Light Up The Night

R. Buckminster Fuller didn't look like a mad scientist.

Born in 1895, he was, however, clearly ahead of his time.

Over the course of his life, Fuller -- who lived to be 88 -- held 28 patents, authored 28 books and received 47 honorary degrees, according to the Buckminster Fuller Institute.

And while the geodesic dome, his most well know artifact -- he called his inventions "artifacts" -- "has been produced over 300,000 times worldwide, Fuller's true impact on the world today can be found in his continued influence upon generations of designers, architects, scientists and artists working to create a more sustainable planet."

It's also found at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, in a sculpture by Leo Villareal titled "Buckyball." Although aluminum creates the two nested geometric spheres -- which take the shape of a Carbon 60 molecule -- what makes "Buckyball" fascinating is the LED lighting capable of creating 16 million distinct colors.

Three years ago, a festival celebrating the sculpture drew about 600 people, says Sara Segerlin, senior museum educator for the Bentonville facility. Playing off the tribute to Fuller, the festival had a science fiction theme that included the use of light.

"You take those concepts and create an opportunity for the community to get together and explore with local artists, and it became a great way to kick off the fall season," she says.

The event was so popular, it drew 1,000 participants last year. Glow Santa Monica, to which Segerlin has looked for inspiration, routinely draws a quarter of a million festivalgoers, and she expects the Light Night Party to bring in 2,000 celebrants on Sept. 4 -- and to keep growing.

"We're looking at it more as a festival now," she says, this year exploring inventions at the turn of the 20th century -- neon tubes, the Ferris wheel and "the idea of unveiling something new that no one's ever seen." There will be a photo light-drawing booth by artist Chris Look, participatory carnival tents by Northwest Arkansas artist Jennifer Gilder, tinker projects by Amazeum and demonstrations by Fayetteville-based sculptor Eugene Sargent plus music by That 1 Guy, Randall Shreve & The Devilles and Wini Rubi, a group bike ride with Phat Tire and a film adaptation screening of the Jules Verne's classic "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."

Segerlin says of course, costumes -- especially those with steampunk themes or anything that glows -- are welcome.

"It's part of the role of Crystal Bridges to create experiences no one else could have anywhere else in the world," she says. "This is something you'd never imagine happening in Bentonville!"

NAN What's Up on 08/28/2015