The following are comments that people have made about Lumonics on Google Reviews, social media, and emails:
Lumonics Immersed at Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery is a trip without drugs: so much to see, hear, and experience. The work of Dorothy and Mel Tanner is not only still very much alive here, it’s being carried on into a new generation through the school-within-a-gallery where students learn how to create new art in this vibrant, inspired/inspiring/visionary style. 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, and I’ll definitely be going back. Thank you so much for being such wonderful hosts, and for everything you—and everyone at Lumonics—are doing for the creative community and lovers of the arts. – Will B.
The colors! The shapes! The illumination! It’s like walking through a beautiful fantasy. Highly recommended! – Patrice N.
“Thank you for a wonderful evening! Was so happy to learn about this amazing legacy and how it is being tended to for a new generation to appreciate.” – Theo E.
This is a unique experience not to be missed, truly the highlight of our trip to Denver. – Bridget B.
Lumonics is an absolutely beautiful immersion of original music and mind-bending light and visual art that blends over 50 years of psychedelia-inspired artistic audiovisual mastery. – Connor H.
These are special people. The art strokes your chakras. The people at Lumonics hold a place in my heart that I never knew I had. The work and vibration there are prolific! – Austin L.
Colorado Home & Garden, Fall 2023
by Colleen Smith
‘Lumonics,’ a stimulating and unique perspective of light and space, to impact Steamboat Springs
News | by John Camponeschi
For Steamboat Pilot & Today
The First Friday Artwalk will feature a one-of-a-kind art collection, entitled “Lumonics,” which will be unveiled in early December. The exhibit will be housed at The Boathouse, 6th and Yampa St. with an opening reception during FFAW at 5 p.m. Dec. 6. Light refreshments will be served while viewers walk through the display of glowing sculptures.
The collections presentation is the result of a dedicated effort of several groups including Western Centers, Family Bowl, the Boathouse, The Boat Yard and The Tavern at the Glen.
Western Centers is the real estate and investment management company behind Snow Bowl.
The exhibit will be available for viewing through Jan. 5 with gallery hours from 1-8 p.m. Fridays; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturdays; and 10 a.m.-1p.m. Sundays. Appointments can also be made for private viewings
A press release for the event noted that “Lumonics” is one of the first and longest-running light art projects in the United States. It arose out of the “light and space movement,” which places a focus on highlighting light, volume and scale using industrial materials like glass, plexiglass, neon, wood, metal and fluorescent lights, all of which interact with their surroundings.
rest of article on the Lumonics blog
VoyageDenver Interviews Lumonics’ Marc Billard October, 2024
Today we’d like to introduce you to Marc Billard.
Hi Marc, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today? I was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, and grew up in various parts of Vermont. I moved to Miami in 1971 and did carpentry on new houses being built in Coral Gables. My life changed in 1972 when I walked into the Lumonics Light and Sound Theatre at the invitation of Jocelyn Tanner, the sister of Mel Tanner. I was astounded by the light sculptures that surrounded me. After conversing with the Tanners, I began to work part-time in the studio, apprenticing with long-time assistant Pete Adams. After a few months, Pete told Mel I was “ready”. I am still part of this project 50+ years later, taking on more and more roles!
I am an art teacher, craftsman, artist, videographer, photographer, curator, composer, and musician. I am the Creative Director of Lumonics Immersed which we present to the public on Saturday evenings and which is an important component in the field trips and guided tours we present.
I worked closely over many years with light artists Mel and Dorothy Tanner on the construction of the light sculptures and the multi-sensory performances.
Lumonics Light and Sound Gallery has been around for decades, ever since artists Mel and Dorothy Tanner started working with light sculptures and sound to create immersive experiences back in 1969. Dubbed “Lumonics,” the unique art form was conceived to engage multiple senses — primarily sight and sound — simultaneously, providing audiences a deeper connection to the work and the world around it. link to article
Thank you to Rocky Mountain PBS for including the Lumonics Field Trip Program in its PBS KIDS newsletter.
Community Partner Content Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery Exploring This Denver performance space presents field trips for students of all ages!
The Experimentalist Issue No. 25: Spirits, Starfields, and Silver Sublime: The Weekly Wondrous World
Preserving Psychedelia by Lou Pizante
Denver’s Lumonics Legacy Project is taking the term “retro revival” to new, illuminated heights, aiming to preserve the trippy brilliance of Mel and Dorothy Tanner’s 1969 light sculptures. Barry Raphael and Marc Billard, the dynamic duo now in their seventies, are fundraising $30,000 to breathe new life into over 200 stored sculptures, all while hosting immersive shows that would make Burning Man blush. Their ultimate goal? Create an art center so dazzling, it could turn any skeptic into a starry-eyed believer.
Scoops up, peeps! To support the ongoing Lumonics Legacy Project, see the Spotfund campaign website. Lumonics Immersed happens at 8 p.m. every Saturday, Lumonics Light and Sound Gallery, 800 East 73rd Avenue.
VoyageDenver Interviews Lumonics’ Marc Billard
I am an art teacher, craftsman, artist, videographer, photographer, curator, composer, and musician. I am the Creative Director of Lumonics Immersed which we present to the public on Saturday evenings and which is an important component in the field trips and guided tours we present.
I worked closely over many years with light artists Mel and Dorothy Tanner on the construction of the light sculptures and the multi-sensory performances.
What a surprise to receive this in the mail from our Representative Diana DeGette:
Thanks to Meow Wolf Denver for Writing about Lumonics in its “BLOB”:
Collab Artists in the Denver Wilderness by ELISE TRIVERS, Feb 1, 2023
If you’ve ever left Meow Wolf Denver wondering about the artists, here’s a list of where to see their art outside of our walls.
Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery
Lumonics Light and Sound Gallery was the first exhibiting artist at Galleri Gallery, our rotating gallery space on C Street, back when we opened in September of 2021. Now, a piece called Postscript permanently lives in the exhibit above travelers near the Noodle Bar. The artform developed by Lumonics is a multisensory experience combining light, sculpture and sound.
“We are honored to present the latest 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 continue to evolve. We are gratified to not only continue the art form but to see that it is evolving and continues to impact audiences. The audience members are also collaborators as they take this multisensory journey with us.”
Each Saturday, Lumonics opens their gallery space to the public for a ticketed immersive experience that honors the vision of their late original founders, Dorothy and Mel Tanner.
Collaborators: Dorothy and Mel Tanner (departed). Lumonics was once a team of seven but over the past 50 years, five have passed away, most recently Barbara Billard.
Lumonics: Continuing the legacy of luminaries Mel and Dorothy Tanner
By KELLY HAYES kelly.hayes@gazette.com Jan 7, 2024
Entering Lumonics Gallery in Denver is like walking onto a spaceship.
