Mar 18

Imagine! Comes to Lumonics

We enjoyed hosting Imagine! clients who came to Lumonics for a guided tour/immersion.

Imagine!, based in Lafayette, CO,is a provider agency offering services designed to allow individuals of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to engage in their communities. 

The School Age Services brought students from the  ages of  7 to 21. Some of the students could only utter sounds but were very expressive! 

We were delighted to receive this email the following day:

Thank you so much for hosting our group yesterday! It was really special to see our group so calm and engaged for such an extended time. There is certainly something to be said about the neurological impact of the experience you offer!

Thank you also for being flexible and accommodating with the needs of our group. We truly felt welcomed and supported and that means so much. We hope to be back again someday!

Best wishes,

Riley Meere
Imagine! Program Coordinator School Age Services

Mar 11

Threads of Light: : An Immersive Evening with KIMEAN on Sunday, April 19

Sunday, April 19
7 pm
Threads of Light : An Immersive Evening with KIMEAN

 


Threads of Light
An Immersive Evening with KIMEAN

Khmer-American singer-songwriter KIMEAN crafts cinematic-pop music that feels both intimate and expansive. She crafts layered vocals, lush soundscapes, and storytelling that is both tender and unflinching.

Developed in partnership with Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery, Threads of Light weaves KIMEAN’s music with the gallery’s hand-crafted light art, transforming the space into a living, breathing tapestry of sound and color.

Featuring pieces from her upcoming album, KIMEAN takes audiences on a journey inspired by her mother’s survival of the Khmer Rouge and her own struggle with the wounds that pass silently between generations.

Threads of Light invites you to step inside the music and be surrounded by story, light, and sound.

Doors: 6:30 PM | Show: 7:00–8:00 PM

🎟️ Presale tickets: $25 — available through April 9th at kimeanmusic.com
Tickets increase to $30 after April 9th. Spots are limited!

 

Mar 08

How We Create the Music and Visuals 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. The Tanners’ light sculptures also play an important role. We think of the art pieces as the “Lumonics Light Orchestra”.

 

Here are some of the components of the projection:

1. Hand-painted 35 mm slides by Dorothy and Mel Tanner, a process that began in 1969 in the original Lumonics Light and Sound Theatre in Miami, FL and ended upon Mel’s death in 1993. Hundreds of these slides are in our archives and have been digitized. Here are some examples:

 

 

2. Lumonics video productions from 1978 until present that included the late Dorothy Tanner, Mel Tanner, and engineer John Hall, and Marc Billard who continues the productions at Lumonics Immersed and orchestrates the Lumonics Light Orchestra live.

3. Colorado car rides and hikes, from urban to rural areas, which Marc Billard records and produces. Mountains, streams, forests, streets and roads are the source material. Marc then transforms the imagery in production, and adds an original soundtrack. We think of the finished productions as “alchemized nature films”. No AI is involved!

The photos below are examples of some of the source material.

 

These photos are of Marc Billard using his 360 camera with a selfie stick and also his mobile phone camera to record in the mountains of Colorado. (along Peak to Peak Highway and the St. Vrain River):

 

 

This is a 2-minute excerpt from projection at one of the episodes of Lumonics Immersed:
 

 

The music is a collaboration of Dorothy Tanner and Marc Billard (Tanner/Billard) that began in 1994 and ended upon Dorothy’s passing in 2020. Marc continues to produce music for Lumonics Immersed. It is produced using samples, keyboards, and also can include some of Dorothy’s spoken word we call Cosmic Rap.

 

 

Mar 06

Thank You Email from School that Lumonics Recently Hosted

We appreciated receiving  the following thank email from a recent field trip we presented to 8th graders:

 
Hi Barry,

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for welcoming our students. You were such a gracious host. Thank you for your openness in sharing your career journey and for giving us the opportunity to experience the beautiful and creative space you so thoughtfully care for.

The students had a wonderful time being immersed in the gallery, surrounded by such vibrant artwork. It was a meaningful experience for them as they continue exploring their interests, discovering what they enjoy, and learning more about how things work in the worlds of art and careers.

Thank you again! We look forward to future opportunities to inspire our students and collaborate with you. Please also extend our thanks to Marc as well.

Warmly,
Ivonne C.
Spark Middle School Coordinator