Events

Upcoming Events

Lumonics Immersed on Saturdays at 8 pm

Immersive Jazz-Art Series: Sun Ra Tribute –  Fridays, April 26 and May 17

Eternal Light on Saturday, April 27 at 8 pm
Fundraiser for the Lumonics Legacy Project

 

Get Tickets

 

 

“Lumonics will lift you into the stratosphere of mind expansion.”
– Denver Westword

 

 The Elements 

  The Light Sculptures of Dorothy and Mel Tanner 
A rotating display of 75 light sculptures from a collection of over 200 from the past 50+ years

 The Lumonics Light Orchestra, Original Special Effects and Visual Music

  Lighting and the Effects Orchestrated Live by Lumonics’ Marc Billard

 Get Tickets

Location: Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery, Denver

When:  Saturdays
Time: Doors open at 7:45 pm.
Performance begins at 8:15 pm.
Event ends at 10:00 pm.
Complimentary Refreshments

Tickets: $25

Your ticket purchase goes toward protecting and preserving more than 200 light sculptures created by the late Mel and Dorothy Tanner, the founders of Lumonics. The money raised helps create a sustainable legacy and future, establishing a Friends Of Lumonics non-profit, and creating partnerships to share this art with the world.

Pre- and Post- Immersion:
 Explore the artworks in the gallery rooms, the performance space, art studo and light art school. 

 Award:  Westword 2023 Best of Denver Award for Best Long-Running Immersive Experience

Description: “Lumonics was immersive before it was cool. Come experience a multi-sensory journey that refreshes your body, mind and spirit, presented by one of the first and longest-running light art studios in the U.S. — which just happens to be based here. It’s like stepping through a looking glass and into a sci-fi wonderland.” 
– Denver Westword

@night_lights_denver (Instagram):
“Giving a shout out to our friends and light art legends @lumonicsgallery !! Their gallery space is a national treasure and something everyone should experience. You can view the vast collection of sculptures created by Mel and Dorothy Tanner and stay for the live performance by resident light technician and virtuoso Marc Billard. Lumonics Immersed is held Saturdays at their gallery.”

“Lumonics Immersed at Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery is a trip without drugs: so much to see, hear, and experience. Art should change us, in all the best ways. It should open our minds, hearts and souls, and enliven our own creative instincts. My first time at this ongoing event did all that and more.”
Will B.

 Articles and Reviews Page
Denverite | Rocky Mountain PBS | Denver Westword |
  OnStage Colorado | 303 Magazine | 9NEWS  +

Logo by Dorothy and Mel Tanner Photo: Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

Logo by Dorothy and Mel Tanner,  Photo: Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

more photos and info on the Lumonics Immersed webpage 

 

 

Immersive Jazz-Art Experience
hosted by Janine Santana 

Hugh Ragin and Friends present:
The Sun Ra Project

Fourth Friday, April 26, 2024
Third Friday, May 17, 2024

7 pm to 9:30 pm
$20 advance
$25 at door

Get Tickets

Hugh Ragin – Trumpet
Janine Santana – Percussion
Sean Winters – Keyboards and Effects

 

 
1:50  video clip 

 Special guest performer Hugh Ragin is a lecturer of Jazz Studies at the College of Music at the University of Colorado-Boulder. He leads a variety of ensembles, master classes and workshops.  Hugh Ragin also played trumpet with Sun Ra’s Arkestra.

Dr. Ragin received the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Five Points Jazz Festival.

“The Sun Ra tribute is designed to connect the audience with an experience of listening by vibrating a deeper understanding of cosmic mathematics, or intelligence, rooted in the science of music, color and healing. In other words: the artist will provide a message piece in a very colorful setting.”
– Hugh Ragin

“Music is the spiritual language of Earth.”
– Sun Ra

Sun Ra (1914-1993) was one of the most unusual musicians in the history of jazz, An outsider who linked the African-American experience with ancient Egyptian mythology and outer space, Sun Ra was years ahead of all other avant-garde musicians in his experimentation with sound and instruments, a pioneer in group improvisations and the use of electric instruments in jazz. He was best known for his “cosmic jazz”.

In the 1950s, Sun Ra began issuing recordings of his unusual music on his Saturn label, becoming one of the first jazz musicians to record and sell his own albums.  Sun Ra released more than a hundred albums of visionary jazz, comprising well over 1,000 songs, and making him one of the most prolific recording artists of the 20th century.  

Sun Ra was  among the first musicians to make extensive and pioneering use of synthesizers and other various electronic keyboards. In 1969, he was given a prototype Minimoog by its inventor, Robert Moog.
– various internet sources, including the National Endowment for the Humanities

 

 

 
Sean Winters teaches Sound & Music Technology as a Lecturer in the Department of Critical Media Practices at CU. Courses taught include Sonic Arts I & II, Sound for XR, Sonic Histories, Sound Practices, Intro to Music Technology, Performance Audio Recording, and Recording Design. Sean is a sonic artist, audiovisual performer, audio engineer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and hacker/technologist.
 