Flows of neon line the futuristic gallery. Bright greens, pinks and blues guide the eye. Some of the colors roam free on sculptures, while others are confined by black frames.
When the immersive show begins, it’s as if the spaceship is gearing up for take off. The artwork begins to talk by flashing light. Music plays on speakers and kaleidoscope-like imagery is projected. It’s trippy, for sure.
Founded in 1963 by the late husband-and-wife duo Mel and Dorothy Tanner, Lumonics is the longest running light-art project in the U.S. The studio gallery in Denver is home to the collection of more than 200 of the Tanners’ original works, spanning over 50 years.
Surrounded by the sculptures of Lumonics late founders Dorothy and Mel Tanner, publicist and co-archivist Barry Raphael and Lumonics Studio and Lumonics Immersed creative director Marc Billard stand for a photo in the gallery used for the immersive light and sound show in Denver, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette)
BEST OF DENVER® /// ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT/// 2023 BEST LONG-RUNNING IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE
Artists Mel and Dorothy Tanner began experimenting with immersive experiences decades before it hit the mainstream, starting in Miami in the late ’60s. Although the Tanners have both passed away, their legacy is kept alive at Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery, which opened in Denver in 2008, by Marc and Barbara Billard, along with archivist Barry Raphael, all of whom were part of the Tanners’ collective. Lumonics Immersed is meant to be a healing experience, in which the Tanners’ light sculptures pulsate to soothing music by Marc Billard. The $20 immersive happens every Saturday from 8 to 10:30 p.m., and provides a mind-expanding, unforgettable experience.
Everything Fun to Do in Denver This Weekend Arts & Entertainment Events By Allyson Reedy
The Lumonics Gallery is one of the longest running light art studios in the country, and you might have seen the light sculptures at places like Meow Wolf and Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre. This Saturday, check out Lumonics Immersed, a light and sound performance intended to free creative energy and bring you into a state of comfort and expanded awareness.
LUMONICS CONTINUES TO LIGHT UP DENVER WITH ITS IMMERSIVE ART EXPERIENCE JESSICA HUGHES | FEBRUARY 23, 2023
Section of the Lumonics Gallery Jessica Hughes/303 Magazine
Re-immerse yourself in the arts with the original immersive art show in Denver, Lumonics Immersed. Tucked away from the city lights, just north of downtown Denver, the Lumonics Light and Sound Gallery is among the first and longest-running light art studios in the United States.
Lumonics Immersed is the creation of late artists Dorothy and Mel Tanner, who began this immersive light art experience in Miami in 1969. The Tanner’s vision and purpose of Lumonics expanded and made its way to Denver with the help of long-time admirers of their art — Barry Raphael and Marc and Barbara Billard, who now run the studio. Their first experience with the artists’ work was in 1972 and it had such a profound impact on each of them they offered their continued support for the project. link to article
Lumonics Immersed can be seen in the Carsen Theater at the Dairy Arts Center on August 11 and 12. Photo Courtesy of Marc Billard
ART & CULTURE NEWS (WESTWORD)
Lumonics Immersed Takes Its Light Sculpture Experience to Boulder
Meditation meets acid trip in Lumonics Immersed
In June 2015, Ryan Warner, host of Colorado Matters, interviewed 3 people in the arts: age 82, 92, and 102. Here are excerpts from the interview with then 92-year old Dorothy Tanner (9 minutes):
Lumonics Immersed One-Year Anniversary Saturday, September 3, 8 to 10:30 p.m. Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery, 800 East 73rd Avenue, #11 Lumonics Studio, immersive before anyone knew what to call it, has been showing off the light art of Dorothy and Mel Tanner for decades, and in Denver since 2009. But perhaps the best thing to happen at Lumonics started just a year ago, when the crew that manages Lumonics now that the Tanners are gone decided to launch the Lumonics Immersed series, introducing the trippy visual feast to a whole new audience.
When: Saturdays at 8 p.m.
Dorothy Tanner sitting among Lumonics light sculptures
Where to Immerse Yourself in Immersive Art in Denver
The Lumonics art collective started offering immersive experiences decades ago, long before the immersive concept was exploited by companies that realized it was the perfect way to capitalize on iPhone-wielding influencers. Lumonics Light and Sound Gallery, which is devoted to the light sculptures of the late Mel and Dorothy Tanner, now offers weekly editions of Lumonics Immersed, an event designed to provide healing while the sculptures’ glowing lights pulsate to ethereal music produced by Dorothy and composer Marc Billard, the Lumonics studio’s creative director. “Dorothy used to call it a vacation from yourself,” Barry Raphael, the gallery’s archivist, told Westword last year.
Arts News by John Moore, Senior Arts Journalist
Dorothy Tanner
A celebration of Dorothy Tanner’s life will be held at the Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery at 800 E. 73rd Ave. from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday (July 24). Tanner, who was known for creating magical light sculptures and her positive spoken word “cosmic rap,” died at the start of the COVID outbreak at age 97. She was the co-founder of Lumonics, one of the first and longest-running light art projects in the U.S.
Art Attack
SUSAN FROYD | JULY 20, 2022
Dorothy Tanner gazing at Logo
Celebration of the Life of Dorothy Tanner Lumonics Light and Sound Gallery, 800 East 73rd Avenue, #11 Sunday, July 24, 1 to 4 p.m.
“A far cry from the quietude more typical of the average art exhibit, Lumonics’ gallery space is a welcome bombardment of the senses, with a rich history to boot.” John Mazzetta, Editor of The Sentry, Univ. of Colorado Denver Photos by Enzi Gaydos article
Immersive van Gogh not for you? Here are some alternative Denver arts experiences If the idea of sitting in a space looking at light and color is what attracted you to immersive van Gogh, we have a local alternative for you. Lumonics is a light and sound experience that’s been around since the 1960s, long before immersive art was considered a “trend.”
Denver Arts Scene Is Bigger and Better Than Washington Post Suggests
Emily Ferguson of Denver Westword wrote an insightful article about alternative art in the Denver area. That Lumonics is mentioned is so greatly appreciated. Here is an excerpt:
“There’s Beacon, a new venue that’s chock-full of interactive spaces built by local artists (and serves delicious craft cocktails, to boot), as well as that Lumonics Gallery of Light and Sound, whose delightful management is always overjoyed to show off the light-art sculptures of the late Mel and Dorothy Tanner and introduce visitors to its calming immersive light show. “
Show Business: The Ten Biggest Arts Stories of 2021
Thanks to Denver Westword and cultural editor Emily Ferguson for including Lumonics Immersed. There is a link to the article Ms. Ferguson had written about Lumonics.
