PSU brings light, art to Portland Winter Light Festival

Portland State University is once again joining the Willamette Light Brigade to bring art, technology and a little bit of light to the city of Portland. But this year, the Portland Winter Light Festival will feature more light artists and installations across the city than ever before.

Jeff Schnabel, director of the School of Architecture and co-founder of the Portland Winter Light Festival, said this year’s festival is significantly different as it will introduce light art all over the city, instead of focusing along the Willamette River. A second weekend has also been added.

“While this is a smart response to the pandemic by reducing large gatherings in tighter locations, there are some additional benefits,” Schnabel said. “Historically, the Portland Winter Light Festival has been a wonderful economic development tool, bringing in millions of dollars of revenue to the city during the event. The expanded geography means that more parts of the city will financially benefit from the event.”

It’s also a great excuse to get out of the house and discover new corners of Portland. “During COVID our worlds have gotten smaller. This safe outdoor event gives us a great excuse to venture out,” he added.

PSU is hosting several installations that engage students and faculty from many disciplines. 

• Shattuck Hall will feature animations from art and design students learning about creative coding, with a soundtrack from the School of Music & Theater. 
• Montgomery Street will feature an array of light-changing bulbs illuminating trees along the pedestrian walkway, and nearby Montgomery Residence Hall will feature a projection on its east-facing, ivy-covered wall.
• The Simon Benson House will display art by UnTangled Dragons through the dining room window. 
• The CETI Lab has organized an immersive experience at Fariborz Maseeh Hall titled Constellations featuring light and sound pieces. 
• At the University Place Hotel, an architectural lighting display will showcase the importance of rain to Portland’s ecosystem. 

The Winter Light Festival will also begin with an illuminated bike ride, where participants can join a 4 to 5 mile ride through the city to view pieces of the festival. The ride begins at the Montgomery Street Plaza at 7 p.m. Feb. 4.

"It is a terrific opportunity for visitors to come to our campus while at the same time adding a bit of sparkle to the dark days of winter for the PSU community,” Schnabel said. “Collaborations are not always easy, but this event allows us to get out of our academic silos and contribute something wonderful together.”

The Portland Winter Light Festival takes place Feb. 4 -12. A map of the installations and more information is available at pdxwlf.com.