I shown many of LSI’s current and future products, but they were presented in a way that was fun for everyone.  The entire LSI staff was great and they all worked together to show us their products like they do to produce them.  My favorite part was the hands-on time, where we were able to use all of their products in various configurations to see them first hand.

For my second full day in New York, we were treated to an Army Black Knights Football game at West Point Academy.   I was very excited for this event because I had never been to a college football game before.  We were treated the traditional pregame parade, a tailgate of our own, and even met with some cadets that attend West Point.  The entire experience just added to the great weekend put on by LSI and Army won!

I’d like to thank our friends at LSI and Bob at Boston Light Source for having me along for this event.  I learned so much and had a great time with everyone that attended LSI Fall Foliage!

-Adam

Project Complete - The Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse

ALD recently completed work on another collaborative project with Jack Rouse Associates. 

The Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse in Louisville, Kentucky opened to the public on October 1st! This downtown location is meant to supplement the larger Jim Beam American Stillhouse, which is 30 minutes outside the city. To find out more about either location, visit their website.

The new location offers the following highlights to visitors:

• A distillation system showcasing a small copper pot still with a unique rectifying column and see-through glass vapor condenser.
•  Interactive displays and décor that immerse Bourbon enthusiasts in the Jim Beam® brand and educate them on the fine nuances of whisky making;
• A one-of-a-kind tasting bar crafted from reclaimed wood and designed to reflect barrel staves and flowing Bourbon;
• A sculptural American Oak tree built from barrel staves. The tree features a canopy crafted from laser-cut steel leaves and illuminated Jim Beam bottles, symbolic of the First Family of Bourbon;
• A full retail store offering branded items, as well an opportunity for guests to label, fill and customize their own bottle of the site’s exclusive Bourbon offering, Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse Select.

JRA provided complete master planning, design and project management for both the Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse in Louisville and the Jim Beam American Stillhouse and Distillery Tour in Clermont, KY and we designed the lighting for both locations.

ALD's Fall Quarterly Update!

Our Fall 2015 Quarterly Update has been released via email! 

If you're on our list but did not receive the email, please check your spam folder and make sure we're a recognized email address. If you'd like to be added to the list to receive our emails, please email Nicki@ald.lighting with your request.

Thank you! Happy reading and HAPPY FALL!!!

Meet Baby Winnie!

We would like to introduce the newest member of our ALD family -  Gwendolyn Hope Rainone aka "Winnie". She was born 5:20am on 10/10/15 at 5 pounds, 8 ounces and 20 inches!

The Unexpected Results of an LED Retrofit

When thinking about switching over your lamps from older traditional bulbs to new energy-efficient LEDs, realize that there may be unintended side effects. Take a look at this recent retrofit - The hall ceiling almost looks like it's underwater! 

The small luminous LED chip in the face of these retrofit lamps creates this unique and different pattern on the ceiling when it reflects more crisply off the imperfections in the floor.

What do you think? Is this an interesting and unique side effect? Or unfortunate happenstance? 

Bonus points: First person to guess where this is can receive a free LED lamp in the mail!

LightNight 2015

Thank you to everyone who made #IALDshadowplay such a rousing success this year! 
Special thanks to WaterFire, the IALD, the Rhode Island College Dancers, and the Committee of 7.

We're looking forward to next year already!!

Another incredible video from #IALDlightnight #IALDshadowplay!!!
Posted by Abernathy Lighting Design Inc. on Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Shadow puppets with @iald #lightnight at #WaterFire
Posted by WaterFire Providence on Saturday, September 26, 2015

LightNight is this Saturday!

The IALD New England's pre-event reception at Hemenways is sold out! Thank you all for your interest! 

We do hope that whether or not you're coming to Hemenways you all can join us at the actual WaterFire event.The fires are scheduled to be lit at 6:58pm.  The IALD will be lighting the Irish Famine Memorial and the shadow play installation will be at the end of the Amos Street alley. Kathy, Chris, Jay and Adam will be there along with IALD members from Boston and Beyond! So make sure to stop by and say hello!!

If you do visit, make sure you make our presence known! We will be using the following hashtags on Facebook & Twitter to promote the IALD and the event - #IALDlightnight or #IALDshadowplay. So take photos and share them online!!

