Arc of Dreams lighting system 'a game changer' for Sioux Falls sculpture

The Arc of Dreams is changing the Sioux Falls skyline.

And once it's standing, the massive art piece that will be SculptureWalk's staple downtown itself will change from day to day thanks to an illumination system at the base of each side of the arc.

"The system can do whatever you can dream of," said Bryce Lien, the job foreman with Sioux Falls-based Electric Supply Company contracted to rig the 70-foot-tall arc with interactive, color-changing light emitting diode (LED) bulbs.

More:Downtown Arc of Dreams sculpture's South Dakota roots go beyond artist

In total, the arc is equipped with 18 high-powered bulbs — nine on each side — that will splash color onto the steel structure from the ground up. In each bulb are red, white, green and blue diodes, which can be mixed and matched to create any number of colors.

"Basically you have the rainbow to work with," Lien said.

The lights are connected to digital software that will give SculptureWalk the ability to schedule color changes, and even create the look of movement by rapidly changing colors that are splashing up and down the arc.

ScultpureWalk Director Jim Clark said some sort of lighting rig was a part of the plan since the Arc of Dreams was first conceptualized more than six years ago. But the ability to change the color of the lights and create different movements is beyond what he originally thought possible.

"In my mind it was gong to be very basic because I didn't know any better," Clark recalled.

SculptureWalk expects to light the arc for different holidays — green for St. Patrick's Day, and red, white and blue for patriotic holidays — as well as offering "Light the Arc" opportunities for groups, businesses and individuals that will be an ongoing revenue source for the nonprofit.

That could be a pink color scheme during cancer awareness month, or vermilion red and SDSU blue when the Coyotes and Jackrabbits square off in Sioux Falls.

"It's really going to be fun to offer those opportunities to individuals and businesses," Clark said. 

The arc will be illuminated each night of the year from dusk to midnight. During the overnight hours, a motion-activated security light and camera system will stand guard.

Though he declined to publicly share what the lighting portion of the arc project costs, Clark said having a high-end lighting system makes the arc the best it can be.

"It’s really well worth it because of what it adds to the beauty of the sculpture," he said. "It's a game changer."