Let There Be Light: Lumonics Immersed is a Healing Experience by Emily Ferguson, Cultural Editor
You may lose your sense of time in this immersive art experience
Section of the Lumonics Gallery
Thank you to Westword and Susan Froyd for including Lumonics Immersed in Art Attack: Fifteen Ways to See Great Art in Denver: Lumonics Immersed
“Lumonics, which seems to be everywhere these days, reprises its in-house Lumonics Immersed light-sculpture show combining art with special effects, original music and video by the late Dorothy Tanner and longtime collaborator Marc Billard. Treat your eyes!”
The Lumonics Gallery is one of the longest running light art studios in the country, and on the second Sunday of the month, they’re offering guided tours of their Light & Sound Gallery. Besides basking in all the light and color, the tour culminates in a mini light and sound immersive experience.
Meow Wolf predicts making a $2.5B boost to Denver’s economy. Is that realistic?
By Ed Sealover Senior Reporter, Denver Business Journal
link to articleexcerpt:
Meanwhile, one fourth-floor gallery in Convergence Station will offer a rotating display of local artists, with Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery set to occupy it first from opening day through early January with 12 different pieces that can be purchased by visitors. While Meow Wolf certainly will garner a lot of the attention set to go to the Denver art community in the coming months, opportunities like that will only enhance the sector rather than overshadow it, said Barry Raphael, co-architect of the project for Lumonics.
“It’s going to be a very good thing for Denver. It’s going to bring a lot more people to the area. It’s giving artists — and a lot of them do not have gallery representation — a much higher profile,” Raphael said. “Overall, I think it’s going to be just the opposite of sucking the oxygen away from the community.”
Thanks to Westword for recommending this to its readers!
Lumonics Immersed
Color Vapors by Mel Tanner
Learn the true meaning of Lumonics when the temple of light art by the late Dorothy and Mel Tanner throws a special immersive evening combining art with special effects, original music and video by Dorothy Tanner and longtime collaborator Mark Billard. An audiovisual mantra meant to soothe the mind and expand awareness, this drug-free trip through Lumonics is unforgettable. Admission is $20 in advance.
What’s this “Meow Wolf” thing you keep hearing about?
Here’s your guide to the buzz. article in Denverite by Maggie Donahue and photos by Kevin J. Beaty
A gallery containing work by Denver’s Lumonics collective inside Meow Wolf Denver: Convergence Station. Sept. 13, 2021. Photo: Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
flyer for the art exhibit at Meow Wolf Denver
Immerse yourself in Lumonics’ Lights and Sounds Column by Clarke Reader
(excerpt)
Great artists aren’t exactly well known for staying in the same place for long. That certainly was the case for Dorothy and Mel Tanner, the former of whom had a background in sculpture and the latter was an abstract painter. But they were introduced to acrylic glass (Plexiglas) and began building geometric shapes, which lead to creating lighted water fountains and more elaborate abstract sculptures in 1966.
And so Lumonics, one of the longest-running light art projects in the country, was born. Since their first light and sound experience in Miami in 1969 combined light sculptures, lasers, special effects and original music and video elements, the Tanners and their gallery have continued to experiment and grow.
“Mel had a mystical experience in the summer of 1969, right around the first landing on the moon, and he wanted the artwork to be more experiential,” said Barry Raphael, Lumonics co-archivist and team member. “The Tanners converted their warehouse art studio into a light and sound theater and created site-specific art for it.”
Raphael explained that the mezzanine became a projection booth where the Tanners created hundreds of hand-painted slides that were projected on a large wall in addition to live painting and overhead projectors. They connected all the artworks to a color organ so that they could control the light sculptures to music during the performances, he said.
Mel died in 1993 and Dorothy in 2020, but the intention of remaining members Marc Billard, Barbara Billard and Raphael is to honor their legacy. Something they’ll be doing with their new multi-sensory experience, Lumonics Immersed.
“It has a magical quality. It is filled with the Tanners’ light sculptures, each one unique, yet they work together so harmoniously,” he said. “People can also explore the studio where the artwork is made and visit the Lumonics School of Light Art. We teach students how to build and ‘artify’ geometric shapes, just as the artform began.”
For tickets and information, visit www.lumonics.net/immersed.
This summer, you have the chance to tour Lumonics’ trippy light art gallery
Experience that art that has helped some people have spiritual breakthroughs or past-life regressions. by Maggie Donahue Photos by Kevin J. Beaty July 8, 2021
“Lumonics is offering Second Sunday Guided Tours of their Light & Sound Gallery. Barry Raphael, a longtime Lumonics member and co-archivist, will act as tour guide, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in light and color, view works by the late artists Dorothy and Mel Tanner and learn about the history of the collective. At the end, studio director Marc Billard will conduct an immersive light and sound experience.”
Marc Billard stands inside Lumonics Light and Sound Gallery in Denver’s northern reaches. Dec. 1, 2020. Photo: Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
A Dozen Things to Do for Free In and Around Denver This Week
| JULY 6, 2021 |
Second Sunday Guided Tours
If you’ve never experienced Lumonics — the amazing light sculptures of free-thinking couple Dorothy and Mel Tanner, who began making them in the swinging ’60s — here’s your chance to see the work, as well as Lumonics itself, a fortress of spiritually uplifting art-making. After Dorothy passed away a year ago at the age of 97, co-archivist Barry Raphael and studio director Marc Billard were left to carry on the Lumonics torch; now that people can congregate again, they’re hosting tours every second Sunday. Learn more and sign up for the free tours here.
Meow Wolf Denver Reveals Its Local Creative Contributors (Westword article by Patricia Calhoun, May 17, 2021)
Dreamzone (detail) photo: Third Dune Productions
Lumonics Mind Spa Review by Mary Grace Bernard Jan 20, 2021
Lumonics Mind Spa: Light Intersection is bringing much-needed color and light to downtown Denver. The exhibition presents works by Dorothy Tanner (1923-2020) and Mel Tanner (1925-1993)—an artist couple who dedicated their life and art practice to the immersive experiences of visual art and to promoting the importance of physical, emotional, and spiritual awareness. more
Thanks to Kate Perdoni, producer at Rocky Mountain PBS for her article and video about Lumonics: “‘Light Intersection’ electrifies Theatre District”
ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS photo of Paradigm: Third Dune Productions
“Space Flower” by Dorothy Tanner on display at the Lumonics Light and Sound Gallery in Denver’s northern reaches. Photo: Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
excerpt:
by Maggie Donahue (Jan. 25, 2021))
At the Colorado Convention Center, just steps away from the Big Blue Bear, Understudy’s latest fishbowl exhibition offers a time capsule beyond glass: a glimpse into the life’s work of a group of prolific light artists.
