Annually, I have incorporated the Festival of Lights into my Lighting Design courses. This event is an all-day hands-on lighting activity that engages lighting professionals with students and the local community This activity gives students an opportunity to work with high-tech lighting equipment while guided by lighting professionals. Displays are designed around a given theme, ranging from Countries of the World to Fairy Tales, and are installed in one day. The local community is invited to view the displays and vote for their favorite. This event has always proven to be an exciting event that generates a positive response from the students, design professionals, and viewers.
In 2019, I began a partnership with the Fashion Design major to have my students develop lighting to support their Fashion Show event and create thematic displays around the fashion students' collections. Similar to the Festival of Lights, students partner in teams with lighting professionals to create these dynamic lighting displays and support the Fashion Design department.
