Happy Holidays!

Support the Arts this Weekend

There are a lot of great shows happening in Rhode Island this weekend that many of our colleagues are working on!

Kathy is currently finishing up the lighting design on the next CCRI production of the year, When We Were Young and Unafraid, by Sarah Treem and directed by Bert Silverberg.

• December 1-3 at 7:30 p.m., December 3-4 at 2:00 p.m.
• Liston Campus - Room 1120, Community College of Rhode Island

There are also two different performances happening at Rhode Island College. The first is the Growing Stage student production of  The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield and directed by Jack Clarke.

• December 2-3 at 7:30pm, December 4th at 2:00pm
• Helen Forman Theatre, Rhode Island College
• Tickets available at the door
• Suggested donation: $5

Also at Rhode Island College is the Dance Company's production of NEXT!
Next! is an immersive dance and theatre performance where anything can happen.

• December 2nd and 3rd @ 7:30 pm
• Sapinsley Hall 
• General Admission $15 
• Student $5 
• Box Office: 456-8144

**Audience members will be walking and climbing stairs as part of the experience, please wear comfortable shoes. This performance is handicap accessible, however, advance notice for special needs patrons is appreciated when possible.

We are moving!!

Happy Birthday!

Today is Kathy's birthday... so all of us at ALD would like to take a minute and acknowledge what an incredible person she is and to thank her for all she does.
Happy birthday, Kathy!!

Haberdasher at CCRI

Kathy spent this past week at the Community College of Rhode Island co-designing the lighting for HABERDASHER with student Jamie Allstrom. 

Opening this Thursday, the show follows the tale of Antoinette, a young woman who discovers her skills lay beyond those of needle and yardstick, but with sword and exposing political secrecy. Luke Sutherland is the director and scenic designer on the project, with costumes designed by Marilyn Salvatore and sound by Raymond S. Legare. Check out CCRI's website for more photos of a recent rehearsal. 

Break legs to the cast and crew!!

On the horizon...

Exciting things are on the horizon for us at ALD!!!

Stay tuned for updates and important news bulletins! If you'd like to be added to our e-news mailing list, email nicki@ald.lighting and thank you for your continued support of Abernathy Lighting Design.

Thank you!

We'd just like to say a big thank you to everyone who made this year's LightNight such a success! 

LightNight 2016!!

Join us this Saturday, September 24th for this year's LightNight Event in Providence. Hosted by IALD New England, LightNight will be a part of the next WaterFire lighting.

Help us celebrate light and raise the profile of the lighting design profession on Saturday, 24 September at the sixth annual IALD New England LIGHTNIGHT at WaterFire event.

Start the evening off with friends and colleagues at a private IALD reception at Hemenway's bar and grill in downtown Providence. The menu will feature delicious appetizers made from locally-sourced ingredients and a signature cocktail.

Next, as the evening comes to life with light from the WaterFire bonfires, attendees will enjoy IALD New Next, enjoy IALD New England's Shadow Play and guerrilla lighting installations as the evening comes to life with light from the WaterFire bonfires. Guests are invited to get creative and participate at Shadow Play, and attend 4 guerrilla lighting vignettes by teams of local students and lighting designers. 

HEMENWAY'S RECEPTION:

WHEN:
Saturday, 24 September
4:30 - 6:00 P.M.

WHERE:
Hemenway's Restaurant
121 South Main Street
Providence, RI

COST:
$15.00 USD for IALD members 
$25.00 USD for non-members 

RSVP:
To RSVP for the Hemenway's portion of this event, please email IALD New England co-coordinator Haley Darst, Associate IALD, at hdarst@CANNONDESIGN.COM by 19 September. Space is limited. 

---

SHADOW PLAY & GUERRILLA LIGHTING:

WHEN:
Saturday, 24 September
6:30 - 10:00 P.M.

WHERE:
Rendezvous outside of Hemenway's 

COST:
This portion of the event is free, no RSVP required.

Designing for the Dark - “Light where you need it, when you need it, and no more."

