Shedding Light

Moving Pictures

2011-01-06T07:57:00.007-05:00

Here is a photo from my talented friend Anita Licis-Ribak. Her long exposures capture the movement of people around the site - flashlights creating trails of brightness quite different from the broad spill of light from the shed.

Again, that's Nancy Winship Milliken's Pleadies installation of felted wool sails that you can see in the field. Beautiful!

Anita's work is currently part of a group photography exhibition titled: The Photo Essay at the Forbes Library in Northampton, MA (from January 4 - 29, 2011). She's showing a collection of photos taken over the years, entitled "City on the Sea: Fragments of (Brief Returns to) Rīga, Latvia".

More of Anita's photos of Shedding Light...

2011-01-06T07:52:00.008-05:00

Photos

2010-12-13T20:50:00.007-05:00

These photos were taken by Ron Kochanowski on 12-11-10. In the foreground is Nancy Milliken's Pleiades installation of 7 felted wool sails cruising like ghost ships in the glow of Shedding Light. It was a special event to see them together in the field. Thank you Ron for sharing your work!

A good snapshot stops a moment from running away. ~Eudora Welty

2010-12-13T09:01:00.008-05:00

Some people complain that the camera's lens doesn't do them justice - they think they look awkward or pale in the light of the flash bulb, but Shedding Light has no complaints. This project comes alive in the pictures. The textures + details of the barn + field; the light patterns in the sky + on the ground are seen in photographs in a different way than we can experience them in person, in motion. It's as though the camera allows us the opportunity to pause in that moment forever + to look closely without distractions.

Ron Kochanowski, a photographer from Feeding Hills, visited on Saturday night + took a few beautiful images with his Nikon D60 that you can see on his Flickr site. I especially love the ones that show Nancy Milliken's Pleiades illuminated by Shedding Light. So nice to share the Swartz's field with these sails for a few nights!

And if you have the opportunity to stop by the Nacul Gallery to see the exhibit of photos from last year's lighting you'll see Shedding Light through the eyes of Don David, Anita Licis-Ribak, Stephanie Oates + Charlotte Meryman. The photos will be up through Dec. 30.

Thank you

2010-12-12T09:50:00.005-05:00

So last night was a great + overwhelming experience -- so many came out to see Nancy Milliken's Pleiades + my Shedding Light installation + to hang out in the Swartz's barn! The conversations I had (+ a few I overheard) were all pretty amazing.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to a successful night (especially the parking team)! + thank you to those of you who were out there taking photos. I'd love to see your images so if you'd like to share, you can get in touch with me at sheddinglightamherst@gmail.com.

The shed will be lit for the next 2 nights... considering extending it if some snow materializes... more on that soon.

Shedding Light

2010-12-10T15:32:00.003-05:00

Looking forward to a chilly Saturday night (hoping for snow!) for the Nacul Gallery opening & relighting at Swartz Farm. If it's not too windy Nancy Milliken's Pleiades will be doing some night sailing which should be something beautiful.

See yesterday's post for times + locations.

See you on 12-11-10!

2010-12-09T19:24:00.003-05:00

S H E D D I N G L I G H T revisited

Public art installation by erika zekos
@ Swartz Family Farm, December 11 - 13, 2010

Exhibition of photographs of the illuminated shed
@ Nacul Center Gallery, December 11 - 30, 2010
featuring artists: donald david, anita licis-ribak, charlotte meryman, stephanie oates, erika zekos + video documentary by catherine stryker

Opening Night: Saturday December 11, 2010
@ Nacul Center Gallery (592 Main St., Amherst)
3 - 5 PM Opening Reception

@ Swartz Family Farm
(11 Meadow St. + additional viewing area on Rt. 116, just north of the Meadow St. traffic light)
5:30 - 8 PM Holiday Festival at the farm featuring hay rides, hot cider + local noshes
6 - 10 PM The lights come on!

Presented by the Amherst Public Arts Commission

2 days to go

2010-12-09T19:17:00.010-05:00

In preparation for the opening on Saturday, today we installed the photo show at the Nacul Gallery. Here's Terry Rooney curator-extraordinaire hanging one of Anita Licis-Ribak's photographs.

3 days to go

2010-12-08T08:28:00.006-05:00

Yesterday i spent some time at the shed, laying out cables + opening the barn's ventilation panels. It's cold outside, but it feels good to be getting things ready for the relighting on Saturday. Joe + Sarah Swartz are planning such a wonderful celebration of local food + art in their Blue Barn + it might even snow a little bit on Friday (fingers crossed).

