July
27
2009
Jedidiah

Save the DH Hill Color Wall at NC State

Save the DH Hill Color Wall at NC State

The composite of photographs of the Color Wall seen above was created by Libby Levi (College of Design ‘07) for the summer 2007 issue of the NC State University alumni magazine, NC State. The photos were taken by Daniel Kim, CALS Communication Services.

The guys over at Goodnight Raleigh! have put together a campaign to add color back to the color wall at NC State’s DH Hill Library. They have joined forces with the NCSU Libraries to “raise $6,000 to be used to install a modern, computerized switching system to make the Color Wall operational once again.” You can help out by going to The Color Wall Dot Org and donating some cash.

Color Wall is a 12 by 36 foot, three-dimensional light mural that can be seen from Hillsborough Street through a glass wall in the library’s book tower. It features changing vertical bands of color when operational, said Karl Larson, a graphic artist at N.C. State University and contributor to Goodnight Raleigh!

Larson, who wrote about Color Wall on Goodnight Raleigh!, said the light sculpture was created by the late Joe Cox, a long-time professor in N.C. State’s College of Design. It was installed in 1972, but the mechanical light switching system that changes the light colors began to malfunction several years later. The sculpture has been operational off and on over the years but went dark yet again at the end of 2007, Larson added. He said it was designed to be viewed at night.

More information on the wall and donations at The Color Wall Dot Org

or contact one of the following:

John Morris, Managing Editor, Goodnight, Raleigh!, goodnightraleigh@gmail.com

Karl Larson, Associate Editor, Goodnight, Raleigh!, goodnightraleigh@gmail.com

David Hiscoe, Director of Communications, NCSU Libraries, david_hiscoe@ncsu.edu

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Read More: Arts , Other posts by Jedidiah.

  • Ted Van Dyk
    07/27 01:37 PM

    When I was at NCSU School of Design in the 80’s I always thought this was a cool way to add life to the library and the street.

    Maybe it ould be updated with efficient LED lighting with controls to adapt to different lighting conditions.

    I say let’s save it and enhance the color wall for the 21st century!

    Thanks

    TVD

  • Matt W
    07/28 03:30 AM

    For what it’s worth—RTP is home to a company named CREE, which happens to be one of the largest LED lighting companies in the country.  I wonder if they would have some interest in contributing to an “at-cost” public art project?

    http://www.cree.com/

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