named programs · 6 · from sources
What they call their work
ARECIBO
Light installation at Tompkins Square Library honoring the Arecibo Observatory and celebrating scientific discovery through celestial-themed lighting displays.
E7
Flash-mob performance combining light, music, and dance in a repurposed sidewalk space, transforming it into a public theater.
Less
Site-specific lighting intervention using mycomaterials and reclaimed components to explore sustainable construction and light harvesting at Pier 17 Seaport.
OPEN
Temporary light art installations in East Village storefronts designed to invite night walks and community engagement during pandemic-related isolation.
Paper Menagerie
Interactive light and paper installation featuring live poetry, allowing audience interaction to transform the sculptural form during La Nuit de L’art.
SUNCAST
Series of local light interventions using natural optical phenomena to regenerate public spaces, reconnect communities with nature, and evoke discovery on St. Mark’s Place in the East Village.
activities · 3 groups
What they do
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Industry Standards Development and Management 1 activity
- Collaborative platform for sustainable lighting designOperates a collaborative platform for lighting industry professionals to measure, report, and apply life cycle assessment data in design decision-making, launched as a global initiative in March 2022 to evaluate the environmental impact of common lighting fixtures and strategies.
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Community-Engaged Public Art Projects 1 activity
- Design research and public art interventions using lightOperates as a design research studio that explores light as a tool for social impact through temporary public art installations and community engagement activities. Projects include light-based interventions in urban spaces such as storefronts, libraries, and underused lots to foster community discovery, belonging, and reflection on neighborhood history.
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Site-Specific Artistic Installations and Performances 1 activity
- Site-specific artistic collaborations integrating materials and lightProduces site-specific artistic installations that integrate light, material structure, and experimental materials—such as mycomaterial flutes—through collaborations with labs and artists, including an installation at Pier 17 during the NEW INC Demo Day Festival from June 18 to July 2, 2023.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$92K
Contributions & grants$92K100%
Program service revenue——
Investment income——
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$58K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$22K
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$70K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$70K
1 years on record · 2023–2023
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEELA M SHANKER | PRESIDENT | 10 | $21K |
board members · 4
- ANTONIO CESARE LADAROLA — DIRECTOR
- BRIAN BULAYA — DIRECTOR
- DAN WEISSMAN — DIRECTOR
- VEENA VIJAYAKUMAR — DIRECTOR
relationships · 23
Who they work with
- Coronet LED Funder — Provided financial or material support for the SUNCAST project.
- East Village Community Coalition Partner — Sponsored the Arecibo light installation project.
- Enterprise Lighting Sales & Cooper Lighting Solutions Funder — Provided financial or material support for the SUNCAST project.
- Equity in Lighting Funder — Provided financial or material support for the SUNCAST project.
- GreenLight Alliance Partner — Co-founding partner in the Lighting Industry Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Incubator, focused on advancing circular design practices in lighting.
- Howard Hughes Corp Partner — Facilitated site access and logistical support for the installation at Pier 17.
- International Lighting Designers Association Lighting Industry Resource Council Partner — Collaborating partner in the LCA Incubator, facilitating communication between lighting designers and manufacturers to improve products and practices.
- Matter Workshop Partner — Supported the production of the LESS installation.
- NEW INC Network — Hosted The Flint Collective NYC’s LESS installation at the NEW INC Demo Day Festival.
- New Design High School Partner — Collaborated through staff and student participation in the design and production of the SUNCAST project.
- New York City Department of Transport Government — Collaborated with the organization through staff involvement in the production of the SUNCAST project.
- New York Public Library Partner — Partnered on the ARECIBO light installation at Tompkins Square Library as part of the East Village Arts Festival.
- Plant Baked Partner — Hosted the E7 performance installation in front of their location.
- Science Sandbox Funder — Supported the development of the LESS installation.
- Spawn Lab MX Partner — Collaborated with The Flint Collective NYC to produce cast mycomaterial flutes for the LESS installation.
- TANTHEM Partner — Collaborated on the "Paper Menagerie" interactive light and paper installation for La Nuit de L’art 2021 in New York.
- TANTHEM Partner — Collaborated with TANTHEM on the La Nuit de L'art 2021 New York edition.
- The Designers Lighting Forum of New York Funder — Provided financial or material support for the SUNCAST project.
- Third Kind Studio Partner — Contributed to the production of the LESS installation.
- Tompkins Square Public Library Partner — Hosted and facilitated the Arecibo light installation.
- We-ef Partner — Donated equipment and expertise for the Arecibo light installation.
- We-ef Partner — Provided lighting expertise and support for the LESS installation.
- zeroLUX lighting design Partner — Donated time, expertise, and equipment for the Arecibo light installation.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Art-Driven Public Engagement with Science and Industrymethodology: art-and-science-engagementBy integrating artistic light installations with scientific themes and cross-sector collaboration, we inspire public engagement with astronomy and promote transparency in the lighting industry, because art creates accessible entry points for complex scientific and environmental topics.
- Light as a Medium for Social and Urban Regenerationmethodology: light-as-infrastructureBy using light-based art and design interventions, we transform overlooked urban spaces and foster community engagement, because light creates emotive, interactive experiences that invite public participation, restore narrative agency, and generate new vocational opportunities through emergent practices of light cultivation.
- Sustainable and Regenerative Design Practicemethodology: reconstruction-over-new-buildingBy prioritizing reconstruction over new building and using remediated waste and biological materials, we reduce environmental impact, because regenerative design reduces reliance on virgin materials and aligns with ecological cycles.