Here are a couple of photos i took yesterday - images of this aging barn being either overtaken or gradually erased by decades of exposure to its environment. Beautiful in their own way, but bittersweet.

Meanwhile...

2010-11-29T20:12:00.007-05:00

While you're counting down the days until Shedding Light's reappearance on Dec. 11, 2010, please plan to attend the closing of the Amherst Biennial exhibit Sunday Dec. 5 at East St. School in Amherst, MA. My projection installation titled, "I dwell in Possiblity -" exploring identity + place will be up from dusk - 8pm.

The Details...

2010-11-29T18:06:00.003-05:00

2010-11-24T08:23:00.005-05:00

Getting there... The giant spool of cable was rolled out to Far Shed yesterday ready to be hooked up to the electrical panels at either end. It felt great to visit the barn again + to feel the soft earth beneath my feet, the mist in my face + to see Pleiades sailing in the distance. Thanks to Derek for helping out.

Pleiades at Swartz Farm

2010-11-15T13:34:00.005-05:00

If you happen to drive by Swartz Family Farm in the next few weeks you might see 7 beautiful felted wool sails navigating the field along Rt. 116. Nov. through Dec. 11, 2010.

This installation, called Pleiades by Nancy Winship Milliken is part of the Amherst Biennial. It straddles performance, sculpture and installation as the artist repairs and responds to the changes made by time and weather. (As you plan your viewing please note that the sails are taken down in predicted high winds and rain).

For more information please visit www.nancymilliken.com to view images, artist statement, and a video showing the process of making the felted sails.

If the weather works in our favor Pleiades will be sailing the field during Shedding Light's return on 12-11-10!

Save the Date 12-11-10

2010-11-10T12:05:00.006-05:00

Shedding Light returns on 12-11-10! FOR 3 NIGHTS ONLY!
What an auspicious date to relight the shed! If you missed it last year or wish to see it illuminated again please come by.

This lighting will mark the opening of an exhibit of photographs of last year's installation. Anita Licis-Ribak, Charlotte Meryman, Donald David, Stephanie Oates, Terry Rooney and myself will be among the artists showing their own views of the barn and light and landscape. In addition we'll be showing the beautiful film about Shedding Light by Catherine Stryker of ACTV.

Opening Reception: Saturday, 12-11-10:
3 - 5 PM @ the Nacul Center Gallery (592 Main St., Amherst, MA)
6 -10 PM Relighting of Shedding Light @ Swartz Family Farm (11 Meadow St., Amherst, MA)

Hope that you'll join us!

2010-07-06T07:54:00.015-04:00

Exciting news!!

Shedding Light, a 10 minute documentary about lighting a tobacco barn is available for viewing! Shedding Light film link: http://204.213.244.104/Cablecast/Public/Show.aspx?ChannelID=1&ShowID=5776 (Click the link + then click "Watch Now".)

In the film you'll see me, Terry Rooney and Joe Swartz at the farm + in the studio talking about the process + our experiences with the project. You'll also see many of the beautiful photographs taken by artists Anita Licis-Ribak, Stephanie Oates, Charlotte Meryman, Donald David, Terry & myself.

Thanks go to Amherst Community Television (ACTV)'s Catherine Stryker for doing beautiful work editing all of the film, images + interviews. I hope you enjoy watching it!

2010-06-24T09:45:00.004-04:00

I hope that everyone has the chance to visit the Pioneer Women and Wonderland exhibits at Paper City Gallery in Holyoke!

This incredible show curated by Terry Rooney includes over 40 artists from the Valley and NYC (including yours truly). Make sure you stop by (80 Race Street, Saturdays + Sundays 1-4 until July 31) to see the PREMIER of the Shedding Light documentary and so much amazing artwork!

+ I hope to be posting a link to the documentary SOON! Stay tuned...

2010-05-18T14:25:00.003-04:00

We're making a film about Shedding Light! That's Amherst Community TV producer Catherine Stryker filming Joe Swartz, Terry Rooney + me at Swartz Family Farm today.

Stay tuned...

2010-03-24T08:53:00.000-04:00

2010-01-01T22:15:00.001-05:00

Photographer Charlotte Meryman took some lovely photos of the shed a few nights ago that she posted on her blog... Check them out at http://charlottemeryman.aminus3.com/image/2009-12-31.html.

