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The organizers of the Portland Winter Light Festival have a tip for visitors this year: Look up.
Some of the art at this year’s festival, which runs Feb. 7 to 15, has gone skyward.
There will be a two-story installation at the World Trade Center called Light Falls by Brazilian artist Vigas, a glowing waterfall that will cascade down the side of the building. Cosmic Delight by New York artist Jason Peters will be installed atop 350 SW Taylor Street downtown. And keen-eyed Portlanders might have noticed that there’s already a giant disco ball made out of stainless-steel mirrors hovering over Director Park for the festival by artist Ivan McLean.
Those are just three of the approximately 200 free, light-based art installations—organizers like to call them “activations”—at over 100 locations around town at this year’s festival.
This is the 10th anniversary of the festival that grows a little each year.
As festival spokeswoman Therese Gietler puts it, “the snowball is an avalanche now.”
Other highlights include: the return of Glow Bar on SW First and Columbia for burgers, drinks and dumplings, the popular silent disco and illuminated bike ride events, and an 80-foot-long, fire-breathing dragon named Dread of Dufur that will be installed at the Salmon Springs Fountain at Waterfront Park.
The full artist roster and map went up this week at pdxwlf.com/program for Portlanders to plan their art routes now. This year’s theme is “A Light for Tomorrow: A Technicolor Future” and aims to explore the intersection of art, technology and sustainability.
GO: 10th Anniversary Portland Winter Light Festival, locations throughout Portland. pdxwlf.com/program. 6-10 pm unless otherwise noted, Feb. 7-15. Free.