The Bay Lights

The Bay Lights was conceived in September 2010 by Ben Davis of Words Pictures Ideas, a public relations company contracted by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to publicize the construction of the new eastern span replacement of the Bay Bridge between Yerba Buena Island and Oakland. Davis characterized the Bay Bridge as being overshadowed by the Golden Gate Bridge, which is a popular tourist destination for visitors to San Francisco, and he hoped this art project would give the Bay Bridge more recognition. Davis contacted light artist Leo Villareal, who had an exhibition on display at the San Jose Museum of Art in late 2010. Both Davis and Villareal suggest The Bay Lights was influenced by their experiences at the annual Burning Man art and music festival in northwestern Nevada. Villareal first attended Burning Man in 1994 and eventually joined the board of directors of the Burning Man organization. His prototype light sculpture was 16 blinking lights in a grid that was meant to be a beacon when returning to his camp at night. From there, Villareal has programmed more complex light matrices and exhibitions, including his largest by light count, Multiverse, a 41,000 LED installation on permanent display at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. ==Operations==

The sculpture was visible mostly from the north side of the bridge and was most easily seen from the San Francisco waterfront. The lights were positioned to be invisible to bridge motorists, to prevent driver distractions. The installation operated from dusk until dawn daily. Installation The 25,000 white LEDs were attached by construction workers along the vertical steel support cables that connect the deck of the bridge to the suspension cables at the top. Caltrans workers intermittently closed a lane of traffic on the bridge late at night so electricians could install the individual LEDs to the cables. The lights were programmed to create a series of abstract patterns that ascend and descend the cables and appear to cross the bridge. Villareal described the patterns as inspired by water, traffic, and local weather patterns. The lights needed of special cabling to power the installation, as well as for networking and communications with the control computer. The lights were spaced every and were attached to the bridge with 60,000 zip ties. was taken down in March 2015 when its permits expired so that Caltrans could repaint and perform maintenance on the cables. Installation of more robust, permanent lights began in October 2015, and a re-lighting ceremony was held on January 30, 2016, after which the lights were gifted to the state of California. The new lights were brighter and better able to weather the elements and angled such that they are visible from south of the bridge as well. By 2023, the work had dark patches where bulbs needed replacement with the LEDs failing faster than they could be repaired. The lights were turned off on March 5, 2023 – a victim of the harsh conditions on the bridge and on San Francisco Bay. , an $11M fundraising effort is underway to return the lights, with $1 million donated each from WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg, WhatsApp founder Jan Koum and Parnassus Investments founder Jerry Dodson. The new version, known as Bay Lights 360, is set to be illuminated in March 2025. The new installation started, but in December 2024, technical failures led to delays. 50,000 LED lights are planned to be installed. Iowa-based Musco Sports Lighting is in charge of the installation. Cost The initial project cost $8 million, which was raised through private donations and contributions. 50 million people were estimated to see The Bay Lights by 2015, The Bay Lights is estimated to use approximately $30 per day in electricity, or about $11,000 annually. During the temporary installation period, these costs were covered by a private solar investment company in the form of solar credits. In July 2014, Illuminate the Arts announced it was partnering with Tilt.com to sponsor a $1.2 million crowdfunding campaign to keep The Bay Lights lit until 2026. When the crowdfunding campaign raised less than expected, organizers focused on larger donors and ultimately raised the $4 million necessary to install long-term fixtures. The Bay Area Toll Authority, which oversees the bridge, agreed in 2014 to allocate up to $250,000 per year from toll revenues for maintenance and electricity. ==Critical reception==

Since its inauguration, The Bay Lights has received widespread public support and positive reaction, as well as political support from state and local politicians, including Governor Jerry Brown, Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown. On March 8, 2014, the documentary Impossible Light world premiered at the SXSW Film Festival. The film follows the people who wished to produce The Bay Lights as they search for funding and obtain permits. The Austin Chronicle felt that the documentary was a nearly seamless extraction of the evolutionary relationship between art and benefaction. The film also screened as part of the 57th San Francisco International Film Festival and the Newport Beach Film Festival in April 2014. ==See also==