Amazing Aerials

2010-01-01T22:14:00.006-05:00

A couple more of Anita's aerial images, December 18, 2009.Our pilot from Northampton Aeronautics, John Smith.
Above is Anita, intrepid photographer!

New Year Thoughts

2010-01-01T11:04:00.004-05:00

It felt great to turn off the shed lights for the final time + bring this project to a close last night at midnight. Thank you to each and every person who helped to make this project a reality + thanks to those who've taken a trip to see it, shared your own photos + comments. Hope you have all enjoyed it as much as I did! Happy New Year.
With gratitude, Erika
Isn't that amazing? Anita Licis-Ribak and I flew over Shedding Light a few nights ago in a Piper Warrior 4-seater plane. What an experience to see it from above! More pics to come...

2009-12-16T12:29:00.005-05:00

Photographer Stephanie Oates visited Shedding Light a few nights ago. I love the pattern of light across the ground...
Here's one that I took looking out across the field:

2009-12-14T07:53:00.002-05:00

Here's another of Anita Licis-Ribak's wonderful photos. You can see more of her photography work at her blog and website.

If you have any photos to share please feel free to get in touch with me (Erika, studiozed@comcast.net). I'd love to see them!

Light + Gratitude

2009-12-06T10:45:00.013-05:00

Thank you to everyone who came out for opening day on Saturday. The afternoon's book talk, panel discussion & gallery opening was a lot of fun & turning on the lights for the first time in the snow was something I've been looking forward to for a very long time!

Hope you have an opportunity to drive past the shed some night soon... sunset to 10pm every night for the rest of December. The best viewing area is on the east side of Rt. 116, just north of the Meadow St. traffic light. Of course you can also visit the Nacul Center (592 Main St. Amherst) to see the gallery show with drawings by Scott Tulay and photographs by Arthur Mange.

And now a few more thank yous...
My huge and heartfelt gratitude to Joe and Sarah Swartz of Swartz Family Farm for welcoming this project, Terry Rooney, Amherst Public Art Commission Chair for her vision and the entire APAC committee for their support, Bruce Wallace of Theatrix Lighting and Production for his guidance about the lighting, Paul DiBenedetto Electric for getting the wiring accomplished and Larry Schaffer, Amherst Town Manager for his appreciation and coordination magic. I couldn't have done this without their support!

Thanks to everyone else who helped “see the light” including Scott Tulay & Arthur Mange, Darcy Purinton & Dale Cahill, Tom Hartman, Meg Vickery, Derek Noble, Gretchen Schneider, Alex Lefebvre, the Jones Library Special Collections, Nacul Center, Dave Damery of the UMass Amherst Department of Natural Resources Conservation, UMass Amherst Graduate School, Nora & Tony Maroulis of wunderarts, the Amherst/ Mass Cultural Council, WMECO and Art Angels.

On opening night we had help with parking from Aisik and Alex Newman and the wonderful Officer Jaime and UMass NAHB students helped people to find their way out to the shed. Not an easy job in the snow! Thanks also to the Black Sheep and Mom's House for helping with the food.

And thanks to my friend / amazing designer and photographer Anita Licis-Ribak who took these beautiful pictures Saturday night!

Ready to go! See you Sat. Dec. 5!

2009-12-04T09:32:00.001-05:00

2009-11-17T22:21:00.000-05:00

Opening Night December 5!

2009-11-09T13:31:00.018-05:00

Shedding Light on view "in the field" AND at the Nacul Center: Starting SATURDAY December 5
You'll be able to view Shedding Light starting December 5th all lit up in the field at Swartz Family Farm. We are also excited to announce that during that time we'll also be hosting an exhibit about the project at the Nacul Center Gallery on Main St. in Amherst. Highlighted will be the black and white photographs of Arthur Mange and beautiful drawings by Amherst artist/architect Scott Tulay.

Save the Date: SATURDAY December 5, 2009 Shedding Light exhibit opening and discussion!

at the Nacul Center Gallery:
2:00 Opening Talk by Darcy Purinton & Dale Cahill, photographer and author of the new book, "Tobacco Sheds of the Connecticut River Valley". Darcy & Dale will discuss their experiences and interest in tobacco sheds as well as show some of their beautiful photographs.