Lumonics Mind Spa: Light Intersection is a collection of work by the Denver-based light art group Lumonics — specifically, the work of its late founders, Mel and Dorothy Tanner. Through January 31, visitors to the installation can stand on the sidewalk, peer through the glass and soak in the art: a series of colorful, LED-illuminated plexiglass sculptures best viewed at night.
This work is one of several of what Dorothy Tanner called “mind spas”: light art displays designed to be a soothing retreat for the mind. link to article
PATRICIA CALHOUN| DECEMBER 17, 2020
Lumonics Mind Spa: Light Intersection
Through January 31
Understudy Gallery, 700 14th Street
One of the big losses this year was artist Dorothy Tanner who, along with her late husband Mel Tanner, made light sculptures designed to create a state of comfort, relaxation and creativity. Many of them are currently installed in a “fishbowl” style installation at Understudy, located at the Colorado Convention Center — which is closed, but you can see the Lumonics exhibit through the window. Find out more here.
Add light-sculpture viewing to your downtown Denver visit
by: Keely Sugden, KDVR.com Posted:
Dreamzone by Mel Tanner Photo: Third Dune Productions
Lumonics Light Sculpture exhibit, at the Understudy Gallery. 14th St. and Stout in the Denver Theatre District.
DENVER (KDVR) — The Lumonics Mind Spa: Light Intersection exhibit is a creative stop on this year’s downtown holiday light-viewing journey.
The concept for this free exhibit was developed by the founders of Lumonics, Mel and Dorothy Tanner.
“A total art installation that fosters a state of comfort, relaxation and creativity,” is the reason the Lumonics Mind Spa was created, according to Barry Raphael the publicist for Lumonics.
The exhibit is on view until Jan. 30 from the windows of the Understudy Gallery at 14th Street and Stout Street in Denver’s Theatre District.
Lumonics Mind Spa can be seen anytime, but is best viewed after dark.
Lumonics has been selected as the opening exhibit of Meow Wolf Denver‘s Station Gallery, showcasing the work of light art pioneers Dorothy and Mel Tanner.
Meow Wolf Denver is planning to open in the fall of 2021.
Collage by Dorothy Tanner
Art Attack: Fourteen New Shows for the Last First Friday of 2020 SUSAN FROYD | DECEMBER 2, 2020 | 12:33PM
Lumonics Mind Spa: Light Intersection Through January 30 In the spirit of the season, Understudy joins the rest of downtown Denver in mounting annual holiday lighting displays with its own burst of neon-bright color, provided by the light sculptures of the Lumonics Mind Spa. Created by the late husband-and-wife team of Mel and Dorothy Tanner, the series of works will be on view, fishbowl-style, through the end of January.
Outdoor art installations by Maggie Donahue Denverite Nov. 14, 2020
Understudy is an art incubation run out of the Colorado Convention Center. Lately, they’ve been displaying their installations in a fishbowl format: Guests can stand on the sidewalk and safely look in on the exhibit through the glass walls of the CCC. Understudy’s latest installation, Lumonics Mind Spa, is a series of soothing light sculptures that can be enjoyed any time of day, but is best experienced at night. The installation launches on Nov. 27 and runs through Jan. 30.
Remembering Light Artist Dorothy Tanner of Lumonics
| JULY 24, 2020 | 5:52PM Denver Westword
Bronx-born artist Dorothy Tanner, a luminary in the art world for decades and a resident of the Front Range for the past dozen years, died in her sleep on Thursday, July 23, at the age of 97.
In 1963, Tanner, along with her husband Mel, who passed away in 1993, founded Lumonics, the longest-running light-art studio in the United States. The Tanners made their name building illuminated, geometric plexiglass sculptures and multimedia light and sound installations with a spiritual bent and an emphasis on their works’ healing properties. full article
As many may have learned, Dorothy Tanner, co- founder of Lumonics, died at the age of 97 on July 23rd. She was one in a million and I got to spend an unforgettable morning with her at the time of the first retrospective of her career, and of that of her late husband, Mel Tanner. That spectacular exhibit, put together by Tim Vacca, was presented at the Museum of Outdoor Arts- MOA in 2017. The review linked below tells the history of the group, the couple that founded it, and that of the other Lumonics’ family, Barry Raphael, Mark Billard and Barbara Ungar. Working together, they intend to keep the light of the collective glowing. Michael Paglia, Westword Art Writer
Review: Lumonics Then & Now Shines at Museum of Outdoor Arts
Thanks to Denver Mayor, Michael B. Hancock, for his letter of condolence
Thanks to Central City Mayor, Jeremy Fey, for this proclamation honoring Dorothy Tanner:
Thank you to Keely Sugden of KDVR- Denver for writing this tribute to Dorothy. Keely first saw Dorothy’s work at the Museum of Outdoor Arts and was one of our first students when we began the Lumonics School of Light Art. Innovative light art artist Dorothy Tanner passes away at 97
Rick Spisak’s interview with Lumonics archivist Barry Raphael, August, 2020 : “Regarding the recent passing of Dorothy Tanner, and the work of Mel and Dorothy Tanner from the founding of Lumonics to the Future”
Thanks to Susan Froyd of Westword for including the new Lumonics Mind Spa: Thornton in her Art Attack: Twelve Ways to See Art, Live or Otherwise This Weekend column on June 3, 2020
Lumonics Mind Spa: Thornton Thornton Arts & Culture Center, 9209 Dorothy Boulevard, Thornton Tuesdays through Fridays, 1 to 5 p.m., June 2 through September 25
“The traveling Lumonics Mind Spa, a meditative extravaganza of light art by Dorothy and Mel Tanner, with video art and music by Marc Billard and Dorothy Tanner, lands in Thornton this summer at the Thornton Arts & Culture Center, which is open for business with limitations. A maximum of ten people will be allowed to contemplate the art and let their minds free in the gallery at one time, and safety protocols will be enforced. Just the thing for folks who’ve been trapped in their houses for weeks.”
https://issuu.com/artsthornton/docs/lumonics_art_book_pages
Thornton Arts welcomes the summer
Recommended activities for the coming weeks
Posted
The Thornton Arts and Culture Division is emerging from the COVID-19 closedown with several free activities that provide artistic connection and take into account the need to keep attendees safe.
“We’ve been looking for ways to deliver creative experiences to our communities,” said Alisa Zimmerman, arts and culture manager with the City of Thornton. “It’s going to be a work in progress — something we’ll tweak as we go through summer. We want the arts to be a way people can engage in a positive way.”
