Behind The Scenes Look At Art Installation For Light City 2018
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- You know Light City is coming to light up the night, but it's also going underwater.
A bigger and brighter Light City is coming to Baltimore in 2018.
For local artists, it's the chance to showcase their work for an audience of nearly half a million people.
As part of WJZ's community connection, we are proud to be a sponsor of Light City.
WJZ's Kimberly Eiten got a behind the scenes look at one art installation you can visit when the festival kicks off in April.
The countdown to Light City is on, and that means it's crunch time for artists. One group tested how a massive installation will shine in Baltimore's Inner Harbor.
Before it lights up the night, the 130-foot long art installation has to prove it can light up underwater.
"We wanted to illuminate under the water. Then it became a large technical challenge of how do you put 73,000 LED lights underneath the water," Baltimore artist Michael Bowman said.
So that's what Bowman and his crew tested Wednesday in a city pool.
A dry run, or rather a wet run for his piece named, "What Lies Beneath."
It's designed to shine beneath the Inner Harbor in April.
A high-tech highlight of Light City 2018.
"Underneath the harbor, using the harbor's natural or unnatural cloudiness to be the diffusers for our lights," he said.
In the works since July, the mix of lights, plastic tubes, and electrical cords will transform into a dancing display.
Showcasing local gems, like scenes from the National Aquarium, playing on a loop to charm the nearly 500,000 people who pour into Charm City for the festival.
This year, the theme is "More Love, More Lights."
Mayor Catherine Pugh hopes it translates into even more visitors.
"Take this opportunity to invite as many people as you can to show off our city," she said.
A bigger, brighter Baltimore-centric celebration.
And what will be the crowning moment for this labor of love.
You can see "What Lies Beneath," and other amazing art installations for three weekends in April.
Light City opens along the waterfront on April 6.
Click here for more information on Light City.
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