2:45 Panel Discussion, "Living Green: From the Past to the Future". Join us in a discussion about the role of design excellence and ingenuity in creating sustainable environments. Panelists:

Thomas RC Hartman AIA (architect, Coldham&Harman Architects)
Meg Vickery (architectural historian & curator UMass Amherst Fine Arts Center Gallery’s upcoming "Greening the Valley" exhibit)
Dr. David T. Damery (Associate Professor and Director, Building Materials and Wood Technology UMass Amherst Department of Natural Resources Conservation)

3:30 Exhibit Opening Reception. On view, Shedding Light images and charcoal / pastel drawings of tobacco sheds by Scott Tulay and black and white photographs of tobacco sheds by UMass Amherst professor emeritus Arthur Mange.

at Swartz Family Farm:
5:00 a Visit to Swartz Farm to turn on the lights. Joe + Sarah Swartz are offering a special Open House at the farm. See their greenhouses, enjoy a hot chocolate, sign up for a farm share AND see Shedding Light!

Another Supporter

2009-11-09T13:28:00.002-05:00

Thank you to Art Angels for their recent support of Shedding Light! Their contribution will allow for collaboration with the Youth Action Coalition of Amherst. YAC's Video Vanguards group will help me to document the project and create a short video documentation of the project and the farm.

WMECO Supports Shedding Light

2009-10-16T08:52:00.003-04:00

I'm happy to announce some wonderful news that brings us even closer to bringing this project to reality. WMECO (Western MA Electric Company) has funded our grant request to provide public outreach and education about sustainability issues in our region. We are grateful for their support!

Thank you Amherst Cultural Council

2009-04-16T14:52:00.004-04:00

The Amherst Cultural Council has granted Shedding Light $2000.00 towards making this project a reality. Many thanks for their support!

Shedding Light Featured in Brooklyn Exhibit

2009-04-16T10:12:00.004-04:00

A large format photograph from the February test lighting and a model of the tobacco shed will be exhibited as part of Pioneer Women show at Tabla Rasa Gallery in Broolyn, NY from April 18 - May 30, 2009.

Article in the Amherst Bulletin

2009-02-14T16:58:00.002-05:00

Friday February 13th's Amherst Bulletin included a great article about the project!

Click HERE to read the whole article. Here is a quick excerpt:

'Shedding Light': Public art project looks back and forward for Amherst's 250th.
by Bonnie Wells

On a frigid Friday night late last month, a small but hardy crowd turned out at the Swartz family farm in Amherst for a sneak preview of a public art project planned as a finale to Amherst's 250th anniversary celebration this year.

As the dusk deepened, the tobacco barn that Joe and Sarah Swartz call "the far shed" was transformed into a gigantic lantern. With its ventilation panels opened, and lit from within, it sent broad beams of light deep into the surrounding fields, picking up the contours and glint of the snow.

Click HERE to read the whole article.

All Lit Up

2009-01-31T13:23:00.005-05:00

On Friday January 30th I had the chance to do the first test lighting for the project. With just one light (we'll eventually use 12) we saw a beautiful preview.

Bruce Wallace (from Theatrix) brought one of the metal halide lights. Sarah and Joe Swartz (owners of the barn) brought hot chocolate & donuts. And Terry Rooney (chair of the Amherst Public Art Commission) brought a dozen or so friends of the project out into the field to watch the sun go down and the lights come on.Thank you to everyone who came out. Your interest in and support of Shedding Light is so important!

2008-11-21T09:26:00.002-05:00

Kind Words

2008-10-03T15:07:00.005-04:00

~ excerpted from a letter by Sarah Swartz (proprietor of Swartz Family Farm and owner of the site for Shedding Light)

Last spring my husband and I were approached by the Town of Amherst’s Public Art Commission to see if we would be interested in letting them find a way to “light up” our tobacco shed that faces Rt. 116 for “a few nights” as a part of the Town’s 250’s Celebration. They would use “green energy.” The vent doors would all be left open in order to let the light run out down onto the twilight [winter] snow. They would take pictures.

This particular art proposal means so much to us because it reinforces the special place agriculture has in the history of the Town of Amherst and also the importance our fourth generation family farm has played in that history. This project commemorates the town’s 250th anniversary. The town’s seal is that of the book and the plow. The book is evident in Amherst’s everyday “five college bustle.” I believe that our citizens need to be reminded of the importance of the plow.

Four generations ago our family laughed and sweated and dreamed in that barn. I would so like so sit behind it, under a cold starry sky and see the warm light spill out onto the blue snow and watch reflected back at me the new faces who come to see my beautiful barn all dressed up for the first time.

