DLNews Community Events:

Lasers and flaggers and bikes, oh my!

The first-ever Art in the Park in the Dark will occur from 6 to 10 p.m., Saturday, April 15, at Demuth Park, on Mesquite Avenue between the Pickleball courts and the playground.

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The event is part of World Art Day in honor of Leonardo da Vinci’s birthday. Art in the Park in the Dark is the 6-10 p.m. part of the World Art Day Festival, taking place at Demuth Park with lots of hands-on art activities from 3 to 6 p.m., produced by the City of Palm Springs Parks and Recreation Department. The evening portion will be filled with lasers, lighted bikes, flaggers, interactive glow art, and live painting. It is also very hands-on.

The entire day of events is FREE and appropriate for all ages.

“This started a few months ago when I applied for the Art Is Everywhere Neighborhood Grant from the PS Arts Commission to get some picnic tables painted in my park,” said Shann Carr, who is producing Art in the Park in the Dark, with support from the City of Palm Springs. “When I got the grant, I wanted to make a fuss about revealing the artists’ painted tables by making a gallery reveal in the park, at night, staged artistically with my solar gadgets! So now artists and neighbors keep tossing their hats into the ring toparticipate by looking at the art they already do and bringing in light, black light, and glow. Fun!”

ART IN THE PARK IN THE DARK activities from 6 to 10 p.m. will include:

LASER WONDERLAND - Throughout the darkest hours, world-renowned Laseronics artist Kyle Garner will project a series of intimate laser shows that will excite the night.

LIGHTED BIKE PARADE AND CONTEST - All ages are invited to join an illuminated bike parade throughthe park and get some help lighting their bikes at a “Maker Booth” hosted by valley cyclists.

NIGHT GALLERY ART WALK - The park’s permanent artworks, the freshly painted tables and benches, local artists’ pop-up booths, light installations, creatively solar-lit booths, vendors, and live performancesby flaggers spinning UV reactive fabrics will make up the Night Gallery Art Walk.

BE THE LIGHT - The events are at the remarkably dark end of the park between the pickleball courts and the playground, so we beckon guests to bring a blacklight flashlight for maximum fun and to see all the UV art. Wear a black or white T-shirt and become a canvas for artistic creations.

LIGHT INSTALLATIONS - Artists, groups, neighbors, and galleries are invited to make light-based,temporary installations to add to the fun. Volunteers will help you hang your light art gently on the limbs of the trees around the grounds as long as you do no damage.

SEE IN THE DARK - 300 attendees will get a free, small, blacklight flashlight to see all the hiddentreasures of art and nature in the park. Flashlights of all kinds are encouraged.

ALL DAY TUNES - DJ Galaxy will thread the daytime and night events with feel-good music from 3-10 p.m. as community groups fill the day stage with live performances. After all the music, the soundtrack ofthe night’s closing laser show will be a beautiful crystal bowls sound bath!

The first sponsors to jump up to support the event are Hot Purple Energy, Renova, and the Coachella Valley Independent, perfectly bringing together the art and solar themes of the occasion. April 15th is the day Californians buying solar will step into the “Net Metering 3” arrangement with the utility companies.

“I’m a fanatic for solar lights. However, I live by the airport, and I sometimes worry a plane might mistake my backyard as the landing strip,“ said Carr.

For information about participating and attending, check out the Facebook event page “Art In The Park In The Dark & World Art Day Festival.” We’d love some more sponsors and booths participating too!

Contact Shann Carr at theshanncarr@gmail.com

Or Krystalyn Pacquette at Demuth Community Center 760-320-6430