Who We Are
The Bay Area-based LumenArtsCrew (insta: @lumenartscrew) is a collective of Bay Area artists that uses our passion and skills to create large-scale art, designed to convey messages of social justice and create joy and wonder. Our favorite tools include custom-programmed LEDs, fire and music.
LumenArtsCrew is the creative force behind the iconic Black Lives Matter installation adjacent to the bustling elevated I-580 freeway in Emeryville. The sign has been seen by millions of people since its installation in 2020. "K(NO)W JUSTICE, K(NO)W PEACE" was our second piece towards this effort of raising awareness. The next piece under development focuses on the issue of family separation in U.S. immigration policy.
Where Does the Money Go?
We are asking for financial contributions to support the creation of future art pieces, as well as the maintenance required to keep them alive and running. These funds go towards helping with rent of our shop, transportation of the pieces and materials and services. We are a fully volunteer group and no funds go towards paying ourselves. Additionally, any software and design documents that are developed for these projects are open sourced for re-use by anyone who wants to create similar works. We believe strongly in sharing build techniques and technical knowledge with the community to help make this kind of work more prolific.
The location of the "BLACK LIVES MATTER" sign, in particular, exposes the work to strong UV light from the sun, soot from the cars, and salt from the Bay. We have to replace the LEDs and upgrade the electronics and structure every 18 months. The anti family separation immigration piece will be our largest to date and requires significant funding.
THANK YOU!
Thank you for your support that will allow us to continue to create and maintain public art pieces in our community!
Highlights
See all activity1Our Work
Below is a summary of just some of the projects we've done over the last decade and are planning for in the future.
REUNITE
Currently In Planning Stage
REUNITE is an art piece that will serve as a protest against the policy of family separation at the southern US border. The disturbing reality persists, with thousands of children enduring extended stays in border facilities, facing protracted delays in the crucial process of reuniting them with family or placing them in secure family environments.
Our installation aims to be an enlightening force, prompting reflection on the values that matter to us as global citizens, concerning migration, equality, and basic decency. By utilizing an official street sign as the foundation of our art piece, we aim to spotlight the stark contradiction inherent in governmental immigration policies, underscoring the dissonance between stated principles and actual practice. "REUNITE" seeks to engage viewers in a dialogue, inviting them to question societal priorities and the ethical dimensions of our shared humanity.
REUNITE is crafted from plywood, steel, and LED neon strips, seamlessly blending retro aesthetics with neon-like animation to depict a poignant scene of a separated family running towards each other. The installation features 4-foot-high LED letters mounted on plywood, elevated 15 feet above the ground. Larger-than-life figures, symbolizing the separated family, are strategically positioned off the end of the sign, creating a compelling visual narrative. The overall dimensions of the installation span over 100 feet in length, 25 feet in height, and 10 feet in width.
K(NO)W JUSTICE K(NO)W PEACE
2023, currently located in Oakland City Hall
Recipient of the "District 3 Councilmember Award" at the Autumn Lights Festival, 2023
"K(NO)W JUSTICE, K(NO)W PEACE" is a billboard-sized animated art project, soon to be installed in Oakland’s City Hall. “No Justice, No Peace” is a powerful social justice slogan which originated in the 1980s during protests against acts of violence against African Americans. By adding a K and W to the “NO” in the slogan, we are emphasizing the conjunctive interpretation that neither peace nor justice can exist without the other. Each of the twenty 26” tall letters was CNC cut, painted and then wrapped in 200’ of LEDs. The mounting system is industrial-strength and modular so that we can transport and easily install at different locations. A computer performs animation to toggle between “NO JUSTICE NO PEACE” and “KNOW JUSTICE KNOW PEACE”.
BLACK LIVES MATTER
BLACK LIVES MATTER2020, currently located on 580 at the San Pablo exit
In 2020, in response to police violence and racism, a group of Bay Area artists and creators collaborated to create a large-scale, modular display with potent anti-racism statements and images. The artwork incorporates LED lighting and animation for high-visibility impact. This installation is a “BLACK LIVES MATTER” sign featuring a striking graphic designed by local Oakland artist Abi Mustapha. It's currently on display at the Rising Sun Center for Opportunity building in Emeryville and is visible from I-580 to thousands of cars daily. Here is a link to the story in the Emeryville Eye about it.
lumenEssence in Rockridge
2018, Oakland, CA
The corner of Claremont and College Ave in North Oakland has been an empty grass field for about a decade before this. Formerly a Shell station, it's been abandoned since the tanks were pulled out. As a way to show how you could use this space for public art, we brought lumenEssence for a public install during a spring weekend. The neighborhood came out in droves to get together among the towers all weekend. We got local politicians to show up and talk about what public art can do for a neighborhood.
POOFING HATS
2016
The Poofing Hats project was our first adventure with wearable fire. Each wearer carried a canister of propane, a handheld ignition system, pressure regulator, solenoid, and, of course, a fire extinguisher. This piece has been brought to many events over the years and always brings laughter and surprise to anyone around.
lumenEssence
2014, Burning Man Honorarium Recipient
lumenEssence is a sheltering organism that serves as a waypoint and retreat for weary playa travelers - a nexus of laughter, discovery, and surprise. Its many towers (representing tentacles or huge blades of grass) shield its residents from darkness and chaos, dissipate fear, and engage curiosity and wonder. Those who climb onto and explore the central viewing platform will be greeted with rewards. lumenEssence is also observable from afar. The group of towers is constantly changing colors and swaying in the wind. They are a beauty to behold from any direction.
The sculpture is composed of 33 interactive and dynamic towers surrounding a central viewing platform. Each tower is 30 feet tall, illuminated from within with full color LEDs and mounted on spring-loaded bases to react to wind and gentle participant input. The sculpture covers half an acre.
You're invited to climb up onto the the viewing platform, a beautiful elevated wooden structure providing a unique perspective of the sculpture and playa. On the platform, you'll find capacitive touch input devices that can be used to control and alter the patterns and colors being displayed on the towers.
furSwarm
furSwarm2012
furSwarm is a networked, wearable art piece. At its largest, it consisted of 30 faux fur vests that were lined in 50 full color LEDs whose display patterns could be controlled and synchronized. GPS location, ambient sound and motion sensors were embedded into the wearable computers to provide signals that would alter the patterns in interesting ways.
