Newell & Unger’s public art to light up the Loop

As a filmmaker, Jack C. Newell is attuned to lighting, so it wasn’t a stretch when he and his partner, design strategist Seth Unger, set out to shed some light in the heart of the Loop — an installation that also serves as public art.

Thursday night, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m., Newell and Unger started the first phase of their The Wabash Lights Beta Test, a proposed public art, interactive light installation on the underside of the “L” tracks on Wabash Ave. between Adams and Monroe.   

At this stage, the lights aren’t interactive, says award-winning film director Newell. The first-of-its-kind installation currently consists of four, 12-ft. multi-colored LED light sections.  It will run as such up to 12 months, “to allow the team to troubleshoot technical and design challenges and address safety issues.”

When completed, the proposed work of public art will incorporate more than 5,000 programmable colored LED light tubes.

Designers Seth Unger and Jack C. NewellThe Beta Test was funded by a Kickstarter campaign last July that yielded nearly $60,000 in contributions. Cofounder Seth Unger, says he hopes that many of their contributors will attend tonight’s lights-on event.

“Over a thousand people were behind us, so we’re anxious to turn the lights on and give them something they can point to and say, ‘I helped make that happen.’” 

The full installation, planned over five phases and featuring interactive technology, will cover a two-block stretch on Wabash. The partners say they need to raise $5 million over the next five years to fully complete the project.