The news came out this weekend on Mercury News and the Chronicle, so it’s worth addressing here: The Bay Lights, a public art project that uses San Francisco’s Bay Bridge as its canvas, is a project I’ve supported since I first heard of it and the idea captured my imagination. I was happy to make the first monetary donation when the project got started, and as of last week I was able to make a closing bookend donation for the remaining amount they needed, a bit above $1.5M. It was an honor to chip in along with the thousands of other supporters who have already donated to make the project a reality.
The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls. — Pablo Picasso
My hope is that over the next few years, and perhaps beyond that, the lights brighten people’s experience of San Francisco whether they see them every night or they’re one of the 16 million that visit the city every year. Hopefully that effect, however small, spreads to their other interactions long after the lights are off and the sun comes up. There are countless good causes around the world, some which I support regularly are listed on my about page, and I hope to have the opportunity to support many more in the future, but this close-to-home gift to a city that has given me so much seemed like the right thing right now.
If you haven’t seen them yet, here are the lights in action, more on the tech fixes happening to the lights on TBL, and photos I took climbing the bridge a few months ago:
Love, love, love it. Art expresses that which cannot be said in words.
Saw the lights in action last month. Thanks for helping make the happen.
Very beautiful!! Thank You!
And speaking of thanks, I want to thank you for all you do to make WordPress the best blogging too out there! 🙂
Magnificent! Thank you for all the goodness and hope you spread in this world,
The tonic; the root; resolution. Beyond classy, Matt! We really hope you play your tenor on that bridge! Gotta get Sonny on WP, though!
Didn’t know about that cause; we definitely would have kicked-in some “shells” for the bridge. Is it still possible to pile-on? The water project sent a really cool update a month or so ago. 😉
WordPress Music Festival? 😉
Thanks for the Motivation!. Off to the shed…
They are still accepting donations, the group Illuminate the Arts has some other projects planned.
Just registered with Illuminate, but couldn’t donate because you closed it out. I guess they are still blinded by your goodness. Put us down for the modest pendant, or 1/5000th of your latter bookend. Bring on the pile-on! I’ll follow-up tomorrow.
WordPress and the arts go hand-in hand!
Are the lights a one time event, or do they stay on the bridge permanently? If so, are the patterns changed frequently?
They’re up for two years, but everyone is hoping to extend it for longer.