Let There Be Light Shines Through the Winter
As the year draws into winter, people find themselves spending more time inside as the days get shorter and darker. However, that doesn’t mean there is a lack of light, as the festive nature of this time of year beckons colorful and vibrant celebratory light fixtures around town. PVCC’s habit of flamboyant lighting in time for the holidays welcomes local creatives and artists to express themselves through the often-overlooked medium of light. However, this isn’t a new phenomenon at PVCC, Let There Be Light will be back for their 18th annual exhibition on Dec. 13, from 6-9 p.m., or the next day (Dec. 14) if rain is an issue.
With free admission and parking, this all-ages event will be hosted at the V. Earl Dickinson Building and will welcome everyone with free apple cider, hot chocolate, and local food trucks on site. Not only that, but the event coordinators encourage students to come dressed as their own “enlightened being.”
“It’s lots of fun to see the audience get creative.” said Fenella Belle, PVCC chairperson of visual and performing arts. The audience will also be able to participate in the second year running of a “People’s Choice” award. After guests have wandered and seen the different exhibits at the event, they will be able to cast their votes by placing a glowing ring on a pole. Belle says, “As the evening goes on, we watch as the rings stack up, and at the end of the night, the artist with the most rings wins a small cash prize.”
The 2024 exhibition will feature dance, illuminated sculptures, and an outdoor pottery kiln. According to a PVCC press release, the event will focus on the theme of “our natural world.” The “VMFA on the Road,” a traveling gallery, now within a new, state-of-the-art trailer will return once again. “It’s a professional gallery with artwork from the museum that travels around the state in a tractor-trailer truck,” said Belle.
Within the Dickinson Building, the PVCC Gallery will be open for viewings of its latest exhibition “Process = Progress: Peeking Behind the Curtain of Creativity.” Outside, although flashlights are available to borrow, Belle encourages visitors to bring their own to help guide them down the lit paths toward the art installations.
Among the events will be new artists as well. Belle said, “Usually, I put out a big call to artists in August (I collect names all year) and ask them to respond. Then I chat with each artist about their idea, and explain to them, if they’re new, about our parameters and then see, if we’re mutually interested, I encourage them to look for a site that would work for their idea.”
In 2024, a PVCC alumni, Ashtin Bowman will be returning to campus to display artwork of their own.
