luminaries

The Luminaries lighting design showcase and silent charity auction was a one-night design exhibition held at Gallery 135 in Portland, Oregon on September 24, 2015. We invited 35 creative ‘luminaries’ within the fields of design, architecture, and film, to use a kit of IKEA lighting components to design and build their own custom ‘luminaries’, which we showcased and auctioned off in a lively event setting to support Habitat for Humanity.

At SGK, I was the acting creative director, exhibition designer, and event host, guiding the design of the event and the exhibition design. The show was built around a dynamic, origami-inspired display structure that spanned 76 feet through the gallery, informing a paper-folding aesthetic for event branding and marketing collateral.

The snaking, geometric display vessel supported an eclectic mix of lighting typologies while concealing a hidden power supply throughout the entire structure. The freestanding exhibition format also complemented an ongoing wall-based solo art show by encaustic painter, Lisa Klupenger.

Design by Brian Madden, Brandon Hrycyk, SGK

Fabrication by SGK / Marketcraft

Catering by Cheese & Crack snack shop

Event Photography by Rachel Vera

Gallery visitors observing lighting fixtures and artwork on the white MDF exhibition display structure at the luminaries charity exhibition event
Woman looking at lighting fixtures displayed on a horizontal section of the white display structure at the luminaries charity exhibition event
Looking into the luminaires event through a glass exterior window with white frosting, surrounded by a brown brick wall
Four original lighting fixtures displayed on a horizontal surface of the white exhibition display structure at the luminaries event
Corner of illuminated lights on the white MDF Luminaries display structure inside white gallery, with brown wood floors and people standing in the background
Gallery visitors standing around chatting under the white exhibition display structure observing lamp fixtures at the luminaries charity event
White leg lamp, two birdhouse lamps, a black square lamp and log lamp sitting on a horiztontal surface of the white display structure at the luminaries event
Three people talking under pendant light fixtures hanging from the white display structure at the luminaries event
Two people observing Brian Madden's Fruitcake Terrazo lamp that is sitting on the white display structure above a brown wood floor at the luminaries event
Waiter with black collared shirt holding a wood tray of colorful fruit, cheese, and crackers skewers for the luminaries event
Black and white luminaries event poster design showing letters that appear like illuminated folded origami letter forms
Design sketch and ideation for event invitation showing luminaries display structure with lighting fixtures and logo design in middle
Notebook sketch and ideation of origami-like white exhibition display structure for the luminaries charity event
A hand holding bundled up white IKEA lighting cord extension above brown wood floor
Four people boxing and wrapping white light bulb cord kits with white and brown cardboard boxes for Luminaries exhibition lighting designers on a white table
Black and white exhibition design sketch and ideation of lighting fixtures on the display structure for the luminaries event
Floorplan with black and white sketch and ideation for white exhibition display structure design for luminaries event
Black and white hand sketch showing electrical plan for the white exhibition display structure for luminaries event
Black and white sketch ideation notes for a horizontal display surface for the luminaries exhibition structure
Luminaries white exhibition display structure pieces laid out for assembly and construction inside white gallery with brown wood floors
Person drilling a mouse hole into a white wooden exhibition display structure, creating a lot of sawdust
Person vacuuming a section of the luminaries white display structure on a brown wood floor in front of a white wall, during exhibition display fabrication
An electrical mouse hole with wire sticking out in a section of the white MDF exhibition display structure for the luminaries event
Four people on two ladders drilling and building white Luminaries exhibition structure on white wall wooden floor galley with black pipes on the ceiling
Luminaries white exhibition display structure without lamp fixtures inside white gallery with brown wood floors
Luminaries white powdercoated MDF exhibition display structure inside white galley with brown wood floors and person with dog walking behind