Downtown SF, the community benefit district which serves the Financial District and Jackson Square, announced today the inaugural holiday projection mapping event, Let's Glow SF, running December 3-12, 2021 in downtown San Francisco to generate economic recovery.
"The pandemic deeply impacted the downtown 9-5 workforce population," said Robbie Silver, Executive Director of Downtown SF, the community benefit district. "The inherent lesson is that we can no longer be just a financial district, downtown San Francisco needs to pivot and pivot quickly to attract a more diverse range of people, businesses, and uses. Let's Glow SF features world renowned artists on iconic buildings and is the first of many efforts to encourage Bay Area residents to see and experience downtown in a different, more welcoming light."
A breathtaking tour of four towering buildings throughout Downtown San Francisco will each feature show stopping projections that light up the night. Each show will be five to seven minutes long and run every 15 minutes at the following locations:
One Bush Plaza
345 Montgomery St.
Pacific Stock Exchange at 301 Pine St.
Hyatt Regency at 5 Embarcadero Center
Each building's projection was designed specifically for the location by local and international artists and tells an enchanting story that celebrates the holiday season. Downtown SF created Let's Glow SF with partner, A3 Visual.
"Projection mapping is an exciting art form because it marries art, technology and public space while activating architecture in iconic cities," said Sean Mason, Chief Technology Officer at A3 Visual. "This particular project is unique for many reasons, we are building a foundation for a truly immersive activation and also creating space for collaboration between many types of artists - animators, painters, digital artists, etc. Because the artists are all working together, they have access to a canvas that is larger than anything they would work on individually, allowing for incredible art to be born."
Let's Glow SF features works from nine artists, with new artists being announced daily. Local artists include award-winning cinematographer, director and producer Louie Schwartzberg, muralist and fine artist Amandalynn, muralist, ceramicist and painter Ian Ross, motion graphics artist Duncan Rogoff and animation artist Sean Capone. In addition, three award winning international content development companies, SPECTRE Lab (Paris, FR), Mindscape Studio (Bucharest, Romania) and Pixel n'Pepper (Paris, FR), will digitize and animate the artist's work.
Spectators will see stunning whimsical, abstract and naturalistic winter-themed projections like:
Galloping ice horses
Flying winter hawks and snowy owls
Flowering poinsettias
Arctic scenery with polar bears
Ice castles
Swirling presents and musical instruments
This event leverages Eighteen (18) 4K projection technology by Panasonic. These 3-Chip DLP® SOLID SHINE laser projectors will be placed in custom-built outdoor enclosures and operated by Modulo Pi media servers and will deliver eye-catching visuals, providing realistic color-rich images, putting event goers at the center of the action.
"Let's Glow SF is a great way to support the local art and business community that is committed to bringing vibrancy back to downtown," said Peter Quartaroli, owner of Sam's Grill, the fifth oldest restaurant in the U.S. and a 150+ year staple in downtown San Francisco. "The revitalization of downtown is critical to the small businesses that serve the Bay Area and what better way to show support than to make a night of it - enjoy a beautiful evening in the fresh air enjoying stunning art - and then make your way to your favorite restaurant and stay for dinner!"
Pre-pandemic, hundreds of thousands of commuters and visitors streamed into downtown San Francisco every day. Post-lockdown, that number declined significantly, but (current data gathered by Downtown SF shows an increase in pedestrian foot traffic of nearly 20% since September 2021). Let's Glow SF aims to create a more vibrant, active downtown that supports the economic recovery of the area.
About Let's Glow SF
Let's Glow SF, produced and funded by Downtown SF and made in partnership with A3 Visual, is a projection mapping event that uses video projection techniques with light and colors to project virtual images from local and international artists onto iconic buildings throughout San Francisco's Financial District. As the largest holiday projection mapping event in the U.S, this stunning journey of light will feature the works of local and international artists while celebrating the festive winter season in the heart of San Francisco. A striking marriage of art and technology will create a whimsical, COVID safe event for all. Let's Glow SF runs from December 3-12, 2021. For more details about Let's Glow SF, including a media kit with a sample flyover of projections on buildings, visit www.downtownsf.org/events/letsglowsf. Follow us on social media with #letsglowsf
About Downtown SF
Downtown SF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the district's vitality through best-in-class clean and safe programming, infrastructure enhancements, dynamic partnerships and productive marketing. Developed by a coalition of property and business owners, Downtown SF is a community benefit district that provides services to a 43-block radius in two of the oldest continuous business districts in San Francisco, Financial District (FiDi) and Jackson Square. These services include cleaning, safety, district identity and promotion, and public space activations. For more information visit www.downtownsf.org. Follow Downtown SF on Facebook (@sfdowntown), Instagram and Twitter (@sf_downtown) and LinkedIn (Downtown SF).
Source: https://www.newswire.com/news/lets-glow-sf-debuts-in-downtown-san-francisco-as-the-largest-holiday-21560951
