Georgetown GLOW 2019 To Illuminate Historic City: Dec. 6 - Jan. 5

GEORGETOWN, DC — Georgetown will once again shine a little brighter during the holiday season.

On Friday, the Georgetown Business Improvement District will kick off its sixth edition of GLOW — the region's only outdoor, public light-art exhibition. The free event will feature 11 commissioned light-art works by local, regional, and international artists — located on buildings, streets, and other outdoor spaces.

Some artists being featured this year include: Choi + Shine, of Massachusetts; Eunsook Lee, of Korea; Sui Park, of New York; Jeff Zischke, of Arizona; and Frank Foole, of the Netherlands.

Extreme Lengths Productions, in partnership with Dance Place, and Joana Stillwell are from Washington, D.C. Their works of art can be seen at 3206 N St. NW and 1556 Wisconsin Ave. NW, respectively.

"This year's GLOW installations encourage attendees to take a contemplative step back, and feel a sense of respite," said Georgetown GLOW curator Deirdre Ehlen MacWilliams. "Each artwork is responsive to the varied landscapes of Georgetown, and conveys a sense of wonder, joy and play that we all desire right now. From lace feathers that magically levitate above the Canal, to LED grasses that respond to environmental conditions, GLOW brings a renewed light to all during the holiday season."

The public art installations will be lit every day from 5 to 10 p.m., between Friday, Dec. 6 and Sunday, Jan. 5. GLOW is in its sixth year of operation.

"The BID started GLOW in 2014 to provide a unique holiday season experience, inviting Georgetown visitors to 're-imagine the season of light,'" said Nancy Miyahira, vice president and marketing director for the Georgetown BID. "We're very excited to see how it's grown to become a winter tradition in our region, and an emerging light art experience in the U.S. GLOW helps in establishing Washington, D.C. as a creative place for artists, making public art accessible to all."

In addition to the light-art installations, attendees can enjoy special promotions and events at many of Georgetown's shops and restaurants — as well as themed historic, food, photography, and curator walking tours.

2019 Artists and Projects

Cloud Swing, Lindsay Glatz and Curious Form, New Orleans
Location: Book Hill Park (Wisconsin Ave & Reservoir Rd NW)

Cloud Swing is an interactive installation intended to evoke feelings of nostalgia and wonder. The
artwork consists of two swings suspended from a glowing cloud structure, in which color and light are created as people engage and swing through the air. Cloud Swing seeks to demonstrate the importance of kinesthetic experiences in our development. It is the process of learning by using our past and the experiences behind us that ultimately propel us forward. Cloud Swing is inspired by the simple joys of play and color.

Filament, Extreme Lengths Productions, in partnership with Dance Place, Washington DC
Location: 3206 N St NW (Next to Sid Mashburn)

Filament contains three live dancers and is viewed through a peephole, creating an exclusive and unique audience/performer connection. To draw passersby to the installation from afar, the exterior of the space is also designed to attract attention. Within the installation, a system of relay modules, custom circuit boards, and Arduinos control the 144 fixtures, creating kinetic patterns in conversation with the live performers. Live dance performances with the light show can be viewed Thursday through Sunday, 5 pm - 10 pm. Light shows are available for viewing Monday - Wednesday, 5 pm - 10 pm.

Pandora's Box, Eunsook Lee, Korea
Location: Georgetown Park Plaza (3276 M St NW)

Presented in partnership with Georgetown Park/Jamestown and The Korean Cultural Center
Pandora's Box is a source of great and unexpected inspiration. The nine tailor-made benches installed within Georgetown Park Plaza are symbolic of the artist’s hope of communicating with her family members to resolve their conflicts, even if this comes with unforeseen challenges. Each bench brims with this hope, and is lit from within to create a mesmerizing glow. The artist hopes this moment of respite will encourage visitors to communicate with each other—an opportunity we're rarely given in modern society.