 
 

 

Host  Janine Santana is the  Artistic Director/Radio Personality at The Arts Validation Network and Leader/ Conguera at Janine Santana Latin Jazz.  A popular on air host at KUVO Denver for many years, Janine hosts Afternoon Jazz Mondays through Fridays from 2:30 pm-5:30 pm Mountain Time on TAVN-Jazz , and Saturdays from 10 am -11:30 am

Join us for an evening of art, film, and live improvisational jazz accompanied by the Lumonics Light Orchestra/video projection. Host Janine Santana selects a jazz film for each event. The evening  concludes with a mini-Lumonics Immersed, a transformative multisensory art experience.

 

***** (Google Review)
Really interesting, tucked away spot. I went for a jazz show with inspiration by Sun Ra and it fit the space well. They showed a short film and also gave a taste of the normal programming there which involves all of the light based art and visuals on screen synchronized to music. There’s comfy couches, floor cushions, and snacks included with the ticket price.
Steve K.

 

“Janine Santana here…and I want to personally thank all who have attended our Jazz-Art Immersion events. The response has been absolutely heart-warming! Each event is unique, with a different film and an individualized light experience curated by Lumonics Gallery. A percentage of any profit goes to support The Arts Validation Network, a 501c3 not-for-profit organization.”

 

 

Saturday, April 27
Eternal Light Fundraiser for the Lumonics Legacy Project
8 pm to 12 midnight
$20 suggested donation
$25 at the door (suggested donation)
Complimentary refreshments

Get Tickets

You are welcome to make an additional donation at the event!
 
Eternal Light is the first fundraiser for the Lumonics Legacy Project which aims to protect and preserve more than 200 light sculptures created by the late Mel and Dorothy Tanner, the founders of Lumonics. The money raised will help create a sustainable legacy and future, establishing a Friends Of Lumonics non-profit, and ultimately creating partnerships to share this art with the world.
 
We truly appreciate Nate Lappegaard (DJ Ishe), Ginger Perry, L.A. Zwicky, and Nicole Douglas for organizing this gathering.
 
Ginger Perry is a veteran open-format DJ from Denver with a strong affinity for darker tracks and a deep knowledge of what it takes to ignite a party atmosphere.
 
L.A. Zwicky is a Denver-based DJ and artist. On the scene since 2010, L.A.’s DJ sets cut across genres of contemporary globe-trotting electronic music weaving together unique finds alongside sparkly dance-worthy tunes to bring you a multi-genre party experience that will leave your hearts pumping and your body moving.
 
Nicole Douglas is a welcomed sound healing practitioner here in Colorado. Her Integral Sound Healing approach is particularly effective at triggering your body’s relaxation response, which can help alleviate the symptoms of chronic stress and promote balance throughout your entire being.
 
 
DJ Ishe, also known by his real name Nate Lappegaard, stands as an influential figure in the US electronic music scene, with a notable presence in genres such as dubstep, drum and bass (DNB), and breaks. His extensive body of work, which includes over 100 tracks since 2008, is more than a testament to his skill as a musician. It serves as an homage to the rich, diverse origins of electronic music, acknowledging the varied communities that have contributed to its evolution and vibrancy.
 
Central to Ishe’s ethos is a strong commitment to elevating voices that have historically been marginalized within the music industry. This commitment extends beyond his musical creations into the realm of advocacy, aiming for a future where the electronic music industry celebrates and reflects the diversity of its artistic community. Through his efforts, Ishe seeks to foster a more inclusive electronic music scene that honors its global influences and roots.
 
Ishe is not merely an artist pushing genre boundaries but also a pivotal advocate for change, championing a vision for the electronic music scene that is as diverse and eclectic as its history warrants. By balancing respect for the past with advocacy for a more inclusive future, Ishe solidifies his role as a seminal figure in the ongoing evolution of electronic music across the US.
 

Lumonics is among the first and longest-running light art projects in the U.S. The essence of Lumonics is in its ability to inspire creativity and elicit a profound sense of wonder. We will be concluding the evening with a Lumonics Immersed, orchestrated live by Marc Billard.

“We are honored to present the most-up-to date form of the Lumonics multisensory experience that the late pioneering light artists, Dorothy and Mel Tanner, began in 1969. Marc Billard worked closely with the Tanners for many years, and his creative input has enabled the art form to evolve. We are gratified to not only continue the art form but to [evolve it]. The audience members are also collaborators as they take this multisensory journey with us.”
– Barry Raphael and Marc Billard
excerpted from interview with Meow Wolf after our exhibit in The Galleri ended, and we began Lumonics Immersed at our Gallery/Theater
https://meowwolf.com/blob/denver-artist-projects

 
More info about the Lumonics Legacy Project:
https://lumonics.net/legacy
 

Thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you!

 

 

Things to Do In Denver by Cassidy Ritter (Denverite) 
(highly recommended)

 

PLANNING AN EVENT?

If you have an idea for an event that you would like to present at Lumonics, we look forward to hearing from you, and we enjoy collaborating…whether a fundraiser for an organization, a meeting, a private gathering for friends, a poetry slam, workshop, or a book/music release party. You are welcome to email us:
  or visit our event planning page.

 

 “If you’ve been by Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery, then you already know it’s unlike any other gallery in the city.  Artist Dorothy Tanner sculpts amazing, impossible-to-describe works featuring light as a main component; the gallery also plays host to events that include music, meditation, Chinese Qigong, and workshops on expanding your consciousness.“
Denver Westword