Flagstaff, Arizona was the first community to be recognized as a "Dark-Sky" community.
Photo from Architectural Record.

A great conversation has started in the lighting design industry about keeping light pollution to a minimum. A recent article by Architectural Record outlines new studies about the effects of night time light pollution, not just on humans, but also on other animals and ecosystems. The American Medical Association recently released a statement of warning regarding LED street lights.  Another study determined that the Milky Way is invisible to more than one-third of the world’s population, including 60 percent of Europeans and nearly 80 percent of North Americans.

Growing concern about this issue has led to the formation of groups, like the International Dark-Sky Association (known as the IDA and founded in the late 1980s by astronomers) and an increase in regulations/standards for lighting design professionals, like the model lighting ordinance (MLO) that communities can adopt in whole or in part. The MLO was developed by the IDA and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES). According to the IDA's Technical Director, Pete Strasser, the MLO calls for “light where you need it, when you need it, and no more.” While the MLO has not been widely adopted, it has been incorporated into the LEED credit system.

Opponents of these standards argue that the guidelines over simplify the issue and that more study is needed. Read the complete article online and tell us what you think! Also, shout out to fellow IALD experts, James Benya, Nancy Clanton, and Glenn Heinmiller, who are all quoted in the article.

Designing for the Dark - “Light where you need it, when you need it, and no more."

Flagstaff, Arizona was the first community to be recognized as a "Dark-Sky" community.
Photo from Architectural Record.

A great conversation has started in the lighting design industry about keeping light pollution to a minimum. A recent article by Architectural Record outlines new studies about the effects of night time light pollution, not just on humans, but also on other animals and ecosystems.  One study determined that the Milky Way is invisible to more than one-third of the world’s population, including 60 percent of Europeans and nearly 80 percent of North Americans!

Growing concern about this issue has led to the formation of groups, like the International Dark-Sky Association (known as the IDA and founded in the late 1980s by astronomers) and an increase in regulations/standards for lighting design professionals, like the model lighting ordinance (MLO) that communities can adopt in whole or in part. The MLO was developed by the IDA and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES). According to the IDA's Techincal Director, Pete Strasser, the MLO calls for “light where you need it, when you need it, and no more.” While the MLO has not been widely adopted, it has been incorporated into the LEED credit system.

Opponents of these standards argue that the guidelines over simplify the issue and that more study is needed. Read the complete article online and tell us what you think! Also, shout out to fellow IALD member, Glenn Heinmiller, who is quoted in the article.

Designing for the Dark - “Light where you need it, when you need it, and no more."

Flagstaff, Arizona was the first community to be recognized as a "Dark-Sky" community.
Photo from Architectural Record.

A great conversation has started in the lighting design industry about keeping light pollution to a minimum. A recent article by Architectural Record outlines new studies about the effects of night time light pollution, not just on humans, but also on other animals and ecosystems.  One study determined that the Milky Way is invisible to more than one-third of the world’s population, including 60 percent of Europeans and nearly 80 percent of North Americans!

Growing concern about this issue has led to the formation of groups, like the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA - founded in the late 1980s by astronomers) and an increase in regulations/standards for lighting design professionals, like the model lighting ordinance (MLO) that communities can adopt in whole or in part. The MLO was developed by the IDA and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES). According to the IDA's Techincal Director, Pete Strasser, the MLO calls for “light where you need it, when you need it, and no more.” While the MLO has not been widely adopted, it has been incorporated into the LEED credit system.

Opponents of these standards argue that the guidelines over simplify the issue and that more study is needed. Read the complete article online and tell us what you think! Also, shout out to fellow IALD member, Glenn Heinmiller, who is quoted in the article.

Which would you choose??

ALD is collaborating with an artist and one of the local universities to integrate lighting into a temporary sculpture on their campus. We recently did a mock up with four different types of lamps. 

Which one would you choose?

