ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — For three nights, 50 blocks of Central Avenue in St. Pete will be illuminated with a rainbow of laser lights.
The lights will project off the roof of the Mari Jean Hotel and end at a vacant building in South Pasadena. The lasers will cover a more than 2-mile stretch of Central Avenue.
Depending on viewpoint, the lights could appear in a rainbow arch or shooting straight into the sky. At other angles, they may appear flatter and more parallel to the ground.
“The rainbow is like sacred geometry… it just works together,” said artist Yvette Mattern. “That’s why it’s such a powerful symbol.”
Mattern created the Global Rainbow art installation over two decades ago. Equipped with large cases that house custom rainbow lasers, Mattern has traveled the world lighting up landmarks in Berlin, London, Belfast, São Paulo and many American cities.
Winter Pride reached out to Mattern following the FDOT ruling to get rid of street murals across Florida.
Local street murals that were painted over last summer following the state decision included the “Back the Blue” mural near the Tampa Police Department, the “Black History Matters” mural by the Woodson Museum in St. Pete, and the large rainbow crosswalk in St. Pete’s Grand Central District.
When the rainbow crosswalk was painted over, Winter Pride St. Pete organizer Rob Hall said he wanted to do something big. Hall says after coming out as an adult, the rainbow crosswalk pushed him to move to St. Pete.
“When I saw that, I felt accepted right away,” Hall said, speaking of the former crosswalk. “Now we need to find things and ways to show our community, no matter who you are… visiting, local, where you’re from, that this is a safe space.”
Hall connected with Mattern and arranged for her Global Rainbow to spend three nights in St. Pete during the annual Winter Pride week. The show is funded by donations to Winter Pride St. Pete.
Mattern said the laser art installation can be seen up to 60 miles away, depending on visibility.
Global Rainbow begins at dusk on Thursday, Feb. 19. It will run from nightfall until 3 a.m. through Saturday night.
Angie Angers
Source link