Clouds light up the night

"Nimbus" installation brightens Franklin Square

About 50 people attended the celebration of a new light installation above the fountain in Franklin Square just after dark on Tuesday, October 17. "Nimbus", created by arrests Michael Moss and Claudia Ravaschiere, consists of a cluster of balloon-shaped orbs that resemble a white cloud by daylight, but transform into a rainbow of lighted balloons after dark. The light sculpture is sponsored by Washington Gateway Main Street (WGMS), Blackstone/Franklin Squares Neighborhood Association (B/FSNA) and Capital One.

In her remarks, WGMS president Kristin Phelan said, "I think public art has taken on a new energy in the neighborhood in the past year or so, and we are excited to see it expand. Washington Gateway Main Street has tried some new things over the past year including a crowd-funding campaign, a mural project in Peters Park, and a partnership with Project Place to keep the streets clean. We really believe that if we all work together, this neighborhood will continue to thrive," Friends of Blackstone and Franklin Squares chairperson Toni Crothall said, "We love Franklin: all the good and all the bad, and we just want to bring more life, more people and more community to this park." Illuminating the inspiration for "Nimbus", Moss explained that it came from the Nimbus satellite program of the 1960s, which was intended to measure the radiation traveling from the sun to Earth and back, but ultimately revealed a great deal more about Earth, including the condition of polar ice caps and other weather and environmental information, providing some of the earliest information on climate change. Similarly, Moss said, "Light art gives you the opportunity to have something that is different in the day, and you discover anew at night." Moss also singled out for praise Eric, Andrew and Sean, the "low impact" arborists who mounted "Nimbus" in the trees above the fountain.

In keeping with the creative theme of the event, the sponsors had sidewalk chalk on hand for guests of all ages to express themselves on Franklin Square's walkways. The lighting celebration was followed by a reception across the street at the new Armenian-Lebanese restaurant, Anoush'ella at 35 West Newton Street.