A. QL lamp

B. LED 120-volt self-ballasted

C. LED (HID ballasted retro-fit)

D. Clear Metal Halide

Lighting Design at the Olympics

LIVE DESIGN posted a PDF of the lighting rig for the recent Olympic Opening ceremonies in Rio to their website! Check it out if you'd like a peak at what it takes to put on that type of show! Kudos to the entire lighting team and to all the athletes competing at this year's games. Let's bring home the gold!

Pokémon Go Tech Could Revolutionize Lighting

Photo by Oliver Harris (from LUX Magazine)

According to an article in LUX Magazine this month, Pokémon Go tech could revolutionize lighting! Augmented reality, the technology responsible for the hit Pokémon Go app, is being adapted for use in ceiling luminaires. This technology could allow users to control lighting via hand gestures. Read the article to learn more!! What do you think? Will Pokemon Go make a lasting impression on our world?

Hidden Meanings behind Set Designs

Regardless of your political opinions, it's always good to think about what the scenic and lighting design of TV specials are trying to subtly convey.

DNC image from WIRED.com

"At both the RNC and DNC, the stage designs are literal, physical metaphors. The sets are the results of months of planning and millions of dollars spent on build-outs, engineering, and lighting to communicate the messages of the parties. And so far, the messages are: the Republican party wants to rally voters around one mightier-than-thou leader, while the Democrats are presenting themselves as a collective." 

RNC image from WIRED.com

Check us out and LIKE US on Facebook to find the complete WIRED article entitled, "The Hidden Meanings Behind the Set Designs of the RNC and DNC."

What do you think?

We recently completed on onsite sample mock-up for a church exterior. The client was presented with two window uplighting options (pictured below). Which one do you prefer and why?

Option A

Option B

Happy Birthday, Jay!

This week Jay and Winnie both hit big milestones! :)

480 and 9 months respectively.

Happy 4th!

We hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July 

and a safe holiday weekend!

Stay cool in this heat! 

It's the perfect excuse to spend time along the water!

The Need for Speed: Motorsports Hall of Fame of America

Look out for Kathy's need for speed!

Kathy and Chris spent last week aiming and adjusting the lighting for the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in Daytona Beach, Florida. 

Congratulations to the 2016 inductees attending the ceremony tonight! To find out more, check out the Daytona International Speedway article about tonight's induction ceremony.

"Spam, Not Your Email, Still Going Strong After Nearly 80 Years!"

One of the museums we recently completed with Jack Rouse Associates was featured on NBC News with Lester Holt! Check out the video to find out more about "SPAM, not your email, still going strong after nearly 80 years!"

2016 Illumination Award for the Bishop McVinney Auditorium

ALD was honored to recently accept a 2016 Section Award from the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America for our recent work on the McVinney Auditorium project! 

This Award was given by the Boston and Rhode Island Sections in recognition of commendable achievement in lighting design. Check out the before and after photos of the Auditorium's house lighting system. 

Thank you to IES and our colleagues for the honor.

McVinney Auditorium: After

McVinney Auditorium: Before

Enjoy your holiday weekend!

Congrats, Jay!!!

Jay and Kathy at the 2016 Rhode Island College Alumni Honor Awards. 

Jason Rainone - Rhode Island College 2016 Alumni Honor Award Recipient in Theatre

On May 5th, Jay will be awarded a 2016 Alumni Honor Roll Award from Rhode Island College!!

According to the RIC website, the nominee for this award should have achieved success in his/her career field and serve as a role model whose success demonstrates the value of a Rhode Island College degree. We can certainly attest to that! 

Jason has been with Abernathy Lighting Design since 2002 and in the years since, has collaborated on numerous projects including The Pawtucket Bridge # 550, Ferrari World – Abu Dhabi, The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, The New World of Coca-Cola, The Tampa Bay History Center, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, The Pratt Hill Condominium Complex, The Gateway Auto Museum, The Greenbay Packers' Hall of Fame, The Cincinnati Reds Retail Shop, The Arab American National Museum, and The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

Prior to joining the Abernathy team, Jason spent 5 years as a freelance lighting designer in New York City and worked with companies both in and out of the city, gaining experience with all aspects of theatrical, entertainment, and television lighting design.

