Witness the interplay of light, sound, and Mother Nature!

Featuring an array of immersive lighting, data-driven music, and live instrumentation, Solstice Lights brings the garden to life as viewers experience the interconnectedness of our globe.

Starting on November 25th and continuing through December 31st, Lakewold Gardens will be artist Samuel Stubblefield’s canvas of Mother Nature’s shifting patterns reflected through color, light, and music.

Environmental data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will be heard throughout the gardens as “data music,” compositions translated through an algorithm created by Stubblefield.

As his algorithm responds to environmental shifts in barometric pressure, wind speed, ocean waves, and the magnetic field, visitors will be immersed in an audio-visual display of environmental dynamism as new music plays throughout the gardens and lights dance over the trees in changing shades and tones.

On five different nights, the lights illuminating the Wolf Tree will be connected to live music played by musicians so guests can watch as live music manipulates the lights outside.

Enjoy Solstice Lights date night with a 20% discount on chocolate, cards, and more if you come out any Wednesday during Solstice Lights.

Featured Guests

Calder Failla
Rosemary Ponnekanti
Kacey Evans
Rona Yellow Robe

The Installations

In the Wolf Tree Clearing, lighting and sound will express real-time magnetospheric activity from NASA and NOAA satellites, creating a visual and sonic look into space at Lakewood Gardens.

As satellites send magnetic readings to earth, the data is converted into color and movement that will be projected across trees within the garden. Meanwhile, the satellite data also triggers small pieces of classical music that express the ever-changing magnetic activity that surrounds our planet.

From within the Wagner House Sun Room, music from live performers will be expressed in light and geometry projected onto the garden's most magnificent specimens.

At the Courtyard Clearing, watch as lighting, sound, and a liquid sky communicate with buoys in all of the world’s oceans to express the power and movement of the ocean.

Lights wash across the trees, their motion driven by real-time heights of waves in the oceans. A liquid sky dances overhead, giving visitors the sense of being underwater. As visitors walk through the clearing, they hear whale songs, underwater recordings, and recordings from inside human-made water containers, water towers, cisterns, etc.

In sharp contrast to the vastness of both the clearings and the environments whose data they express, the Contemplative Walk along the lakefront-facing pathway invites visitors to see the garden from a different perspective. Soft lighting shows the path, while trees are lit from below to accentuate their form in previously unseen ways. The walk expresses how even the slightest change in perspective can shift one’s perception completely.

Solstice Lights Featured Performers

Calder Failla

Playing Nov. 26, Dec. 3rd & Dec. 10th. (6-7 PM)

Calder Failla is a student at Tacoma School of the Arts where he has the opportunity to focus on piano performance along with his high school education. Calder has been a student of Paul Twedt for 4 years and most recently began studying under Dr. Tayna Stambuck. In that time, he has had the opportunity to perform with the Tacoma ORS with their Orchestra, and in several small ensembles. Calder recently won third place in a sonatina competition and won second place in the International Sister Cities Arts competition in musical interpretation.

Rosemary Ponnekanti

Playing December 17th (6-7 PM)

Rosemary Ponnekanti is a multimedia storyteller, festival director, writer, and musician. Her looping double bass compositions layer improvised melodies on soundscapes of deep looping harmonies, drawing from medieval, classical, and world tonalities to create haunting experiences deeply connected to the environment around us.

Classically-trained at the University of Melbourne and Royal Conservatory in The Hague, Rosemary has played solo and in ensembles in Australia, Europe, and the U.S., has accompanied yoga classes and worship services, and also plays piano, organ, and flute. She directs Tacoma Ocean Fest and Tacoma Light Trail festivals, is an award-winning writer, and currently serves as the PIO for Metro Parks Tacoma.

Kacey Evans

Playing December 11th, 23rd, & 30th (6-7 PM)

Kacey Evans is an accomplished jazz pianist, singer, and entertainer. He spent his early career as a cruise ship big band pianist, before working as an arranger and bandleader for several acts in Las Vegas and Southern California. After several years on the northwest Dueling Pianos circuit, Kacey spent eight years as the house pianist for Daniel’s Broiler in Seattle. His unique combination of musicianship and snarky wit has made him a popular fixture on the northwest music scene. He lives in Tacoma.

Rona Yellow Robe

Playing December 21st (6-7 PM)

2014 and 2016 Native American Music Awards (NAMA) Flutist of the Year, Rona Yellow Robe was born and raised in Havre, Montana, and is an enrolled member of the Chippewa Cree Tribe of Rocky Boy, Montana. Rona is known for her powerful vocal ability, Native American flute style, and heart-filled presence. She picked up her first flute in 2002 and has been on a Musical and Spiritual journey ever since. It is by playing the Native American flute, which she refers to as her "other voice,” that she has become comfortable sharing with all audiences many aspects of her life that are personal and meaningful to her.

Rona and her collaborative partner, Bruce Witham, have said "We will perform for 5 or 500. We have done both. It's all about blessing people's lives with the music." Rona's and Bruce's Music is created with the Intention to inspire, uplift, and fill the listener with peace, hope, happiness, and visions of joy, love, and prosperity. Those who have ears to hear, let them Hear.

Tickets:

Adults: $16
Youth, Seniors, Military, & Educators: $12
Children 5 & Under: Free Admission

Get Tickets

Date: November 25, 2022 - December 31, 2022

Time:

Wednesday & Thursday Hours:
4 pm - 8 pm (Solstice Lights Admission)

Friday - Sunday Hours:
10 am - 4 pm (Regular Admission)
4 pm - 8 pm (Solstice Lights Admission)

Location: Lakewold Gardens - 12317 Gravelly Lake Drive Southwest,Lakewood, WA

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