Arts Together (AT) partnered with the Office of Raleigh Arts in May to lead a community art project designed to help Raleigh neighborhoods address the isolation caused by social distancing. Artist Renée Boyette, our Director of Art Programs, had the vision of lantern-making, and project Let Your Light Shine was born. At the time, we had no idea how its culmination on May 30 would coincide with and amplify the powerful message that Black Lives Matter, as protests erupted across the nation.
Let Your Light Shine was created to be a “stay at home” project for families and individuals. Renée’s concept behind the lantern-making activity was to focus on how light creates connection across space; how in many cultures light symbolizes clarity, insight, goodness and knowledge; and how, metaphorically, lanterns lead the way forward into the future by pushing aside the surrounding darkness.
Renée explained, “Our day-to-day is so different from where we were at the beginning of March. We have lost so much of our daily connections and community. I chose to create lanterns for this project because they are a wonderful visual representation of the light that we all have within. It’s difficult now to see everyone’s light and to keep your own from dimming in this time of sheltering-in-place.”
During the week of May 18, we distributed one thousand free lantern packets to residents at Washington Terrace and Milbank Court Apartments, the Mordecai Neighborhood and members of the Pathfinders Youth Group at Gethsemane Seventh Day Adventist Church, as well as the students and families who are part of the AT community.
In the supply packets, folks were instructed how to make their own unique lanterns and to place them in their window or on their porch on May 30 at 8:30 PM as part of a celebratory lantern-lighting event in each community. Renée’s wish was for people to “enjoy the simple act of creating, making something beautiful and bright. Light it up; let your light shine and be a connection for others. We are here — together though apart, offering hope for the future.”
Finally, the night arrived to shine our lights! Arts Together and Raleigh Arts staff visited the four communities to view the lantern-lightings and to connect (from a safe distance) with community members. Surprise pop-up performances by local musicians took place at three of the locations: Ed Stephenson at Washington Terrace Apartments, Jason Adamo at Mordecai Neighborhood and Autumn Nicholas at Gethsemane Seventh Day Adventist Church.
When lantern packets were distributed, we were hopeful participants would shine their lights on May 30, but ultimately, we didn’t know what to expect. The response at each location surpassed our expectations and lifted our spirits. Lanterns shone brightly in windows, on porches or attached to front doors. Community members near the live music pop-ups wandered out to enjoy the performances while staying socially distanced.
At Washington Terrace’s Booker Park North complex, a young girl danced joyfully to the festive melodies, and resident Margaret shared that she made nine lanterns for her fellow seniors in the complex that were unable to do it themselves. She even went and hung the lanterns for them in their apartments. Margaret relayed, “I think in this day and time, we need to let our inner light shine, and if you spread what you feel, your light and your joy, it will catch on to other people. We need to love each other more. If we let our inner light shine, things will get better.”
Another lantern-maker spoke about the inspiration for her design: “I wanted to do something that reminded me of being at the beach. This time of year, we would normally be at the beach, so it’s supposed to represent the sun and ocean. It was fun to do an art project with the family — something to distract us and give us a little light during this time.”
Over at Gethsemane, members of the Pathfinders Youth Group lined up in front of the church building on the sidewalk that runs adjacent to the main road. Spread six feet apart, they either sat or stood with their lanterns shining, creating a powerful visual statement. One member stated, “I just think this is something small that we can do to brighten people’s day as they
pass by.”
Another expressed, “Our community needs to hear hope, because everything that’s been happening so far, it’s like a downfall and painful to see what’s going on — so they need to know that we care.” They concluded their act by hanging the lanterns in a grove of trees on the church’s property near the road. Passersby were able to see the lights twinkling all night.
In Mordecai, the lantern-lighting celebration happened to occur with the neighborhood’s Porch Placemaking Week initiative that ran May 30 through June 5. Households were encouraged to create a project that activated their porch or stoop, and the Let Your Light Shine lantern-making activity was a perfect contribution.
As lantern lights glowed across Raleigh, we could have never anticipated the power of the moment or the intensity of the meaning that night. Just a few blocks away from Mordecai, people of all ages and ethnicities stood peacefully against racial injustice in downtown, sparked by the murder of George Floyd. What started off as a project to create community and connection when space couldn’t be shared took on new significance as a global movement began to unfold against systemic racism. Let us all shine our light — to stand against injustice in our community and work to create a more equitable world.
Kari Martin Hollinger, Communications & Development Manager
Photos courtesy Arts Together, Raleigh Arts and AT families, students and friends
Video by Teresa Moore