15th annual Let There Be Light exhibition shines bright

On Dec. 10, the grounds around the V. Earl Dickinson building on PVCC’s main campus resembled something out of a folktale. Billowing plumes of fire shifted hues from red to purple to green. Yellow lanterns hung from a tree like strange glowing fruit. Flowers flickered gently like candles. This was not a scene from a fairytale. It was the night of a celebrated Charlottesville tradition, the 15th annual Let There Be Light exhibition. 

The Let There Be Light exhibition provides a creative space for artists of all backgrounds, from PVCC students and faculty to students from other schools. Each artist is allowed a great degree of artistic freedom to create pieces centered on the unifying theme of light. In fact, light was about the only thing the various artworks at Let There Be Light had in common. 

The medium and subject of the exhibits varied wildly. There was a statue of a glowing figure standing over the lake behind the Dickinson building, its reflection making it appear as if an identical figure lurked just beneath the water. Neon signs depicting two purple roses and a rabbit with wings sat on the lawn to the side of the building. A section of the lawn was transformed into a fairytale garden, with large red and white-spotted mushrooms and small winged fairies suspended from a nearby tree. All throughout the exhibit, hundreds of people walked through the dark, stopping to cluster around each piece, drawn to the light like moths to a flame. 

However, Let There Be Light nearly did not happen at all. In addition to the problems posed by COVID-19, rainy weather threatened to disrupt the outdoor event. Fortunately, the rain held off just long enough for the event to proceed as planned. “I think [the event] went remarkably well, especially since the weather was a little iffy,” said Associate Professor of Art Fenella Belle, one of the exhibit’s two curators. 

The decision to go ahead with the event despite predictions of rainy weather was a difficult one, but Belle was ultimately glad she chose to proceed. “It was lovely because people came out, and they weren’t deterred by the weather at all. I’m still trying to figure out about how many people came out, but I think it was between 1500 and 2000,” said Belle. 

Another challenge the organizers had to contend with were how to adapt the event to meet COVID-19 safety guidelines. While a bulk of the event was outdoors, thus reducing the threat of transmission, some changes still had to be made to the eating arrangements. In the past, food had been served inside the Dickinson building, which made it an ideal place for attendees to congregate.

 “We decided to get some food trucks to come up here instead, and we decided to still do the free hot cider,” said Belle, “One of the ideas behind the event is to make it a gift to the community, not just the Piedmont community but the Charlottesville community, so having some free refreshments is a part of that gift.”

While Belle was careful not to give any one exhibit preferential treatment, one particular piece held special significance for her and for the wider PVCC community. “There were a few pieces that were very specifically designed to pay tribute to Beryl Solla, the professor who passed away last year, and one of them was the one with the flying bunny and the two roses. That one is one of my favorites,” said Belle. 

Now that the exhibit is over, Belle and her fellow organizers have begun drawing up tentative plans for next year’s Let There Be Light event. “My hope for next year is that we continue to make it a little bit bigger than it was this year and keep getting schools involved with their teachers, and I would like the community event to end up being a little bit bigger,” said Belle.