Here are some photos of the mock up that was created of the shadowplay installation so that the performers from the Rhode Island College Dance Company could practice ahead of time. 

It's going to be a great event! See you there!

This Week at ALD!

Spots are filling up fast for the pre-event reception for LightNight at WaterFire! If you plan to attend the event, please email Kathy as soon as possible - kathy@ald.lighting!!

In other news, we are preparing to send out our next Quarterly Update Newsletter in a couple weeks! If you'd like to be added to the newsletter list to receive these updates automatically to your inbox, email Nicki to subscribe - nicki@ald.lighting!!

Official Invite: IALD New England's LIGHTNIGHT!!

EVENT SPONSORED BY:

Project Complete!

Project complete!

Back in March, we did a blog post about our on site mock up for the 20 Washington Place project in Providence, RI. 

We are now excited to announce that the permanent lighting equipment has been installed and focused!

The purpose of the earlier mock up was to test the equipment and design ideas we planned to use and to give the clients an idea of what the finished project would look like. As you can see from the two photos, the finished iteration looks very similar to the March trial. 

Mock Up

20 Washington Place is owned by the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and we are proud to have collaborated with them and with Haynes/DeBoer Architects + Planning on another successful project!

SAVE THE DATE: LightNight at Waterfire! 9/26/15

Each year, Light Night at WaterFire in Providence draws crowds of art enthusiasts, as well as world-class artists and designers. As in past years, the IALD New England specifiers will create a light installation that elevates the aesthetic content of the event, and raises awareness of the lighting design profession. Don't miss your chance to experience a truly unique celebration of art and light with the IALD. 

This year, the installation will be all about shadow play!! Stay tuned for more details!

WHEN :
Saturday, September 26th!!

The Pre-lighting event will be held at Hemenways' Regatta Room from 4:30-6:30pm. The fires are scheduled to be lit that night at 6:38pm!

COST (for Pre-event):
IALD members $15.00 USD
Non-members $25.00 USD

RSVP : 
To RSVP for this pre-event, please contact Kathy Abernathy, FIALD, at kathy@ald.lighting.

For more information, check out the Facebook event page!
To learn more about WaterFire, visit www.waterfire.org.

Thank you to the EVENT SPONSORS :
LF Illumination
JLC Tech
Hubbell
Philips
Osram

Like us on Facebook!

Make sure you like us on Facebook! That way you'll not only see when we publish blog posts, but also other fun videos and photos we share!

For example, visit our page now to see a great video of a possible day outing for anyone going to the LDI Conference in Vegas this October - a zip line flight under the Freemont Street LED canopy!

Zip-line over Vegas Freemont street
Posted by Tom Downs on Saturday, May 16, 2015

Burnside Park, Phase 2!

On location planning meeting!

Now that Phase I is complete, we have begun the planning process for Phase 2 of the Burnside Park project! Phase 2 of the project will include a whimsical tree canopy lighting system that can be enjoyed by park-goers year round! Many parks utilize tree lighting for the holiday season, but Burnside will be unique in that the lighting design will be visible all year.

The intent of the new systems in Burnside Park in Downtown Providence will be to create visual interest and a sense of wonder as people travel in and around Kennedy Plaza and the park itself. This lighting will be visible from a distance, helping to draw attention to the park and increase its overall appeal relative to its surroundings. With the tree canopies glowing, the feel of the park will be one of soft illumination, improving the overall psychological impression one gets when walking around, in contrast to the harder urban impact of Kennedy Plaza itself.

The Burnside Park installation will be a permanent addition to the look and feel of the park which would stand through the seasons and would have a different visual character based on time of year. The look of the lighting in summer with the branches full of leaves would be different from the look in the winter holiday season when the luminous objects would be clearly visible through bare branches.

Stay tuned for more news and photos as the project moves forward! 

Burnside Park, Phase I complete!

ALD recently had the opportunity to do final adjustment work on the gateway path and primary statue for Burnside Park in Providence, RI. 

The new lighting highlights the statue of Ambrose Burnside, the name sake of the Park and a Civil War general from Rhode Island, as he sits upon his horse. 

The impressive statue, which has just been completed cleaned, was completed in 1887 and installed at its current location right near Kennedy Plaza in downtown Providence in 1906.

ALD office outing!