The first activity, Lumonics Mind Spa: Thornton, runs through Sept. 25 in the OZ Gallery at the Thornton Arts and Culture Center, 9209 Dorothy Blvd. The Denver-based Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery worked to create the installation which, according to provided information, uses “the light sculptures of artists Dorothy Tanner and Mel Tanner, and the video art and music of Marc Ballard and Dorothy Tanner, to create a soothing space for reflection and contemplation.”
As Zimmerman explained, there can be no more than 10 people in the gallery at a time, but while there they can meditate or bring their own art supplies to create in the multi-sensory installation.
“It’s a bit like the Calm app. We want people to come, get out of their homes, mellow out in this space and see how art can be different than a framed picture,” she said. “It’s really a different experience, and people might get something different from it each time. We hope people leave and feel a little renewed, refreshed and not so stressed.”
April 15, 2020 Thanks to Kyle Harris for including Lumonics in Westword’s Things to Do in Denver Today Without Leaving Your Home: Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery In 2017, the Museum of Outdoor Arts hosted a retrospective of light sculptures by Mel and Dorothy Tanner. To document this stunning installation, the MOA produced a 3-D virtual tour.
The Lumonics School of Light Art in Denver is honored to be one of the sponsors of the benefit for the Autism Society of Colorado: The world premiere of Autism: One Man’s Journey this Tuesday, March 10th.
Art Attack: Fifteen Best Things for Denver Gallery Lovers to Do This Week SUSAN FROYD | JANUARY 23, 2020
“The Lumonics School of Light Art, the educational wing of light-art genius Dorothy Tanner’s Lumonics Studio, has been going strong all year, giving novice light artists a chance to glow. The school needs a financial boost in order to grow and stay the course. To that end, musician Sean Kelly of the Samples is donating his time and voice to Lumonics to help in the fundraising campaign, backed up by a light show to be remembered, courtesy of video art by Tanner and Marc Billard.”
Night Lights Denver January, 2020
Long-time member of Lumonics, Marc Billard, had his abstract video art selected for Night Lights Denver. For the month of January, the videos of Marc, Maya Dite-Shepard and Conor King will be projected on the Daniels & Fisher Tower every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening from 5:30pm – 8:30pm. It will take place on the Arapahoe Street side of the Tower, located at 1601 Arapahoe St. on the 16th Street Mall.
“Night Lights Denver is a permanent way for The Denver Theatre District to support innovative artists with an experimental platform while attracting people downtown to experience a free, unique, surprise-and-delight experience.”
Artist Name: Marc Billard // Lumonics
Artwork title: Spectral City
Artist statement: “The highway from building only physical artwork (1972 to present) to video artwork (1994 to present) has been an interesting and fulfilling journey for me. Many of the video works have been in collaboration with Mel & Dorothy Tanner, using techniques based on the 50-year history of Lumonics and its live multi-media installations.” https://nightlightsdenver.com/
Art Attack: Sixteen of the Best Things for Gallery Lovers to Do in Denver This Week by | NOVEMBER 6, 2019
Front windows of light sculptures on display at The Storeroom photo: Brendan Picker
From the Beginning: A Lumonics Light Art Installation The Storeroom, 1700 Vine Street November 8 through December 31 Opening Reception: Friday, November 8, 6 to 8 p.m. The incredible light sculptures of Dorothy and the late Mel Tanner and their students will light the windows at the Storeroom gallery through the end of the year in a salute to the Tanners’ Lumonics legacy and a super-modern nod to the holiday season. The beauty of it is that you can drive by any night and see it without bumping elbows with other gallery-goers, just as you would the lighted City and County Building. But the reception will be nice, too, with the cozy Vine Street Pub & Brewery waiting for you to come in and warm up next door.
Denver Arts Week and 36 Things to do in Denver this Week
JESSICA ENGEN LIFESTYLE + CULTURE 303 MagazineFrom the Beginning – A Lumonics Light Art Installation
Photo Courtesy of The Storeroom on Facebook
When: November 8, 6 – 8 p.m. Where: The Storeroom, 1700 Vine St., Denver Cost: Free admission
The Lowdown: See a series of light columns and cubes created by artists Mel and Dorothy Tanner during a From the Beginning – A Lumonics Light Art Installation. The installation — located behind the glass of an empty storefront — will hold works from over 50 years ago that sparked the Tanners’ new experiences of light sculpture, electronics and live projection.
We feel an Art Attack coming on (as Susan Froyd would write in Westword)
Grand Opening, Lumonics Gallery Lumonics Gallery, 7 Healing Stars Oneness Center, 460 Gregory Street, Blackhawk Opening Reception: Saturday, September 14, 7 to 10 p.m. Regular Hours: Fridays, 6 to 10 p.m.; Saturdays, 7 to 10 p.m.; or by appointment There’s gold — and now colors galore — in them thar hills: Lumonics, the light-art studio of octogenarian sculptor Dorothy Tanner, now has a satellite gallery in Black Hawk that might just shine brighter than a roomful of slot machines.
Art Attack: Twelve of the Best Things for Gallery Lovers to See and Do This Week in Denver SUSAN FROYD | SEPTEMBER 12, 2019 | 8:23AM
Dorothy Tanner with the light sculpture “Rondo”
With a Little Help from Our Friends
BY MEOW WOLF, OCT 01, 2019
We wanted to catch up with some of our previous DIY Fund recipients to learn more about the good work they’ve been doing!
Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery (Denver, Colorado)
Yess + Love = Bliss by Dorothy Tanner
Lumonics aims to impact people of all ages in their community via events at the Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery and classes at the Lumonics School of Light Art, all in the same location in Denver. Their events range from a monthly open house/open mic to holistic events, such as LoveFest with the Oneness Care Community (Astrology, Art, Music, Yoga, Reiki, Aura Readings) and live performance events. The light sculpture studio, dating back to 1966, is among the earliest and longest running light art studios in the U.S. The Lumonics School of Light Art began in 2018, and was being conceived when Lumonics applied for the DIY Fund last year.
The following answers were presented by Barry Raphael, Project Archivist and Administrator of the Lumonics School of Light Art.
How do you think the DIY arts community can better support each other?
“I think Meow Wolf has been a needed catalyst. The early meetings that were organized with the Artist/DIY community has led to a focused project in which people have been encouraged to submit proposals for the upcoming Meow Wolf Denver. It also led to many people in the Denver area meeting each other for the first time, forging new relationships. The Meow Wolf Denver Facebook group has become a kind of bulletin board announcing events and projects.”
What are your hopes and dreams for your space?