Jason is an active member of the Rhode Island Green Building Council and serves as Treasurer and member of the Board of Directors in an effort to advance green initiatives and environmentally conscious design in the state of Rhode Island. Jason is designated a LEED Accredited Professional by the United Stated Green Building Council with a concentration in Building Design & Construction.

Jason holds an MFA in Lighting Design from The University of Missouri- Kansas City and a BA in theatrical design and technology from Rhode Island College. Jason has also served as a guest lecturer and designer for the Olathe, Kansas school district and for Rhode Island College. 

Jason is the recipient of multiple IES Edwin F. Guth Awards for his work on the Golisano Children's Museum of Naples and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, among others, as well as an IESNA Paul Waterbury Exterior Lighting award for the Pratt Hill Condominium Complex.

For more information on the Alumni Awards and the Award Ceremony & Banquet, please check out RIC's website!

Basin Petroleum Museum opens!

Thank you Jack Rouse Associates for the shout out on their blog! So excited to see this project open! Check out JRA's blog to read more about the Basin Petroleum Museum.

Up next at RIC: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

We will be supporting our colleagues and friends at Rhode Island College next weekend... Hope you can join us!

"Perfecting Petroleum" - The Permian Basin Petroleum Museum

Check out InPark Magazine's article about the recently completed $18 million renovation on the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum and Hall of Fame in Midland, TX. 

ALD was proud to work with our colleagues at Jack Rouse Associates on this project and we will share more photos of the completed renovation next week. The online article includes a photographic slideshow of the exhibit highlights.

Greetings from Saudi Arabia!

Chris and Kathy have been hard at work on two projects overseas, and we got our first travel photo from them today! 

CAMELS!! 

We can't wait to hear all about the trip when they get back home.

SHOUT OUT to our colleagues in Europe!!

This week is the bi-annual European lighting conference called Light + Building. The conference this year runs March 13th through the 18th in Frankfurt and the theme is ‘digital – individual – networked’. According to their website, these three aspects are the keystones for the creation of ‘modern spaces’ that also contribute to an improved quality of life.

The conference includes the presentation of lighting design awards, exhibitions of new products, discussion forums / lectures and special demonstrations.

Check out their website for more information about the ongoing conference!

10 Great American Movies That Can Teach You Valuable Lessons of Lighting

Check out our Facebook page for a link to this article by "Taste of Cinema".

Lighting design inspirations are everywhere!!

Sneak Peak - The Corpus Christie Museum of Science and History

KRISTV.com | Continuous News Coverage | Corpus Christi

(Video from KrisTV.com)

Kathy is currently on site working on the final stage of the lighting design for this exciting exhibit! Once completed, the museum will feature larger-than-life models of animal cells, a three-story DNA-climber, a planetarium, and a dinosaur exhibit all based around hands-on interactive learning! Part of the exhibit opens to the public this Saturday, with the full opening and ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, April 2nd. 

Check out the KrisTV article online or the museum's website for more details!

Around town: LEGO Roadshow in Providence!

Map of display locations

The LEGO® Americana Tour is a highly visual, educational and free traveling installation of larger-than-life LEGO® models. Replicas of iconic buildings and architectural structures will be on exhibit at various locations throughout the Providence Place Mall shopping center from February 20th through March 6th!

The one-of-a-kind, large scale model of American landmarks made completely out of LEGO® bricks by LEGO® Master Builders will entertain customers with stunning visuals and fun facts. Featured landmarks include: U.S. Capitol Building, White House, Supreme Court, Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Statue of Liberty, Independence Hall and Old North Church.

Sounds like a wonderful exhibit to check out if you're in the RI area.

PICNIC opens this weekend at RIC!

Chris and many of our friends and colleagues have been hard at work for Rhode Island College's next main stage production, PICNIC. The show opens tomorrow (Wednesday) and runs through Sunday. 

