“Georgetown Glow” is an annual art installation featuring five up and coming talented artists who display their work in multiple locations across Georgetown. The installation is entirely outside, making it the perfect activity for a warm spring night. The spring 2021 light installation runs from early April to late June.

There are five installations this spring with different light fixtures that are best illuminated at night. This year’s Glow is a two part series spanning over six months, with the Spring Glow running until June 27, and the Summer Glow running until the end of August.

The first installation, which is on Wisconsin Avenue north of M street, consists of beautiful softly lit lanterns hanging from a tree. This installation is titled “The Wishes Within,” and celebrates the emotion of hope and delights of dreams. It serves as a reflection of this past year and the dreams that helped people through the paralyzing fear many have experienced during the pandemic.

This installation is focused on bringing serenity and peace, and it encourages viewers to interact with the art by holding a wish in their heart and stepping inside the designated circle to bring the wish to life. This is my personal favorite because it is an extremely calming piece, helping the viewer feel grounded while making their wish.

Located in the Georgetown Park Plaza alleyway, “The Weight of A Rainbow,” consists of beautiful rainbow lights hanging from strings. The artist encourages viewers to lay under the piece and listen to the beautiful voices of eight LGBTQ+ individuals. The lights are programmed to mimic the movement of the voices.

Artist Stephanie Mercedes titled this piece “The Weight of a Rainbow” because she wanted it to reflect two sides of the LGBTQ+ community. Mercedes wanted the piece to reflect the side full of joy, pride and happiness, along with the other side that is full of sorrow, shame and discrimination.

“I wanted to create something that is so beautiful and so visually alluring and sort of satisfactory and also what most people assume is connected to the LGBTQ+ community,”  Mercedes said.

In front of the Grace Episcopal Church, “Madness Method” by Chris Combs and David Greenfield Boyce illustrates the magical times we live in. We have access to so much knowledge that can often be jumbled up and overwhelming; however, when looking at it from a certain perspective it all comes together. This piece is full of many different lanterns and appears to be a flickering mess, until from a certain angle, it converges into one.

Located at the Waterfront, the “Light Pavilion” by Edwin Baruch mixes historic architecture with contemporary lighting. The soft lighting of the structure makes its resemble a hologram. It serves as a reference to the illuminated monuments and their historical significance located throughout D.C.

The final structure by artist Nara Park is titled “The Beginning of Everything.” This installation sits in Washington Park and is inspired by the Holsinger Meteorite. Park describes the meteorite as the tangible connection between cosmos and human society, a reminder that we are part of a larger universe.

This is a perfect activity for nice nights in Georgetown, as the installations are spread out and require you to walk from location to location, but are all within five minutes of each other.