For those interested in catching a different kind of wave, we invite you to join us for Frequency, our new biennial festival of light, sound, and digital culture, which debuts September 16–19, 2021.
Inspired by nighttime art and light festivals from around the world, Frequency is the latest signature event from the MAH, an evolution of the museum’s former GLOW festival. Artists from across the globe and our own backyard converge on downtown Santa Cruz with installations of site-responsive work, live performances, interactive technologies, and immersive experiences. The festival runs from 5–10 pm each day and promises plenty of eye and ear candy for the whole family to experience—from laser domes and videogames to kinetic sculptures and experimental animations.
Frequency is our way of sparking community connection—through inspiring, shared experiences of time-based media art. It supports the MAH’s goal to produce programs beyond our walls that enhance the cultural vibrancy of Santa Cruz County. Additionally, by showcasing local artists alongside national and international talent, we inspire, cross-pollinate, and increase exposure to our own thriving creative community.
The festival furthermore serves as an economic driver. Through it, we invest in county-based artists, designers, fabricators, and production personnel; draw business to local restaurants, hotels, and shops; and grow our own creative capacity and competitive advantage as a museum. It is an opportunity to unveil temporary public artworks that draw people to our civic spaces; to create new artistic work and content beyond our collections; and to grow involvement in creativity and cultural exchange among our citizen artists and storytellers.
For four radiant nights, a bustling community hub will transform into a digital playground where distinctions between artist and viewer disappear, and audiences can step out of the role of observers and into that of co-creators and actors. Art should be for everyone—which is why we have selected accessible works that invite participation and collaboration by community members of all ages, genders, creeds, and cultures. By fostering connectedness, nurturing belonging, and enhancing our sense of place, Frequency promises to illuminate what cultural vibrancy can and should be for our greater Santa Cruz community.
Our inaugural festival features dazzling, innovative artworks by an eclectic mix of artists and technologists, including: Ocean of Light: Submergence and Orbital Decay by Squidsoup; SILVER LINING by Sujin Lim; Quilt City by Office Kovacs; Entanglement by The Epicenter; Zoom Meeting by Visual Endeavors, Inc.; Quantum Elders’ Consciousness Vaccine by Karlton Hester; The Trellis Project by M. James Becker; CUBEISM 2: Baroque Edition by Patrick Stefaniak; Lite Sprites by David Crellin; The Choose Your Own Adventure Show by Stellaria Creative Company; and Glow Hoops and Body Art by Faeryn Rose. Art revelers can also enjoy a variety of pop-up performances, workshops, artist talks, and late-night experiments.
By fostering connectedness, nurturing belonging, and enhancing our sense of place, Frequency promises to illuminate what cultural vibrancy can and should be for our greater Santa Cruz community.
While all outdoor attractions at Frequency can be visited for no cost, there is a small entrance fee to the MAH, where some indoor festival artworks and programs will be hosted. Admission to the museum is $10 for adults, $5 for children (12 and under), and free for MAH members.
Presented by the MAH, Frequency is made possible with generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts and The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz.
Additional information about the festival's artworks is detailed below. To learn more, please visit the Frequency event page.
— Robb Woulfe, Executive Director
INSTALLATIONS
Ocean of Light: Submergence by Squidsoup (U.K.)
5 to 10 pm | MAH, Solari Gallery
A large, immersive, walkthrough experience that uses over five thousand individual points of suspended light to create feelings of presence and movement within physical space.
Entanglement
by The Epicenter (Santa Cruz, CA)
5 to 10 pm | Abbott Square
An immersive piece that consists of a geodesic dome, lasers, and sound, all of which gets activated by the participants who engage inside the artwork.
Orbital Decay by Squidsoup (U.K.)
5 to 10 pm | MAH, Sculpture Garden
A multisensory installation comprised of suspended orbs where slowly-rotating waves of energy gradually pick up momentum to create a vortex of sound and light.