Here are a couple of in progress shots from the tech process this week. To see the finished product, call the RIC Box Office at (401) 456-8144 to purchase your tickets.

PICNIC by William Inge
Directed by Linda Sutherland
Feb. 17 – 20, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 20 & 21, 2 p.m.

The Helen Forman Theatre
General Admission: $15
RIC Students: $5 (limit 2 per ID);
RIC Faculty/Staff: $5 (limit 2 per ID);
Non-RIC Students: $10 (limit 1 per ID)

For tickets - call (401) 456-8144 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. M-F. Phone and Fax orders must be charged to Mastercard, VISA, or Discover. Fax your order to (401) 456-8269.

So proud of our friends and colleagues at RIC!

ALD has numerous friends and colleagues that are currently involved in the Rhode Island College Department of Music, Theatre, & Dance. The department recently traveled to Connecticut to participate in the Region I American College Theatre Festival with their production of Godspell and now they have two upcoming productions in two weeks! Check out the details, below!

Congratulations to the cast and crew of GODSPELL! 

The company won American College Theatre Festival Region I Merit Awards for Excellence in Ensemble and Excellence in Movement.
RIC students received recognition at the annual festival, including:
• Mary Arnold – Richard Maltby Jr. Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre/Honorable Distinction.
• Stephanie Barney – Voice and Speech Teachers Association/Vocal Excellence Award.
• Helena Tafuri – New England Theatre Conference Best Scene Partner Award.
Barney also won a $500 scholarship from the New England Theatre Conference.


Upcoming Performance - The Annual Spring Concert by the RIC Dance Company
This production features work from 5 different choreographers and you have 3 chances to see it! 

Feb. 12 & 13, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 14, 2 p.m.

Sapinsley Hall
General Admission: $15
RIC Students: $5 (limit 2 per ID);
RIC Faculty/Staff: $5 (limit 2 per ID);
Non-RIC Students: $10 (limit 1 per ID)

For tickets - call (401) 456-8144 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. M-F. Phone and Fax orders must be charged to Mastercard, VISA, or Discover. Fax your order to (401) 456-8269.




Upcoming Peformance - PICNIC, a play by William Inge

Set in a small-town in Kansas on a hot Labor Day in 1953, PICNIC, the Pulitzer Prize- winning drama by William Inge, centers on two families of women who dream of a way to escape the boredom of their stifling existence and domestic routines. When a handsome, young drifter arrives, the primeval force of his presence affects everyone. Each woman responds to his physical appeal in different ways, as memories, desires and repressed emotions are unleashed.

PICNIC by William Inge
Directed by Linda Sutherland
Feb. 17 – 20, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 20 & 21, 2 p.m.

The Helen Forman Theatre
General Admission: $15
RIC Students: $5 (limit 2 per ID);
RIC Faculty/Staff: $5 (limit 2 per ID);
Non-RIC Students: $10 (limit 1 per ID)

For tickets - call (401) 456-8144 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. M-F. Phone and Fax orders must be charged to Mastercard, VISA, or Discover. Fax your order to (401) 456-8269.

Check it out - JRA's Blog - ANGRY BIRDS ACTIVITY PARK

Check out this video put together by Jack Rouse Associates on the Angry Bird Activity Park Project in Russia that was completed back in 2015. This is a great look at the construction process that goes in to creating exhibits and we were very excited to be the lighting designers on the project!

Space Center Houston's Shuttle Exhibit Opened Last Saturday!

ALD is proud to announce that one of our recently completed Texas projects opened to the public last Saturday!! 

Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX is now home to the 747 used to transport space shuttles up to the space station. The plane has a replica of a space shuttle mounted to the top of it and the interior has been re-engineered to house museum exhibits all about the space shuttle program. 

You can read all about the museum (and see more photos) in Houston Public Media's online article.

The view from the road...

Last week saw ALD down in Texas to work on two separate projects that we're excited to share with you in a few weeks! For now enjoy these beautiful sunset photos that Kathy and Chris took one night traveling back to their hotel after a hard day's work!