10 Reasons LUMA Projection Arts Festival Is The Place To Be
is coming back for its eighth annual festival this weekend, Sept. 8-9, in Downtown ! This lights festival uses projection technology to create an incredibly unique audiovisual experience curated by the most innovative artists. As a student who transferred in during the pandemic, attending the festival in 2021 created an indelible memory. It was a great opportunity to deepen friendships and a breathtaking introduction to the ever-blossoming arts community in ! Regardless of whether you’ve gone in the past, here are several reasons why you should join me at LUMA this year.
Enjoy a completely unique experience
LUMA is the only projection arts festival in the world, hosted right here in ! I am always mesmerized by the larger-than-life, three-dimensional art in motion across the buildings in Downtown . Out of the many art experiences I have had, LUMA is one of the most unique and memorable. Check out to see some highlights from last year’s festival. Use to plan out your journey through the different projection features in Downtown .
Attend for free!
Since LUMA and receives support from donors, there is no cost associated with the event. Six of the seven exhibits are free and repeat at regular intervals, allowing time for you to migrate between showings and see everything the festival has to offer. Only one premium exhibit has a $5 ticketing fee. Tickets for can be purchased to experience the biggest, most immersive features that LUMA has ever done and help support future events.
Make friends and experience the community
As a senior, the most fulfilling aspects of my college experience have been finding ways to engage with the local community and building lasting friendships. is a home for students and it’s essential to make the most of the opportunities your home provides. Regardless of your interest in art, LUMA provides the opportunity to build connections with students, locals and people from around the world attending this stunning festival. Attending LUMA in 2021 was formative for many friendships that I treasure to this day. Over 35,000 people attend each year and the festival is ever-growing.
Support the arts community — the pride of
local emerging artists, holding art competitions and displaying art to a wider audience online. The event draws an estimated $900,000 in economic impact in a single night. This kind of financial stimulus is huge for the community, and by extension and students! Following the industrial downturn in the Southern Tier, and surrounding communities have found solace and success in the arts and the human desire to create beautiful things. I think LUMA is a big part of this development, so show up and become an active part of ’s transformation!
See community in action with “Living Lights”
In a , many artists are given a template to work with in order to reimagine the aesthetic or architecture of . LUMA partnered with local non-profits (Broome County Urban League) to collect submissions from both adults and young children. These local artist renditions are then projected, creating a beautiful display of the community’s collective efforts!
Experience the return of Snow Raven, MINDSCAPE and MAXIN10SITY
LUMA often has returning artists, and it’s fascinating to see their creative journeys over the years. I am always excited to see how these artists return with new, bold, hyper-sensory displays. This year, MAXIN10SITY takes on the human journey of space exploration in “.” Snow Raven collaborates with MINDSCAPE to present “,” an exploration of the relationships between nature, humanity and the individual.
See jazz in a new light
Romera from Madrid, Spain brings a compelling interpretation of jazz music, adding a visual accompaniment to an auditory experience. As someone who plays and listens to jazz, I am especially looking forward to seeing of the deep-rooted, improvisational nature of my favorite music genre.
Come support ’s own director!
, a professor of cinema at , has her own display this year, “,” associated with her documentary project and inspired by a neighborhood street in Athens, Greece. I find her past experimental work to be poignant and deeply symbolic, so I am excited to see what she will do at LUMA this year. The display is meant to evoke a clothesline hanging between buildings, a spatial-visual stunt never attempted by any other LUMA art piece.
Enjoy events before and after the festival!
Showings don’t start until 8, so check out one of the many happening before the show starts! Check out for local artist concerts and more. If LUMA isn’t enough for one night, there is , an after-party featuring dance music and drag at the Lost Dog Café.
Why Not?
After hearing all this, it seems unlikely that anyone could not be at the very least mildly interested in going to LUMA this year, if not determined to go. The displays are always impressive and inspiring, bringing the community together for a sublime and uplifting experience. It can’t hurt to see it for yourself.
Stephen Folkerts is an intern for the Office of Public Media and Relations, and a senior majoring in English. He hopes to work in ministry and publishing. In his spare time, he enjoys jazz drumming, poetry and basketball.
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