After the sun goes down this Friday night, Binghamton University alumni will be illuminating Downtown with a new kind of light.
LUMA, Binghamton’s first projection arts festival, will turn Downtown buildings into canvases for a light show from 8 p.m. until midnight. The five featured buildings are all between Lewis Street and Henry Street, a few blocks north of Main Street.
Joshua Bernard, who graduated in 2013, and Nick Rubenstein, who graduated in 2015, are the event’s co-founders along with local photographer Tice Lerner. The three have worked closely with Downtown gallery owner John Brunelli and director of economic development Robert Murphy.
The display is possible because of a method known as “projection mapping,” which allows the artist to turn a complex or textured 3D surface into a projection display, as opposed to limiting them to a traditional flat surface. Lerner suggested that Bernard look into projection mapping after attending a projection art event at the restaurant Social on State.
“The projections will be big, bright motion graphics that take advantage of the architecture of the buildings themselves,” Rubenstein said.
Attendees will see a total of seven original animations, solicited from art firms around the world, beamed from 12 projectors. Local vendors will be selling crafts and food, and the surrounding businesses and restaurants will be open as well.
According to Bernard, a main goal of LUMA is to contribute to Binghamton’s up-and-coming cultural scene. He said that the event will be a bright addition to the city and hopefully encourage those outside the city to visit.
“Binghamton has a great art scene, a great restaurant scene,” Bernard said. “The University is doing really fantastic work in a million areas too. But it can be hard to draw people from the outside and point out we’ve changed.”
Bernard said that this year, he is working closely with multiple BU alumni and that he plans to involve current students in future events.
“We’re extremely excited about the prospect,” Bernard said. “I’ve personally been blown away by some of the student work I’ve seen come out of the graphic design and cinema departments at BU.”
He added that employing students could potentially lead to full-time jobs after graduation, which would encourage alumni to stay active and involved in Binghamton.
Bernard and Rubenstein raised $15,212 in donations for LUMA through a Kickstarter campaign. Visions Credit Union also agreed to match funding up to $10,000. Other sponsors include Verizon Wireless, The Printing House, BC Comics and the Press & Sun Bulletin.
Overall, Bernard said that community interest in the event has exceeded his expectations. With over 200 donations and hundreds of expected attendees, LUMA is bringing positive attention to Binghamton from more than locals.
“People are coming back to visit just to see it, they’re bringing their friends from other cities,” Bernard said. “We want to be a destination.”