SILVER LINING by Sujin Lim (Seoul, South Korea)
5 to 10 pm | MAH, Atrium
An illuminated cloud-shaped sculpture that highlights the human relationship with nature and contemplates the intersection of culture and environment.
Zoom Meeting by Visual Endeavors, Inc. (Santa Cruz, CA)
5 to 10 pm | Abbott Square
A playful installation featuring an LED wall that uses cameras, screens, and technologies to invite audiences to participate in a Zoom meeting that takes place on a real world scale.
Quilt City by Office Kovacs (Los Angeles, CA)
5 to 10 pm | Abbott Square
A freestanding sculpture that explores connections between technology, temporary structures, and the further collapse of the virtual and physical worlds.
The Trellis Project by M. James Becker (Santa Cruz, CA)
5 to 10 pm | MAH, Front St. Entry
An interactive installation that utilizes the trellis form to engage participants in collaborative construction and reflection on systems of support.
Presented in partnership with UCSC’s Department of Digital Arts & New Media (DANM).
CUBEISM 2: Baroque Edition by Patrick Stefaniak (Santa Cruz, CA)
5 to 10 pm | MAH, Garden Room
A two-channel videogame installation played on a touchscreen and projector, utilizing computer graphics to imitate realistic movement in animations.
Presented in partnership with UCSC’s Department of Digital Arts & New Media (DANM).
PERFORMANCES
Lite Sprites by David Crellin (Santa Cruz, CA)
8 to 10 pm (Fri, Sat, Sun only) | MAH and Abbott Square
An immersive, affective engagement, anthropomorphizing light in a whimsical form of techno-human hybrid that seeks to connect and delight.
Presented in partnership with UCSC’s Department of Digital Arts & New Media (DANM).
Quantum Elders’ Consciousness Vaccine by Karlton Hester (Santa Cruz, CA)
5 to 7 pm (Thu, Fri) and 8 to 10 pm (Sat, Sun) with film only; and 7 to 8 pm (Sat) with live performance, prior to screening | MAH, Atrium
An interdisciplinary, electro-acoustic ritual involving an audio-visual-sensory journey exploring the connections between molecular forms, spirit, and human consciousness.
Presented in partnership with UCSC’s Department of Digital Arts & New Media (DANM).
The Choose Your Own Adventure Show by Stellaria Creative Company (Santa Cruz, CA)
7 to 10 pm (Thu, Fri only) | MAH Atrium
A collaborative interactive performance that consists of live aerial acrobatics set against audience participatory elements like equipment, lighting, and other thematic fixtures.
Glow Hoops & Body Art by Faeryn Rose (Santa Cruz, CA)
5 to 10 pm | MAH and Abbott Square
A street-style solo performance featuring six high-powered, state-of-the-art LED hoops, as well as glowing body art applications for visitors.
ACTIVITIES
Lit: A Walking & Tasting tour
Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun | 5 to 9 pm | Downtown Santa Cruz
A self-guided tour of downtown eateries, drinkeries, and shops offering specialty items and discounted pricing for festival attendees.
Presented in partnership with Downtown Association Santa Cruz.
Back to the ‘80s: Illuminated Bike Ride
Fri only | 7 pm (gather); 7:30 pm (ride) | In and around Downtown Santa Cruz
A family-friendly event that encourages local cyclists to light up their wheels for a community bike ride. The route starts at the Downtown Info Kiosk (1130 Pacific Avenue).
Presented in partnership with Santa Cruz Bike Party and Downtown Association Santa Cruz.
Entanglement: Family Workshop
Thu, Fri only | 5 to 7 pm | MAH, Secret Garden
A free family workshop with members local artist collective The Epicenter connected to their festival installation, Entanglement.
Lightning Artist Talks & Happy Hour
Sun only | 5 to 7 pm (talks); 7 to 8 pm (happy hour) | MAH Atrium
A series of fast-paced presentations highlighting the creativity of participating festival artists, followed by a celebratory happy hour to as part of the event’s closing festivities.
Presented with support from The Humanities Institute, UC Santa Cruz.