The Arts Center of the Capital Region, the Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Downtown Troy BID are thrilled to announce Troy Glo, a dazzling new winter lighting festival opening the night of the 40th annual Victorian Stroll. With a series of contemporary light art installations at six venues around the downtown commercial district, Troy Glo will brighten the darkest month of the year and invite tourists and shoppers to revel in our city’s timeless beauty.
Troy Glo will illuminate the city’s unparalleled eighteenth century architecture from December 4, 2022 to January 9, 2023 with cutting-edge light art that will encourage people to get out of their cars and meander between installations, stopping at the many shops and restaurants along the way. The light art will be designed and installed by a team of local artists under the direction of Adam Frelin, the lead artist on the renowned 2016 project Breathing Lights.
Elizabeth Reiss, CEO of the Arts Center of the Capital Region, said, “We’re offering something much different than a traditional holiday lights display. Troy Glo will be a public exhibition of light art, an emerging field that ranges from sculpture to video to immersive installation and incorporates a variety of technology. Adam Frelin and his eventual team are going to produce spectacular artwork that will attract tourists like moths to a flame.”
In December 2021, Frelin installed the temporary light sculpture Shapeshift on River Street in Troy as an enigmatic teaser and demonstration piece for Troy Glo. Frelin will design and install a block-long light artwork on Broadway as the centerpiece of the upcoming series, and will mentor five other artists to design and install complementary pieces.
The size and sophistication of the artwork is expected to draw an estimated 25,000 visitors from the Capital Region and beyond over the course of a month. Synchronizing the opening with the Victorian Stroll, which is organized by the Chamber, will bring additional attention to the project and provide extra incentive for strollers to return to the beloved tradition.
Kate Manley, President of the Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce, said, “People are clamoring for the Victorian Stroll to kick off their December season. It was Troy’s biggest event before the pandemic, and we’re just as eager to see everyone back out in their petticoats and parkas. We believe Troy Glo will help pull the community together again as we celebrate the Stroll’s fortieth anniversary!”
Geoff Brault, Executive Director of the Downtown Troy BID, said, “Downtown Troy is the most walkable and beautiful place in the Capital Region. With Troy Glo, we’re literally putting the city in the best light to showcase not just our amazing buildings but the fantastic locally-owned businesses that bring them to life. People will come to see the artwork and they’ll stay for a great meal or unique shopping experience.”
We continue to seek sponsors and sites for Troy Glo. Please contact The Arts Center of the Capital Region to request a sponsorship package or to discuss hosting light artwork on your property in Downtown Troy.
Creative development for Troy Glo will be managed by The Arts Center of the Capital Region, which has produced projects of similar scale like the rehabilitation of Franklin Alley and the Uniting Line. Artists chosen to join Frelin’s team will be selected through a multi-phase process, starting with a Request for Qualifications. Interested artists must provide CVs and examples of previous work to be considered. From the qualified candidates, Adam Frelin and Belinda Colón, Curator at the Arts Center, will select ten artists to develop proposals, and then choose five finalists from those.
For more information, or to submit an artist RFQ, visit artscenteronline.org/troyglo.