Brighter Ignited
Illuminated Public Art Experience
Brighter Ignited is an illuminated and traveling art exhibit designed by artist Tova Speter that actively encourages people to engage, connect, and play. This super-sized interactive light display features illuminated artwork by hundreds of participants who were asked: When there is something you are passionate about, dedicated to, and ready to stand up for — how do you share your light and ignite action to make a positive difference in the world?
Intended for evening display when it is dark outside, Brighter Ignited offers color, light, and hope in a way that is interactive and accessible for all ages. To note - at the heart of the exhibit is the idea that we can all be a light source in our community offering hope and making a difference, and that we might relate to different types of light sources ranging from a firefly to fireworks, from a candle to a campfire. People are invited to consider which light source they are most like as they engage with the piece.
Originally inspired by the courage of the Maccabees in the story of Chanukah, Brighter Ignited activates the light from the community and encourages us to explore how we too can stand up for what we believe in.
This interactive sculpture was built by Manny Hutter of Herculean Woodworks and was commissioned in 2022 by the Jewish Arts Collaborative. Brighter Ignited has toured over 30 locations in MA and CT, and continues to share its light at festivals and events. Reach out for more info about bringing this exciting interactive exhibit to your next event!
The Needham Channel highlighted Brighter Ignited on its newscast.
Check out these pics from its previous tours:
I designed Brighter Ignited drawing on inspiration from the story of people who stood up for what they believed in. There are so many challenges in our world today and this exhibit asks participants/viewers to consider causes they are passionate about, then to identify a color that represents their light, and finally to create a small visual piece inspired by how they ignite action and share their light to make a positive difference. 350 participants engaged in over a dozen workshops, where they shared their ideas and created designs that contributed to the final installation. Participants ranged from 5th grade students to teens to parents to older adults in 12 different neighborhoods. The following images show the process of its creation:
Many thanks to all the contributing artists from:
Coleman House in Newton, Epstein Hillel School in Marblehead, The Jewish Community Day School in Watertown, Maimonides School in Brookline, MetroWest Jewish Day School in Framingham, Needham Youth and Family Services in Needham, The Rashi School in Dedham, Shir Tikva in Wayland, Solomon Schechter Day School in Newton, Temple Emmanuel and Chelsea Prospers in Chelsea, Temple Isaiah in Lexington, Torah Academy in Brookline.
Thanks also to Dave at ClearTec Packaging for their generous discount on our “pegs,” Dan from LAM Partners for his lighting consultation, to Peter Samiljan for being a driver and docent in one, and to Jaime for everything.
Note: read more about past installations here: Brighter Together (2018), Brighter Beyond (2019), Brighter Connected (2020), Brighter Revealed (2021).