Feb 26

Lumonics is participating in Youth on Record’s “Music Matters March”

 

Music Matters March

Lumonics is excited to be supporting the next generation of young artists in Denver during the whole month of March.  Lumonics is donating 10% of sales of  our Friday evening Lumonics Immersed events to Denver nonprofit, Youth on Record! We are happy to be participating again this year!

If you’re not already familiar with Youth on Record, it empowers Colorado’s  underserved youth to achieve their academic, artistic, and personal best by employing local, professional artists as their educators.

“Youth on Record offers for-credit classes in Denver and Aurora schools, free after-school music workshops  for youth ages 11-24, paid internships, and more! The programs empower teens in some of Denver’s most vulnerable communities to make  life choices that positively impact their future by teaching them to develop the coping tools, inspiration, and wherewithal to succeed  in today’s world and to become leaders of tomorrow.”  

You can learn more and check out other participating Music Matters March businesses by visiting youthonrecord.org  and look for the Lumonics logo.

We’re stoked to support YOR and hope you’ll join us in declaring in community that MUSIC MATTERS (!) all month long.

Feb 18

Our Latest Newsletter

Hi Everyone! 
Hope the new year is going well!
Here is some of what’s going on at Lumonics.

Culture Hopping with the Biennial of the Americas
 
Lumonics truly enjoyed hosting the January Culture Hop of the Biennial of the Americas which is based in Denver, CO. Attendees were very appreciative of the light art and the min-documentary/immersive performance we created for them. Thanks to The Biennial for the Instagram photo! We hope to participate in the 2027 Festival.
 

Students from the Strasburg School District

Last week we hosted an enthusiastic and inquisitive group of students from the Strasburg School District (Title 1). The students ranged from 2nd grade to 8th grade, and despite the variation in ages, they got along with each other so nicely. Strasburg is located about 40 miles east of Denver. Lumonics is a community partner with the Denver Public Schools Foundation.
blog

 

Last year on the PBS Newshour, there was a segment about “neuroarts”. Journalist Jeffrey Brown visited the Johns Hopkins Medical School in Baltimore for PBS’s  Arts and Culture series, CANVAS. One of the topics was the book, ‘Your Brain On Art: How The Arts Transform Us,’ about the growth and importance of this field that connects the arts and our health. The book was written by Susan Magsamen, the founder and executive director of the International Arts + Mind Lab (IAM Lab) at Johns Hopkins.

“The field of neuroarts is the study of how the arts and aesthetic experiences measurably change the brain, body, and behavior – and how this knowledge is translated into specific practices that advance health and wellbeing. The goal of the NeuroArts Blueprint initiative is to ensure that the arts and the use of the arts – in all of its many forms – become part of mainstream medicine and public health.”

I reached out to Susan, and she appreciates what we are doing at Lumonics where the intention of the light sculpture installations, the field trips, guided tours, and immersive performances is to promote well-being and stimulate creativity, and provide a. setting that can enable fresh insights. She invited us to be part of the community at the Neuroart Resource Center. We are happy to connect with other art projects, researchers, and educators from around the world.

 

 

Lumonics is now open by appointment.
The Gallery displays 75 light sculptures from a rotating collection of over 200 artworks by the late Dorothy and Mel Tanner. 11 light sculptures from the collection have been selected as limited editions, and all are on
 
display at the Lumonicss Gallery.
Your purchase helps support the Lumonics Legacy Project.

Medium: Acrylic Glass and LED Lighting
Prices range from $2,000 to $12,500.
All are signed and numbered.

more info:
www.lumonics.net/gallery

 
 
Many attendees inquire how we create the performances at Lumonics. The source material for the projection comes from an archive of imagery that late artists Dorothy and Mel Tanner originated at the Lumonics Light and Sound Theatre in Miami in 1969, and continues to this day in our performances of Lumonics Immersed here in Denver. Much of the new material is derived from rides in the Colorado mountains and then abstracted to varying degrees. The music source is sampled sounds and keyboards, much of the music composed by the late Dorothy Tanner when she was in her 70s and 80s. You can read more about it and see more photos on our blog.