Shedding Light Project Schedule

2008-09-10T12:37:00.005-04:00

Shedding Light will come to life in December 2009. In the darkest month of the year, it's cold, there might be snow on the ground. Imagine a long, wooden barn sitting alone in a vast field. Each night as the sun goes down, the lights come on and shine out onto the landscape like a lantern.

Present - December 2008
Project design and fund raising

February 2009
Installation testing

February 2009 - December 2009
Refinement of design
Project fund raising continues

December 2009
Project installation and viewing
Exhibits and Lectures

Being Green

2008-09-10T12:29:00.003-04:00

Among the many ideas influencing Shedding Light is that family farms are in jeopardy. Far Shed has been standing for nearly 200 years and, while it's in no danger of falling down just yet, it could use a little love and updating to make it more functional for a wider array of uses.

Thanks to a brilliant idea by Amherst Public Art Commission Chair, Terry Rooney, Shedding Light proposes to use a photovoltaic array (solar panels) to offset the energy consumed by the lighting the barn for the month of December 2009. Terry came up with the idea to use solar energy to light the barn in honor of our sustainable Amherst community. While the project is temporary (only lasting a month), the pv system will remain on the farm to help offset the cost of electricity for the foreseeable future.

My Collaborators

2008-09-09T12:11:00.004-04:00

This project would not be possible without the contributions of ideas and expertise of many individuals and organizations.

Most significantly, Swartz Family Farms has offered their "Far Shed" for the project. They have my eternal, heartfelt appreciation for their donation.

Also vital to the success of this project is the Town of Amherst (especially Town Manager Larry Shaffer and Terry Rooney of the Amherst Public Art Commission). They have embraced the idea of Shedding Light and I am working with them to clear the way for the project.

I would also like to acknowledge the participation of University of Massachusetts Amherst and Professor Dr. David Damery Director Building Materials and Wood Technology in the Dept. of Natural Resources Conservation. In addition to providing expertise on alternative energies, Dr. Damery is involving his students in the design of the photovoltaic array that will provide power to the lights.

wunderarts, a fabulous contemporary art gallery in Amherst, has invited Shedding Light to exhibit images of the installation and will host film and lectures in December 2009.

Theatrix of Belchertown, MA has provided lighting design consultation.

Since the project will only exist for a month, it will have a second life on film. I have also started discussing the project with award winning documentary filmmaker Kate Geis.

Shedding Light Project Statement

2008-08-11T15:04:00.003-04:00

As an architect, I’m always very interested in the landscape and the vernacular of regional buildings. So when I moved out to western Massachusetts a few years ago and I saw the tobacco sheds for the first time, I was immediately struck by their inherent beauty. Learning that farming in general (but tobacco farming in particular) is an important and unique aspect of the region’s history, but that it’s a dying practice has made it that much more interesting for me.

My proposal is relatively simple: To fill a tobacco barn with lights, open the ventilation panels and just let the light shine out onto the landscape. We will essentially be creating a beautiful lantern. This lantern will highlight the value of Amherst’s farming community in conjunction with Amherst’s 250th Celebration.

The working title is Shedding Light – As with much of my work, the idea is to call attention to the environment (both built and unbuilt) and create a forum for the questions that arise as a result of the work. In this case I am calling attention to the role of public art in the community, beauty of the barn, to the special quality of the tobacco that’s grown here, to the disappearance of the farmer for all the various reasons, to the risk of smoking… And while light has been used in very literal ways to illuminate both objects and issues; with Shedding Light, illumination itself is the object of attention. What is the power of art to connect us to our landscapes, both cultural and physical?

Due to the temporary nature of Shedding Light this project also calls for a series of photographs or film to document the work. As well, complimentary programming such as an exhibit of photographs or film at wunderarts gallery, a collection of oral histories from Amherst’s farming community and lectures should also be explored. Partnerships with local academic experts and students in various fields are most welcome.

To honor the awareness and sensitivity in the Amherst community towards a sustainable future for both its landscape and its residents, I propose that this project should be supported by alternative energy sources (this could mean a photovoltaic array or a windmill powering the lights inside the barn). And while the lighting of the shed is a temporary feature, the sustainable energy source will be left behind to help power the farm for decades to come. This will be both a visible legacy of the significance of Amherst’s 250th birthday as well as an exciting hint at the direction that regional agriculture might take in the future.

2008-08-11T15:00:00.000-04:00