“We want to continue presenting events, creating new light and sound installations, and reaching specific groups of people in the community who could benefit from our classes, such as people on the autism spectrum, vets and first responders struggling with PTSD, and those seeking a career in immersive entertainment. Our School is now part of 7 Healing Stars, a 501(c)(3) organization, founded by Dr. Jomar Suarez, a psychiatrist who recognizes the mental health benefits of the School and the Lumonics expression.”
What does DIY mean to you?
“DIY to me means Dorothy and the late Mel Tanner, the creators of Lumonics, who had a vision of turning their warehouse art studio into a performance art space in Miami in the late 1960s, utilizing their light sculptures, hand-painted slides, overhead projectors, strobe lights, live projection, and the color organ. Blow-up furniture, water beds, mylar on the walls, and light sculptures created specifically for the space made for a powerful setting that has positively impacted thousands of lives over the years, with many noting it as a peak life experience. This was all done with very limited funds. I am part of the crew that volunteered to help them fulfill that vision.”
DIY Fund: Meow Wolf Announces 2018 Recipients of Grant Awards! – Meow Wolf Lumonics is honored to be the recipient of a Meow Wolf grant, announced in April 2019. “Grants are used for rent, infrastructure, safety improvements, materials, equipment, and community programming.”
DIY Becomes Do It Together as Meow Wolf Funds Colorado Arts Groups LAUREN ANTONOFF | MAY 7, 2019 | 10:15AM | WESTWORD “Lumonics School of Light Art, the Denver studio founded by nonagenarian artist Dorothy Tanner that offers light-art workshops, is another of the grant recipients… “
BEST OF DENVER® /// ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT /// 2019///WESTWORD
BEST LIGHT-ART INSTRUCTION Lumonics School of Light Art
If you haven’t seen the light art of Lumonics, a working studio and homage to the colorful illuminated works of nonagenarian Dorothy Tanner and her late husband, Mel, Google it now. Though best seen in person in a dark room, you’ll get an idea of the magic being made there. Inspired? Now you can make your own light sculpture from Plexiglas and LED lights, with expert instruction at the Lumonics studio. Taught by Tanner associate Marc Billard, the four-session classes are an opportunity to bring the wonder of light to your own living room; no experience or artistic talent required. Let there be light!
800 E. 73rd Ave., Denver, 80229 303-568-9406 lumonics.net
The Temple Grandin School Autism Resource Fair Sunday Sept 29, 2019 1p-4p
The Lumonics School of Light Art was happy to participate in the Temple Grandin School Autism Resource Fair on Sunday, Sept 29 from 1 to 4 pm.
The TGS Autism Resource Fair is an event where parents and individuals can get information from a wide range of local advocacy, support, recreation, therapy, education and employment exhibitors who serve individuals on the autism spectrum and their families. This will be an outdoor event. The TGS Autism Resource Fair will be held in the parking area of the Temple Grandin School in Boulder. Access to restrooms inside the building will be permitted for all attending.
Learn Light Art from Denver’s Luminary Sculptor
Dorothy Tanner, the lauded 95-year-old Denver sculptor and recipient of the 2018 Denver Mayor’s Award for Artistic Excellence and Innovation, is now taking students.
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Additional Lumonics School of Light Art Articles
Twelve Things for Art Lovers to See and Do on First Friday Weekend in Denver
| JANUARY 3, 2019 | Westword
If you’re a newbie to the new-agey Lumonics experience, this laid-back open house is a perfect introduction to the mind-blowing light works of nonagenarian artist Dorothy Tanner and her late partner, Mel Tanner. Refreshments, along with music and performances at the anything-goes open mic, will complete the free experience; RSVP at eventbrite.com.
See the Then and Now Retrospective Page for many reviews of the Museum of Outdoor Arts Exhibit.
Lumonics light sculptures in window in Central City, CO
Thanks to the Gilpin Arts Association for commissioning this light art installation in Central City, CO for the months of June, July, and August.
Lumonics was included in the publication, Imagine 2020 Cultural Plan Year in Review, 2017-2018, in the section, “Integration: Increasing Art, Culture & Creativity in Daily Life.” This was Dorothy Tanner’s intention for the Lumonics Mind Spa installation that ended in July in the Community Center of the McNichols Civic Center Building. For it to be acknowledged in this way is gratifying, especially working with such a dedicated staff of the McNichols Building.
100 Colorado Creatives 3.0: Dorothy Tanner
Dorothy Tanner in front of Lumonics sculpture “Logo.” photo: Candace Hill
100 Colorado Creatives 3.0: Dorothy Tanner
Bronx-born nonagenarian Dorothy Tanner and her late husband, Mel Tanner, began building Plexiglas light sculptures in the hip ’60s, but the two were always more than sculptors. Rather, their life’s work was a spiritually driven multimedia gestalt of music, motion and mind-blowing visuals they dubbed Lumonics. Since Mel’s death in 1993, Dorothy has continued to carry the Lumonics torch, relocating her studio to Denver in 2008. As a preview to the first comprehensive retrospective of their work, opening on January 13 at the Museum of Outdoor Arts, we invited Dorothy Tanner to enlighten our readers with her answers to the 100CC questionnaire.
Dorothy Tanner’s ‘Lumonics Mind Spa’ Offers Blissful Light Sculptures by Colleen Smith Art&object
Review: Lumonics Then & Now Shines at Museum of Outdoor Arts by Michael Paglia, Denver Westword Feb. 15, 2017
The eye-dazzling yet somehow relaxing Lumonics Then & Now: A Retrospective of Light-Based Sculpture by Dorothy & Mel Tanner transforms the interior galleries of the Museum of Outdoor Arts into a world of their own. The spotlights have been dimmed so that the exhibit’s internally lighted transparent acrylic sculptures and wall panels, as well as its projected videos, can glow gently in the near-darkness. A soft electronic soundtrack composed by Dorothy Tanner and her longtime collaborator, Marc Billard, adds yet another soothing aspect to the exhibit. link to article
Todd Siler Review of Tanner Retrospective: It was “another kind of reality distortion field walking [into] Dorothy Tanner’s cocoon-like world of Lumonics, where this artist has used various light sources to create powerful aesthetic experiences that reverberate throughout your body-mind-spirit in richly subtle ways.”