Every year, we try to do at least one group dinner/outing for the office staff. This year we decided to do something a little different and we all went to a Pawtucket Red Sox game last Friday night!


We also had dinner beforehand at a nice Pawtucket pub... it felt great to spend the night supporting local Pawtucket businesses!

Although the Pawsox lost and there was a little bit of rain, we all had an amazing time and it was a great night out at a wonderful ball park! GO PAWSOX!!

Throwback photo - Annual Lighting Specifiers Conference

We just finished cleaning our office and found a number of old gems hidden in the shadows... including this photo! Can you guess what year this was taken? Can you find Kathy? Anyone else you can identify??

A new family member on the way!

ALD has a new extended family member on the way! 

We are happy to announce that Jay and his wife Jeni are expecting a little girl on October 29th!!

Congratulations!!

Burnside Park Music Series and Beer Garden - Thursday, July 9th at 4:30pm

Please join Cornish Associates as they help launch the first Burnside Park Music Series and Beer Garden of the 2015 summer season. 

ALD had the opportunity to update the lighting on the Burnside Park statue earlier this month!

Go check out the new lighting and enjoy music by Salsa y Gaitas along with a cash beer, wine, and sangria bar provided by Trinity Brewhouse. 

Visit the event Facebook Page to RSVP and get more details.

FIREWORKS!

 HAPPY 4TH of JULY!!

Abernathy Lighting Design will be closed July 3rd in observance of the holiday.

Headed into this holiday weekend, we've been thinking about all the incredible technology that goes into making those wonderful firework light shows! Check out this video from National Geographic to learn more!

Once you know how fireworks work, you can also check out this link that gives you tips for getting great photographs of firework displays.

The ALL-STAR GAME returns to the Great American Ball Park!

The 2015 MLB All-Star Game will be played this year at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio on July 14th. If you're in the area for the big game, check out the The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame & Museum (100 Joe Nuxhall Way) which is located just outside the ball park. 

ALD had the pleasure of working on the original creation of this museum, which opened in 2004, along with our colleagues at Jack Rouse Associates.

The Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
For more information, check out their website!

Adam goes to the 2015 IES Awards!!

This year's honorees

I was invited to attend the IES Awards for Boston and Rhode Island at the Boston Marriot Long Wharf with Sean Goulding, our good friend at Omni Lite, on June 5, 2015. 

Although the traffic getting from Providence to Boston during rush hour wasn’t particularly enjoyable, the event itself was a great time. All of the projects showcased this year were amazing in their own way, and it was a privilege to see them highlighted and honored that night. Congratulations to all of the honorees on your incredible designs! 

Selfie with the award recipients

Unlike last year, I was able to attend the after party with my colleagues, which was also a lot of fun. I was introduced to people involved in the world of lighting I had never met before and even got to meet a few people I have been in contact with for years, but only through email. I can finally put names with faces! 

Big thank you to Sean and Omni Lite for having me join them this year at the event. I had a great time and hopefully I will be able to attend the event again next year. 

-Adam

Grand Opening - Peoria Playhouse!!

We are proud to announce that the Peoria Playhouse Childrens' Museum is holding their grand opening on Friday!! Congratulations to everyone involved in the project!

JRA: Shedding a Light on Collaboration

Photo from the  JRA Blog post

This week Kathy is featured on Jack Rouse Associates' blog! Take a minute to check out their page and read all about the award-winning Ferrari World Project.

The blog post is entitled "The Bright Side of Attraction Design: Shedding a Light on Collaboration". ALD is proud to have worked with JRA on the Ferrari project and we are looking forward to all our future collaborative efforts.

Ready, Aim, Fire: On site at Peoria PlayHouse

The ball cannon: Jay and Adam even got to test out this exhibit!

  

Selfie by Adam and Jay

Jay and Adam have returned from their visit to the Peoria PlayHouse Children's Museum in Peoria, IL. They spent 3 days on site aiming and programming the lights installed in the facility. We were working along side other contractors who were busily completing the install of the exhibits.

This marks the end of the project for us at ALD as the project nears completion. The museum, whose exhibits were designed by Jack Rouse Associates, opens to the public on June 12th! We were very pleased to be a part of the project and we hope the children of Peoria enjoy the museum as much as Adam and Jay.