One of the greatest pleasures of this position is learning more about how other institutions are engaging the community around art, and one of the best ways of engaging is through participatory art installations. As it happens, one of the Pulitzer’s community partners, the Foundry Art Centre in St. Charles (which also serves as one of our lamp collection sites), is hosting a prime example participatory art engagement with Project Firefly. Guest blogger, Alex Elmestad, describes Project Firefly in more detail — I plan to be there, collecting fireflies riverside, and I hope to see you there, too! ~ Lisa
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While exploring the minimalist sculptures and colorful installations of Dan Flavin, you might discover a need for more creative light in your life. Well, it just so happens there is another light exhibition happening in the area. The Foundry Art Centre will host Project: Firefly, a free, one night only community project on Wednesday, July 9th. The evening begins at 6pm with Ameren distributing electroluminescent night lights that emit an illuminating glow (Note: the lights never burn out, the light only uses less than a watt of electricity, and costs pennies a year to operate) Ameren will also discuss topics of energy conservation, while making comparisons to the subject of bioluminescence and mankind’s influence from the natural phenomenon. In collaboration with the Butterfly House, stations will be set up for experimentation, interactive learning, and discovery of the link between fireflies and human technology. In partnership with Artlink, a young friends organization, the Foundry will turn into a place of community exploration and participation. As the sun begins to set, anyone who wants to be involved will embark on a short journey along the Katy Trail to Frontier Park alongside the Missouri Riverfront. Armed with plastic magnetic jars and insect nets, the community will be asked to catch as many fireflies as they can within a limited time frame, in hopes of filling each jar provided. In a race to catch the glowing insects before they disappear back into the grass, the community will have the opportunity to experience a nostalgic American tradition, while also engaging directly in a temporary sensory art project. As a group, those involved will haul their findings back to the Foundry and install a “living light” installation in a grid format.
This project stems from youthful summertime practices while also informing us about the processes of community collaboration with a creative goal. Through the public coming together for the purpose of building an aesthetic, yet functional one time installation, they are allowed to imagine and explore the interactive possibilities of art. The fireflies act as symbols of natural light and mankind’s attempt to control and manipulate it in a systematic fashion for aesthetic and functional purposes. Not only does the community catch the “living light” material (firefly insect), but the public utilizes that material for a purpose. As humans, we have always been influenced by nature; this project will enhance that concept by allowing the public direct creative contact with natural organisms. Because of societies’ influence from nature we have adapted and flourished as a species through study, experimentation, and development.
The final action in the project is to gather all of the jars back into the bags and walk outside to release fireflies back into nature. This performative action signifies the cycle of the project. The order of capturing, using, and releasing back to the earth or atmosphere has long been a tradition in spiritual and religious practices. This act of freeing a living illuminating creature back into the environment will be just if not more gratifying than capturing it.