Events

 Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery presents
Lumonics Immersed

Saturday 
8 pm to 10 pm

 Doors: 7:45 pm.
Performance begins at 8:15 pm.
Tickets:
From $15-$28.52

Get Tickets

 

 

We welcome you to the Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery where over 75 light sculptures of the rotating collection are on display, and are part of the immersive experience presented on Saturdays.

 

Ryan R’s. Recent Google Review

“No words to describe this experience. Immersive, living, breathing, cerebral sound and light.”

Immerse Yourself in the Lumonics Experience

🌟 Each light and sound performance is one-of-a-kind and orchestrated live
🌟 Ignite your creativity and emotions
🌟 Can do wonders for your mental hygiene
🏆 Awarded best long-running immersive experience  (Westword)

Step into the performance space and prepare to be transported. Glowing light sculptures, captivating video art projection and music converge to relax your body and engage your mind and emotions. 

 

For over 50 years, Lumonics has been a pioneer in light art. Founded in the 1960s by 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)
archival quotes link

 “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 the late Dorothy and Mel Tanner’s contribution to light art and the immersive experience.”
 – Marc Billard / Barry Raphael

 

You may have seen Lumonics light art exhibited at DIA, McNichols Civic Center Building, Meow Wolf Denver, the Museum of Outdoor Arts,  Understudy Gallery, +. 

 

What People Are Saying:
“An audiovisual mantra meant to soothe the mind and expand awareness, this drug-free trip through Lumonics is unforgettable.” – Denver Westword

“Entering Lumonics Gallery in Denver is like walking onto a spaceship. When the immersive show begins, it’s as if the spaceship is gearing up for takeoff. It’s trippy, for sure.” – Kelly Hayes, Denver Gazette

“Nestled in a warehouse in Denver is one of the most unique artistic experiences I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing…a mesmerizing and exciting series of live performances.” -Toni Tresca, OnStage Colorado *

 

A 2-minute video of some of the elements of Lumonics Immersed:

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

“This is a unique experience not to be missed, truly the highlight of our trip to Denver.” – Bridget B.

“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.

“Giving a shout out to our friends and light art legends @lumonicsgallery !! Their gallery space is a national treasure and something everyone should experience.”
– @night_lights_denver

 


Denverite | Rocky Mountain PBS |
Denver Westword | 303 Magazine |
  OnStage Colorado | Denver Gazette  +
Comments by Attendees

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

more photo, videos, and info on the Lumonics Immersed webpage 

 

  Lumonics Legacy Project
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. 

 

 

Immersive Jazz-Art Experience
hosted by Janine Santana 

Hugh Ragin and Friends present:
The Sun Ra Project

 

All upcoming Sun Ra Projects are on hold until percussionist Janine Santana fully recovers from her shoulder surgery. If you want to be notified of the next date, send us an email. Thank you!

 

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

“Lumonics, the mind-blowing and therapeutic light art created by the late Dorothy and Mel Tanner, was custom-made to mesh with music, which adds a new sensory layer to the studio’s immersive light shows. This weekend’s Immersive Jazz-Art Experience, The Sun Ra Project, a trio led by Colorado-based jazz star Hugh Ragin on trumpet, with Sean Winters on keyboards and electronics, and Janine Santana on percussion, pairs light art with the Afrofuturistic experimental jazz of Sun Ra. Admission is a bargain to hear music created by a man who claimed to be from Saturn.”
Denver Westword

 

 
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.

“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”.

  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

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. He has a residency at Immersive Jazz-Art.

Hugh Ragin was raised in Houston, Texas, and began playing trumpet in his early teens, taking lessons in classical music; he was also a member of the Houston All-City High School Orchestra.

Dr. Ragin has toured with jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson, Anthony Braxton, and Roscoe Mitchell .  Currently, he is a member of the Art Ensemble of Chicago.

Mr. Ragin earned a DMA in jazz studies from the University of Colorado-Boulder.

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Sean Winters teaches Sound & Music Technology at CU-Boulder. He is a sonic artist, audiovisual performer, audio engineer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer.

 

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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.”

 

 

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