2-minute video excerpt

Lumonics Immersed
Fridays and Saturdays 
8 pm to 10 pm
Doors: 7:45 pm
Performance:  8:15 pm
Tickets: From $15-$25

Each performance is one-of-a-kind and orchestrated live.

 “For over 50 years, Lumonics has been a pioneer in light art. Founded in the 1960s by the late Dorothy and Mel Tanner, it is ‘one of the first and longest-standing light art studios in the U.S., long before immersive art was considered a trend.’” 
– Denverite

We present the most up-to-date form of the Lumonics expression that originated in 1969. Our intention is to expand the boundaries of sensory engagement and artistic expression, and honor Dorothy and Mel Tanner’s contribution to light art and the immersive experience.
– Marc Billard / Barry Raphael


Directional (1987) by Mel Tanner

What People Say:

“This place is such a hidden gem in Denver. The art here has a deep and fascinating history, and the Tanners built a true legacy around it. You can see how spaces like Meow Wolf and other immersive art experiences owe some of their inspiration to what Lumonics has been doing for decades.” – Tyler A.

“Lumonics is such an incredible collection. They are part of the Crown Jewels of Denver.” – Justin Stucey, Walt Disney Imagineering

Wishing everyone well, and sending our best regards!

Barry / Marc

* photo of Marc by Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
 
 
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Copyright © |2026| |Lumonics| All rights reserved.
 

Feb 17

Sample Supports

Lumonics is very happy to be a community partner with Sample Supports which offers disability services to support adults across Colorado. We are presenting our field trips/guided tour at our location every month to their clients in Fort Collins, Longmont, and Thornton.

Our intention at Lumonics is to encourage attendees to exercise their imaginative powers and hopefully be inspired to go further in their endeavors.

Lumonics is a community member of the Neuroarts Resource Center:
“The field of neuroarts is the study of how the arts and aesthetic experiences measurably change the brain, body, and behavior – and how this knowledge is translated into specific practices that advance health and wellbeing. The goal of the NeuroArts Blueprint initiative is to ensure that the arts and the use of the arts – in all of its many forms – become part of mainstream medicine and public health.”

Here is more information excerpted from the Sample Supports website:
“For the past 15 years, Sample Supports has been redefining what disability services can look like in Colorado. What started as a bold idea—that services should be creative, person-centered, and rooted in real community connection—has grown into a statewide network of programs supporting thousands of individuals and families. From residential and behavioral health services to day programs, employment partnerships, and innovative housing solutions, we’ve built a model that is as unique and dynamic as the people we serve. As we celebrate this milestone, we are grateful for our incredible staff, providers, families, and community partners who have made this journey possible. Together, we’ll continue to push boundaries, embrace innovation, and create opportunities for individuals to thrive for the next 15 years and beyond.”

Feb 03

Students from the Strasburg School District

It was a great pleasure to host students from the Strasburg School District. The students ranged from 2nd grade to 8th  grade, and despite the variation in ages, they got along with each other so nicely. Strasburg is located about 40 miles east of Denver.

The field trip consisted of:
 1. “The Art of Seeing” video of many Lumonics art works. The video is intended to train students’ eyes when they look at art. It has a meditative soundtrack to relax them.

2.  A brief documentary of Lumonics and its 55-year history, including watching interviews with the late founders of Lumonics, Dorothy and Mel Tanner.

3. A tour of the gallery and light art school

4. A light and sound immersion orchestrated by Marc Billard with all original music and visuals.

5. Groups of five students at a time “go behind the curtain” for a brief session on how we present the immersion. 

6. A question and answer session.
It was a very inquisitive group and they asked thoughtful questions including how the art is constructed, if the art works have names, and if our electricity bill is high! (we use LED lighting)

The teachers have already received a curriculum guide for a follow-up classroom activity.

 We welcome educators to bring their students. Here is a link to our field trip webpage. 

Lumonics is a community partner with the Denver Public Schools.

Here are a few photos: