LIGHT:2020 at a Glance

From June – September 2020, DATMA used art and technology to bring some needed light to the people of our community during the darkest hours of the coronavirus.

Building on the success of our Summer Winds 2019 project,  DATMA presented virtual programs and outdoor exhibitions for audiences to engage with artwork from the sidewalk, their bicycles, or cars. The Light theme was inspired by the 19th century whaling industry which earned New Bedford the title of “the City that Lit the World.” The celebrate this history, DATMA focused on programs united by the theme of LIGHT. Artists included; MASARY Studios, Patricia Gomes, Soo Sunny Park, and partner exhibitions and programs with New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, AHA! New Bedford Free Public Library, 3rd Eye Unlimited, The Drawing Room, New Bedford Vocational Technical High School, New Bedford Art Museum/ArtWorks!, and the UMass Dartmouth’s College for Visual & Performing Arts, and New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center.

LIGHT:2020 public art exhibitions

Soo Sunny Park, Photo Kinetic Grid, 2018, Exhibited at the Swain Studio at the UMass Dartmouth Star Store Campus. Photo-kinetic Grid, was a spectacular exhibit that could be seen through the Star Store’s floor to ceiling windows. Viewers were mystified by reflective silver mirrors embedded in welded chain link fencing emitting light and colorful rainbows generated by camera-projector cycles.

MASARY Studios, VESSELS, 2020, Three downtown New Bedford building facades will come alive thanks to renowned MASARY Studios who have created large-scale digital projections with unique musical accompaniment that spotlight our maritime industry —still the heart of our region’s economy. This project was supported by partnerships that were paramount to the success of this project. A special thanks to the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center and to LuminArtz for their instrumental collaboration on the Vessels project. 

MASARY Studios, VESSELS in Situ, 2020, an online presentation of VESSELS: Click here to view VESSELS in Situ from your device. In conjunction with the artwork presented in 2020, MASARY Studios created a a documentary style video reflecting on the site specific public art piece etitled, “VESSELS.” The video tells the story of the fishing industry, its vessels, DATMA, New Bedford, the art piece VESSELS and how all interconnected to create the contemporary artwork. Watch this 10 min video HERE.

Pastoral Light, curated by Allie Copeland presented a collection of landscape paintings from the New Bedford Free Public Library.

Light Reflections, an overview of DATMA’s public art projects presented at  New Bedford Art Museum/ArtWorks!

Patricia Gomes
The City that Lit the World, 2020

Read by the author. The read Pat’s poem, you may visit her work published in our news section HERE. We would also like to share a work she wrote for DATMA’s 2019 Summer Winds Series titled, Gale Force.

Below, MASARY Studios created teasers for each of their exhibition locations or watch the whole piece in VESSELS in Situ.

Events

LIGHT program partners

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