Ben Davis: Creator of Bay Lights & City of Awe

The Bay Lights by artist Leo Villareal first went live on March 5, 2013. Exactly one decade later, the beloved artwork went dark. Ben Davis is the driving force behind The Bay Lights and the effort to bring the artwork back with twice the number of LEDs in a radically accessible new configuration. With the project 75 percent funded—and $2.5 million more needed to proceed—Davis will reveal what's next for the historic effort: organizational vulnerability. Davis is the founder and leader of Illuminate, the art nonprofit behind many of San Francisco's large-scale and iconic public artworks, including lighting The Pink Triangle on Twin Peaks, activation of the Golden Mile on JFK Promenade, the Summer of Love lighting on the Conservatory of Flowers, Grace Light in Grace Cathedral, the revival of the Golden Gate Bandshell, and the series of giant laser art installations across San Francisco this summer. Davis will also talk about his vision for San Francisco as the City of Awe. The program talk will be followed by a reception and live music by "KAVIN" on the rooftop. In-kind food donations provided by local SF Hot Cookies and Casa Sanchez. Community partner: Beyond The Fog Radio September 8, 2023 Speakers Ben Davis Founder and Chief Visionary Officer, Illuminate; Creator, Bay Lights Carolyn Tyler Former Anchor and Reporter, KGO-TV/ABC7; Member, San Francisco Film Commission—Moderator Robert Melton Art Curator andCo-Chair, Arts Member-led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Program Host 👉Join our Email List! https://www.commonwealthclub.org/email 🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: https://www.commonwealthclub.org/membership The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy. Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020. In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.