LIGHTSCAPES, camera, action! Historic Hudson Valley is starting to brighten the bulbs on the third annual LIGHTSCAPES, an interactive art installation taking place at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.
The event allows visitors to walk through the historic site and experience a combination of light, sound, video and art that welcomes spring and maintains the Historic Hudson Valley’s undertone of history and education.
Rob Schweitzer, the Historic Hudson Valley’s director of marketing and public relations, said this year’s event will include an installation of more than 7,500 manmade tulips, along with a 10-foot-tall praying mantis sculpture and a 60-foot-long centipede sculpture. The event’s soundscape will include music and effects created by Charles de Saint Phalle and Steve Pollak, who has written numerous songs for the band Phish, and all artwork is made from repurposed recycled materials created by Hudson Valley-based artists. The entire multimedia experience is open to all ages and takes place outdoors.
Having been the creative director of Historic Hudson Valley’s Great Jack O’ Lantern Blaze—a Halloween-themed walk through exhibition of more than 7,000 intricately hand-carved pumpkins—since 2005, LIGHTSCAPES Creative Director Michael Natiello is well-versed in helping a team of artists complete a large scale project. The Blaze attracts nearly 120,000 visitors annually, including celebrities like Neil Patrick Harris, Martha Stewart and Ben Stiller. In an attempt to gain LIGHTSCAPES a similar notoriety, Natiello said the 45-minute-long path will provide visitors with a unique and transformative outlook.
“The whole experience and the transformative quality of art will help put visitors in touch with a greater force,” he said. “I want people to have the same feeling they get after seeing a good movie or reading a good book. At the end of the day, I want people to be happy.”
Natiello said managing a team of artists working together on a large-scale project is not very difficult when a shared vision is kept in mind. He said he allows room for creative decisions and freedom of expression, and working with so many artists has allowed for the birth of creative and interesting ideas that help propel the collaborative effort forward.
Being that LIGHTSCAPES is a relatively new tradition, Schweitzer said the production team combines trial and error and visitor feedback to make the exhibition bigger and better each year, from both a creative and operational standpoint. He said ensuring that operational matters flow seamlessly make it that much easier for visitors to enjoy their experience from all angles.
Since Historic Hudson Valley, a nonprofit organization based in Pocantico Hills, New York, is dedicated to promoting the public education of historic landmarks of national significance in the Hudson Valley, Schweitzer said LIGHTSCAPES attempts to both educate and entertain visitors.
Natasha Caputo, director of Westchester County Tourism and Film, said that annual signature events like LIGHTSCAPES provide residents and visitors with a unique setting to view outdoor exhibitions throughout the Hudson Valley, providing them with an enjoyable time where they won’t be disappointed.
“We continue to showcase Westchester County as a stage for big events that help drive tourism to the region, which translates into a positive economic impact,” she said. “It just gives people another reason to ‘meet me in Westchester.’”
LIGHTSCAPES will open on Friday, April 29 and will run Thursday through Sunday until Memorial Day, May 30. Visitors are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance. For more information, visit hudsonvalley.org/events/lightscapes/faqs.
