Each semester I work with a select group of 6 lighting students who focus lights in the main Parsons public gallery that is part of the Sheila Johnson Design Center. The process starts with a gallery tour with the curator in order to understand the exhibition context. Students subsequently develop a lighting scheme and make all physical modifications to the track lighting system. This process takes 8-10 hours of late night, hot and dirty work. It involves carefully navigating around the exhibition works, removing and relocating luminaires, changing light sources, modifying optics, screening output, building accessory hoods and modifying control programming. It has proven to be an invaluable hands on experience - offering students a truly tangible understanding of lighting design.