Atomic, Hou de Sousa, New York City
Location: Grace Church (1041 Wisconsin Ave NW)

Atomic is an ode to the tiny particles that shape our universe, filling an otherwise infinite vacuum with energy, variety and light. The project is primarily composed of fishnet-covered hula hoops. While materially unconventional, the iridescence of the canopy alludes to the stained glass rose windows found in Gothic architecture and links the piece to its site at Grace Church.

Lightbattle, Venividimultiplex, Netherlands
Location: Georgetown Waterfront Park (Near Intersection of Wisconsin Ave & K Street NW)

Lightbattle is an arch made from 5,000 LED lights that will be located adjacent to Georgetown's K/Water Street bike lane. Within, and on either side of the artwork, bicycles challenge visitors to hop on and take part in a "light battle." By moving the pedals, contestants will attempt to beat their challenger by being the first one to push their own beam of light to the other side of the arch.

Snow Cones, Jeff Zischke, Scottsdale, AZ
Location: Cady's Alley

Presented in partnership with EastBanc Snow Cones is an illuminated, site-specific installation celebrating the diversity and distinctness of Georgetown. The artwork is suspended from aircraft cables between the buildings of Cady's Alley and is made of water jet cut aluminum that has a myriad of geometric designs. Within each Snow Cone is an LED projector that casts exquisite designs onto the surrounding architecture. The projected colors animate the space with rich, saturated, colored shapes that blend and dissolve as people walk through the space. The result is an immersive and dynamic light experience that creates absolute delight and awe.

every day, Joana Stillwell, Washington DC
Location: Georgetown Lutheran Church (1556 Wisconsin Ave NW)

every day is an illuminated poem that reads, "every day, we are slowly, approaching, a solstice." The artwork brings attention to the changing subtleties of seasonal light. Each line parallels the colors of the sky during twilight. With every step, the viewer seeks the end of the poem, becoming more aware of the movement of the earth and our relationship to time.

PomPom, Sui Park, New York City
Location: Georgetown Park Plaza (3276 M St NW)

Presented in partnership with Georgetown Park/Jamestown and The Korean Cultural Center
PomPom is the attempt to visualize and bring back the excitement of festive memories that float and live within us. The artist is known for creating 3-D organic forms mostly in generic shapes, and those inspired by nature. Through composition and color, the artist invokes memorable moments of celebration and cheer. These magical, accidental pops and spurs of the moment create a uniquely personal destination for every visitor.

Tall Grasses, Geoffrey Hicks, Phoenix, AZ
Location: Washington Harbour (3000 K St NW)

Presented in partnership with The Washington Harbour/MRP Realty Tall Grasses reimagines common tall grasses as plants that emit light in reaction to their surrounding environmental conditions. Whereas natural grasses shift in color throughout the seasons, the tall grass in this installation changes color minute by minute with the daily temperature. Just as natural grass sways with the wind, this dynamic artificial grass reacts to the breeze by increasing the activity of the light patterns.

The Heron, Choi + Shine, Boston
Location: C&O Canal

The Heron is inspired by the artists' accidental encounter at dusk with a Great Blue Heron along the C&O Canal. With its full wings, the Great Blue Heron glided down to the water, soundlessly and motionlessly, as if it had arrived from a different time. The artwork is composed of three hand-crocheted lace feathers that levitate above the Canal, creating sequential views from the bridges above, and a cinematic experience during a stroll or bike ride along the Canal. Symbolically, the crocheted lace weaves together this historic neighborhood, its people and its cultures.

Waiting, Frank Foole, Netherlands
Presented in partnership with LSM and HITT Contracting
Location: LSM Building, M St, between 33rd & 34th St NW

We can all recognize the rotating wheel that appears on our computer and phone screens when we
must wait for something to download, buffer, update or restart. The waiting symbol, illustrated in this artwork that is aptly named Waiting, consists of lines in a circle that light up, one by one. This classic symbol oddly reassures us and seems to say, "Don't click away, don't close the window. Wait a minute and you will be rewarded. You may not see it but we're working hard behind the scenes."