The Museum’s delicate lighting fixtures are small but mighty. Each lampshade is just one handheld piece of glass, but experienced in total, the 300+ glass lampshades create an stunning effect. These glass art pieces surround the columns that stretch 50 feet to the ceiling, they line the outer walls of the sanctuary, and in the case of the central chandelier, 75 shades unite on one brass fixture to create a truly grand display. The green etched-glass shades give the sanctuary an unmatched old world beauty.
And now, that old world is meeting the new! Last week, the experts at Aurora Lampworks set up shop in our sanctuary to begin a major lighting project. For the first time in over ten years, Aurora is cleaning each individual glass lampshade, as well as their intricate brass sconces and fixtures. And while they’re at it, each light will be getting a new LED bulb. But don’t worry! If you’re someone for whom LED bulbs bring to mind images of harsh, too-bright light, you’re not alone. But LEDs have come a long way in recent years, and ours have been meticulously matched in tone and color to our previous lighting scheme. You’ll never know the difference, unless you look at our electric bill! These modern LED lights will allow the Museum to cut energy consumption to a tenth of what we were previously using for lighting. We’re proud to be reducing our energy footprint with this project.
