The Bay Lights, the light sculpture that floats across the West Span of the Bay Bridge at night, has been dazzling residents and visitors of the Bay Area since the unveiling of the installation in March 2013.
The Bay Lights on the west span of the Bay Bridge will become a permanent fixture in the night sky.
By Joel Williams
Published: January, 2015
The Bay Lights, the light sculpture that floats across the West Span of the Bay Bridge at night, has been dazzling residents and visitors of the Bay Area since the unveiling of the installation in March 2013.
Over 50 million people have seen the captivating work of art, which consists of 25,000 choreographed LED lights and was created by visual artist Leo Villareal.The lights were originally installed to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Bay Bridge and were scheduled to remain in place for two years, meaning they would be taken down this spring.
Due to the popularity of the installation, many members of the community wanted to make the lights permanent. But in order to do so, $4 million was needed to replace the original installation with a more sturdy and permanent set of lights designed to weather the harsh environment of the Bay.
The nonprofit group Illuminate the Arts spearheaded a fundraising campaign and last month, philanthropist Ted Taube donated a $2 million matching grant that helped achieve the goal. “This is a great moment for public art and a great gift of the holiday season for the people of the Bay Area,” said Ben Davis, founder of Illuminate the Arts.
The current lights will need to be removed and replaced with a new permanent set that will be installed in time for the Bay Area Super Bowl in early 2016. Bay Area Toll Authority’s (BATA) Oversight Committee approved a memorandum of understanding in mid-December that helped pave the way for the temporary art installation to become a permanent feature on the Bay when it unanimously agreed to fund the operation and maintenance of the sparkling LED installation when it becomes a permanent feature. The new installation will become the property of the State of California, and BATA will cover the $250,000 yearly maintenance and electricity costs.