Light Fantastic Plugging in, turning out and turning up the story of Dorothy and Mel Tanner at the MOA by Ray Mark Rinaldi Special to the Denver Post Jan. 19, 2017
“I’m a long story,” Dorothy Tanner says of herself. And she tells it, in bits and pieces….read more
CULTURE Seeing the Light A 93-year-old artist looks back on decades of unconventional work. BY ABBEY WHITE, JANUARY 2017
Photo by Paul Miller of Dorothy Tanner in front of Shazam at the Museum of Outdoor Arts
While Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and the Who were all busy playing with their lasers, Westminster artist Dorothy Tanner was inventing a different kind of light show. In the ’60s, together with her late husband, Mel, the now 93-year-old created an artistic style known as Lumonics, a technique that involves LED-lit abstract sculptures backed by soundtracks that add to the display’s mood. Lumonics soon took off, and the Tanners brought the art form with them, often collaborating with theater troupes and musicians, when they moved to places as far-flung as Miami and Maine. Several years after Mel died, Dorothy moved to Colorado, where she opened Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery at Tanner Studio. “Palm trees and flatlands become boring after a while,” she says. By that point, Dorothy had been diagnosed with glaucoma and macular degeneration. But even though her vision is deteriorating, she hasn’t stopped creating. In fact, you can still see her immersive installations in Then and Now: A Retrospective Exhibition of Light-Based Sculptures by Dorothy & Mel Tanner, debuting January 13 at the Museum of Outdoor Arts.
The “Arts District” (Rocky Mountain PBS) episode about Dorothy Tanner has been selected for airing on national PBS stations. It most recently aired on Los Angeles Public TV’s LA ART and WHYY in Philadelphia
“Light and sound artist Dorothy Tanner creates breathtaking sculptures using light, and she also uses sound to create a mesmerizing, multi-sensory experience. Dorothy takes us into her Denver studio and gallery — Lumonics.”
City of Denver Channel 8’s Bobby LeFebre interviewing Dorothy Tanner for “ArtScene” at Lumonics. Thanks to producer Carol Caster. May 30, 2017
Destination: Art! – The Scarlet Venue – Music – Visual Arts – Healing Arts
What happens when you combine the healing arts with the visual arts and live music? An introduction into beauty, empowerment and contemplation begins. Saturday, September 17th, 2016, 8pm-4am, The Scarlet Venue, 131 Main Street in downtown Central City, Colorado will open its doors to a holistic level of healing and artistic expression that offers something for everyone, brought to you by 7 Healing Stars, Feyline and Colorado Concerts. The line-up includes: Random Rab and Templo just to name a few. Joining the expressive team for this event is Dorothy Tanner; light sculptor, installation artist and director of Tanner Studio/Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery of Denver continue reading in ArtBeat Magazine
Enigma by Dorothy Tanner
Worth the Wait – A Journey of Light with Dorothy Tanner
Quiet your mind. That’s the precedent when entering into the showroom of Dorothy Tanner, where the setting means everything. We all know what it is like to prepare your home or dining room for a special occasion. The seating, placement of flowers, the arrangement of everything is so important. This is entirely true of the configuration of creations within her studio.
It took two years before our life’s schedules would align for this interview.
It was as if the stars knew that the setting wasn’t right until now. Her showroom is dark upon entry from the bright outdoors. It takes a few moments to begin seeing the colorful lighting around you as your eyes adjust. It takes a few moments more to grasp the beauty that surrounds you. Leave everything that you carry with you at the door; your uncertainty, your day of working that 9 to 5 job, because you have now entered into the serenity and positive light that is the artwork of a true legend.
When asked where she finds her inspiration, “I don’t find it… it finds me.”
Read the Full article
Colleen Smith’s Interview with Dorothy Tanner Colorado Expression Magazine
Sandcastle (detail) by Dorothy Tanner
Shatter the Status Quo by Candace A. Hill EmpoweredWomen’sCircle.com
I first met Dorothy Tanner about ten years ago, dancing among a crowd of sweaty bodies. I didn’t know I was looking for a petite elderly woman, I just knew I wanted to meet the extraordinary artist I’d heard so much about.
Dorothy Tanner is the founder of Lumonics; an unusual gallery in Denver, Colorado, featuring the LED lit Plexiglas sculptures she creates. Lumonics hosts workshops, school field trips, yoga classes, meditations, and music events of all kinds. So, when a DJ friend of mine landed a gig there, I went with great anticipation.
As I wandered into the darkened gallery dream space filled with the soft glow of whimsical sculptures that looked like abstract life forms and alien space ships, I knew I’d found something special. The outside world seemed to disappear, and I suddenly realized that I had just entered a gateway into a new dimension where… read more
Candace’s website: https://worthwiseappraisers.com/
Jan, 26, 2016
Dorothy’s 93rd/Open House
By Brad Weismann
Dorothy Tanner will be 93 soon. Tanner is still making art, and her birthday has been merged with an open house on January 30 at her Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery. Friends and well-wishers, including several musicians, will be there to celebrate her long and productive life.
Tanner and her late husband, Mel, pioneered ideas in environmental/installation art, using synaesthetic, multi-modal concepts that incorporate light, sculpture, water, music, projections, electronics and more. Tanner continues to craft pieces with collaborator Marc Billard, despite recent struggles with glaucoma and macular degeneration.
“Norman Broomhall and John Gonzales will be getting together and playing again as hi frontier,” says organizer Barry Raphael, describing their work as ambient; Jordan Baumgardner will be there as well, singing and playing guitar. .And there will be face painting.
Surrounded by her works, including a slew from last year’s Creatures From Left Field show at the Lakewood Cultural Center, Tanner should light up the night. The party runs from 8 to 11 p.m., at Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery, 800 East 73rd Avenue, Unit 11. For more information, go to www.lumonics.net.
Rebroadcast of Interview with Dorothy Tanner
Works By 92-Year-Old Sculptor Illuminate Denver Gallery Through Holidays
BY STEPHANIE WOLF ON 12/15/2015 – 7:30AM – CPR.org
Driving around Denver this time of year, there’s no shortage of holiday lights. At Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery, the space is lit up brighter than a Christmas tree nearly all year round. The Denver studio is dedicated to the work of sculptor Dorothy Tanner. The 92-year-old artist works with light, using materials like Plexiglas to bend and blend vibrant rays of color.
A new exhibition of her work is now on display at Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery through Dec. 30.
Tanner, who lives in Westminster, has been making art for more than 60 years, and says she’s never seriously considered retiring. “I like playing with stuff,” Tanner told CPR News last June. “So why would I stop?”
COLORADO MATTERS Colorado Public Radio Staying Vital As Time Marches On: Art Can Hold The Key Ryan Warner’s Interview with Dorothy Tanner
“Light artist Dorothy Tanner speaks with 5-year-old Kaya Naslund about one of the “creature-like” sculptures featured in her current exhibition, ‘Creatures From Left Field,’ at the Lakewood Cultural Center.” (photo by Corey H. Jones/CPR News)
“Sculptor Dorothy Tanner’s work is best seen in the dark. That’s because the [she] works with light, using materials like plexiglass to bend and blend vibrant rays of color. She’s been making art for more than 60 years.”
