Guest Blog: Illuminate Art & Light Festival Creative Mind, Taylor Hanson

Illuminate Art and Light Festival Creative Minds 

Guest Blog By: Grace McGovern

The Illuminate Art and Light Festival will give the public an opportunity to explore larger-than-life projections and view temporary installations. The Cedar Valley will be lit-up with inspiring, challenging, and thought-provoking creative projects created by artists right here in the Cedar Valley. But who are these incredibly talented artists, and what inspires them to create these challenging and astonishing creative projects? Well, let me introduce you to Monica Sanguino, Indonesia Fulcher, and Taylor Hanson, three of our extremely talented artists working with the Illuminate Art and Light Festival Projects Team to bring these inspiring and thought-provoking creative projects right to your backyard on College Hill.

Taylor Hanson

Taylor Hanson is from Adel, IA. As long as she can remember, creating art has always been important to her. She has had many people in her life that have impacted and influenced her art practice.

Previously in Taylor’s work she has only used software, methods, and technology that she has experience with or felt like she had a firm handle on. This festival has given her the opportunity to step out of her comfort zone and help make someone of her wild, out of reach ideas come to life.

“Generally I hope that my work can become larger than myself, where it connects to a greater human experience, creates sensations of its own, or reflects each individual’s narrative that they bring to the viewing experience.”

Taylor has been working with the projects team to create an inspiring project for the Illuminate Art and Light Festival. She has been interested in the ways that technology and how her art practice will come together for this event. She is thinking a lot about new ways she can use projected light and how to get viewers involved in her work.

“Making art has become important to my lifestyle. There are discoveries and failures that come through making the process that are important to my growth as an individual. The lessons that I have learned about myself and about various processes are very personal to me and should go without the viewers ever knowing.” – Taylor Hanson

You can find Taylor’s work at the Illuminate Art and Light Festival on College Hill near the Center for Social and Behavioral Research building.

The Illuminate Art and Light Festival will be held free to the public on May 14 and 15 between 9:30-11:00pm on College Hill. Learn more about the event and its artists at hiloartslab.com. Can’t wait to see you there!

Grace J. McGovern , is a student at the University of Northern Iowa with an IDS of Advertising and Visualization.  She is also in Pi Sigma Epsilon and serves as their VP of PR. 

Guest Blog: Illuminate Art & Light Festival Press Release

Inaugural Illuminate Art and Light Festival 

College Hill Partnership, Hi-Lo Arts Lab, Interactive Digital Studies at the University of Northern Iowa, & the Hearst Center for the Arts 

May 14 & 15 9:00-11:00pm Cedar Falls, IA – College Hill Area hiloartslab@gmail.com 

April 19, 2021 – The first ever Cedar Valley Illuminate Art and Light Festival will be held May 14 and 15 between 9:00-11:00pm. This fun, creative event will be happening right in your backyard in Cedar Falls around College Hill, the University, and the Hearst Center. 

In 1643 Lyon, France was stuck by the plague. The town promised that if they were spared, they would pay tribute, and ever since, on December 8th, a procession makes its way to the Basilica of Fouriére to light candles and give offerings. As we ourselves are in the midst of a deadly pandemic, we are in need of a guiding light out, something to look forward to, and to be reminded of the beauty and magic that make life so wonderful. 

The Illuminate Art and Light Festival will give the public an opportunity to explore larger-than-life projections and view temporary installations. The Cedar Valley will be lit-up with inspiring, challenging, and thought-provoking creative projects. This festival is organized as a collaboration between the Interactive Digital Studies Practicum at the University of Northern Iowa and Hi-Lo Arts Lab and is sponsored by the College Hill Partnership. 

“Projection events are common across the country but haven’t yet made their way to the Cedar Valley until now,” said Dana Potter, the founder of Hi-Lo Arts Lab and professor at the University of Northern Iowa. “We may be a little late to the game, but we are kicking it up a notch with advanced technologies. Responsive audio/visual installations, dynamic video poetry, and interactive live-video feeds. Most excitingly, everything is made by people who live and work in the area. We are showcasing work for us, by us as we need community now more than ever.” 

This event will be free to the public. We will be following social distancing guidelines and sanitation stations will be onsite.

About Guest Blogger: Grace J. McGovern , is a student at the University of Northern Iowa with an IDS of Advertising and Visualization.  She is also in Pi Sigma Epsilon and serves as their VP of PR. 

Guest Blog: Illuminate Art & Light Festival Creative Mind,  Indonesia Fulcher

Illuminate Art and Light Festival Creative Minds 

Guest Blog By: Grace McGovern

The Illuminate Art and Light Festival will give the public an opportunity to explore larger-than-life projections and view temporary installations. The Cedar Valley will be lit-up with inspiring, challenging, and thought-provoking creative projects created by artists right here in the Cedar Valley. But who are these incredibly talented artists, and what inspires them to create these challenging and astonishing creative projects? Well, let me introduce you to Monica Sanguino, Indonesia Fulcher, and Taylor Hanson, three of our extremely talented artists working with the Illuminate Art and Light Festival Projects Team to bring these inspiring and thought-provoking creative projects right to your backyard on College Hill.

Indonesia Fulcher

Indonesia Fulcher was born and raised in California, but has been living in Waterloo, IA for the past 14 years. Ever since she was a kid, she loved drawing and painting, however, she did not start taking art seriously until she was in high school.

“My work is my way of speaking.” Said Indonesia. “I am always thinking about my past and how that can affect my future. I like to provoke emotions in a way like being overwhelmed, nervous, excited.” Her art reflects who she is and what is around her. It is inspired by her experience through life, but also from other perspectives. “Just recently I have noticed that my work has started conversations. Not on a serious matter, but more of their own stories; such as ‘This reminds me of my grandfather’.”

When asked who inspires her, she could not just pick one person. Her family has had a big impact on her art, but so have her professors and employers.

Indonesia has been working with the projects team in creating a project for the festival. She has been experimenting with the projects and knows that she wants to include some of her printmaking at the festival, along with what she has learned at workshops with the projects team.

“My art is really personal to me. Coming from a very scrambled childhood, this gave me a way to use those memories and move forward, focusing on the next generation in the family. I do try to find some ironic humor when I am making work. My art gives me the opportunity to learn; about myself, others, objects, and the space we live in.” – Indo Fulcher

You can find Indonesia’s work at the Illuminate Art and Light Festival right off of College Hill by Mohair Pear.

The Illuminate Art and Light Festival will be held free to the public on May 14 and 15 between 9:30-11:00pm on College Hill. Learn more about the event and its artists at hiloartslab.com. Can’t wait to see you there!

Stay tuned for our next guest blog to learn more about artists Indonesia Fulcher, and Taylor Hanson.

Grace J. McGovern , is a student at the University of Northern Iowa with an IDS of Advertising and Visualization.  She is also in Pi Sigma Epsilon and serves as their VP of PR.