Civic Lights designers in town to tour prospective project sites

May 10, 2006

WHAT: Tour of sites under consideration for the Civic Lights Urban Lighting Design Exhibition and media availability with the designers involved in the project.

WHERE: University of Florida University Gallery (Fine Arts building B, on Northwest 13th Street just south of Tigert Hall.) Parking will be available in the gated lot immediately behind Tigert.

WHEN: 2 p.m. Saturday, May 13. Media representatives may meet the designers at University Gallery, as well as representatives from UF and the city. The designers will then depart for the tour, which is expected to take about two hours. Media representatives should plan to provide their own transportation in case they need to leave before the tour is finished.

BACKGROUND: Civic Lights is a collaborative effort of UF, the city of Gainesville, Santa Fe Community College, Alachua County and the European Lighting Designers Association, or ELDA. The project aims to demonstrate energy efficiency, safety and aesthetics through sustainable lighting design. ELDA designers and UF students will use six sites in the city and on the UF campus to create “performances,” or demonstrations of their designs. The project also will involve community workshops and conferences on the topic. Three of the designers in town this weekend are from the U.S., and the remaining three are from Germany, Israel and Scotland.

The model was created in European communities in 1998; Gainesville is the first U.S. site to host the three-week exhibition, which is expected to be held in February and March 2007.

CONTACTS: Stan Kaye, professor of lighting design, UF department of theatre and dance. (352) 273-0510, (352) 317-2855 (cell) or (352) 331-0978 (home), stankaye@ufl.edu; Barbara Korner, interim dean of the College of Fine Arts, (352) 392-0207 or (352) 284-3510 (cell), bkorner@arts.ufl.edu; Teri Susi, UF Civic Lights coordinator, (352) 392-0207, tsusi@arts.ufl.edu; Erik Bredfeldt, director, city of Gainesville Department of Economic Development , (352) 334-5012 or (352) 339-0199 (cell), bredfeldea@ci.gainesville.fl.us.