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Gallery Sketches: Five Shows in Denver for the Weekend of September 5-7 by Susan Froyd, Arts & Culture Editor at Westword
New Light Sculptures by Dorothy Tanner Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery Opening reception: 7 to 10 p.m. First Friday
Remarkable nonagenarian Dorothy Tanner is still creating new illuminated works using acrylic, LED lights — and sometimes water. Says the 91-year-old Tanner: “The major challenge for me in art is to keep under control the tyranny of a logical mind. The spirit that moves me is capricious, unruly and irreverent. Most of my work grows out of intuitive impulse — the rest gets under way by just playing.” This is a perfect chance to get into Tanner’s work and visit her trippy Lumonics Studio.
Thanks to EPIC Colorado Magazine for featuring Dorothy Tanner in the Spring, 2013 issue. The article is called “Electricity at Play: An Illuminating Conversation with Sculptor Dorothy Tanner” by Kelsey McMaster.
Visual Arts
Light-focused exhibits are all the rage at galleries this summer, but the Museum of Outdoor Arts is mixing the theme up a bit for its 30th anniversary. Alongside light sculptures and projections by 13 local and national artists, the exhibit features an original soundscape created by Grammy Award-winning engineer Mickey Houlihan.
Light Supply Daily from Sat., June 25 until Sat., February 25
Let There Be Light Susan Froyd
Artists from the metro area and across the nation will all be represented in Light Supply, a new offering opening today at the Museum of Outdoor Arts, which joins other local museums (the spring exhibit Blink! at the DAM and the MCA´s current show, Another Victory Over the Sun) in celebrating the use of light in art. Light Supply will naturally have its own personality, as does MOA director Cynthia Madden Leitner’s private labor of love in the Englewood City Center.
It just seems to be the theme of the year,” says the museum´s Tim Vacca of the exhibit, for which 90 percent of the venues lighting has been blocked to better showcase the glowing sculptures and wall pieces by such artists as Collin Parson, Jen Lewin, Andy Miller, Dorothy and Mel Tanner and others. But, he adds, the overall effect will be inviting: “You´ll see the glowing lights and be drawn into the gallery.” Or outdoors: MOA Wizard-in-Residence Lonnie Hanzon that will light up the museum´s sculpture garden every evening. Light Supply opens today at the MOA, 1000 Englewood Parkway, with a reception from 5 to 9 p.m., and continues through next February. For details, go to www.moaonline.org or call 303-806-0444.
Dorothy Tanner’s luminous sculptures light up the night at Vertigo by Ben Dayton, Denver Westword Blogs Sat., Oct. 16 2010
It was third Friday-time again last night, and at Vertigo Art Space, that means artist reception time. Though not as crazy as the first Friday gallery openings on Sante Fe, third Friday receptions often provide a more intimate and focused evening for art fans. Last night, Dorothy Tanner hosted her solo show, The Light Fantastic from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 960 Santa Fe Drive.
Tanner’s free-standing sculptures and wall hangings use acrylic and LED lights as main ingredients to create luminous experiences for the viewer. Of her work she says, “I create environments that make people high, which I like since getting high has been one of my principle occupations in life.”
Of course, she’s right at home here in the Mile High City. Tanner recommends viewing the artworks in the evening so as to “experience the effect of light on the walls, people and the total space.”
The show will be on view through November 13th, and if you didn’t get a chance to make it out last night to say hi, make sure you at least cruise down Sante Fe Drive, between 9th and 10th Avenues one of these evening soon to catch a glimpse of the glowing sculptures through Vertigo’s large front windows. It will be a sight to see.
For more information, visit www.vertigoartspace.com
Excerpts from Pre-Colorado: Lumonics Installations, Gallery and Museum Exhibits
“The key to so much of the art of Lumonics [is] light. The studio’s founders, Dorothy Tanner and her late husband, Mel, use light and acrylic the way painters use oil and canvas — as a primary medium for artistic expression.” Michael Mills, New Times Broward Palm Beach
“If inner space is the last frontier, then Mel and Dorothy Tanner are its pioneers. They create an aesthetic experience unlike any other. A walk through the Lumonics Gallery is a bit like a tour of some futuristic spaceship. The plastic sculptures blink, drip, turn and glow. Like the Wizard of Oz behind a curtain, they create a separate reality.” Barbara Marshall, Broward Close-up, Channel 2 (WPBT Public TV)
“Think of Dorothy and Mel Tanner as modern-day Timothy Learys. Their sound-and light-filled habitat, a Disneyland for the brain, is the only mind-altering substance they offer. Drop in, tune out, and turn on. The Tanners will take you to anywhere your brain desires.” Tracie Cone, The Miami Herald * Tracie Cone, Pulitzer Prize recipient, is now the publisher of The Pinnacle News in the San Jose, CA area.
“If you are stumped as to what to do Saturday night, consider spending a visually stimulating, thoroughly entertaining, mind-expanding evening at Lumonics. Art and technology meet to create a veritable shrine to the future’s possibility. It is a timely vision we should not fail to see.” Alex Loret de Molac, New Miami Magazine
“As much as I relish the whole performance aspect of Lumonics, I welcome anything that expands the audience for the individual artworks in all their marvelous diversity.The art of Lumonics is first and foremost an experiential art. That’s only as it should be.” Michael Mills, art writer, New Times Broward-Palm Beach excerpted from introduction to Art of Lumonics (Coral Springs Museum), Coral Springs, FL
“Imagine walking into another ‘civilization’ where verbal communication is kept limited and visual and audio communications are allowed to roam freely. This idea has come to life at Lumonics.” The Chariot, Taravella High School, Coral Springs, FL
“You’ve heard of Pop Art, Op Art, and Kinetic Art. Mel and Dorothy Tanner create what could be called ‘Wow Art’. In truth, the Tanners do have a better term for their acrylic sculptures: Lumonics.’ ” Skip Sheffield, Boca Raton Daily News
“Contemporary Art at its most up-to-date…” Millie Wolff, Palm Beach Daily News
“So what is it like? Words are inadequate; it is, after all, a non-verbal experience. Suffice it to say that emotions and the imagination are exercised in ways rarely experienced in everyday life.” Eric Furry, Sweet Potato, Bangor, Maine
article by Robin Shear, photos by Callie Zirkle Eastsider, ©Forum Publishing Group
article by Michael Mills, photos by Lannis Waters ©Palm Beach Post
article by Tracie Cone, photos by Joe Rimkus, Jr. ©The Miami Herald
article by Jon Marlowe ©Miami News (1975)
There are also reviews/articles on the Exhibitions pages. Use the drop-down menu.
An article/review archive is also referenced on the Wikipedia page.