Maybe River Falls could reproduce cool Twin Cities' art, light, river celebrations

By: Phyllis Goldin, columnist , River Falls Journal

“Less war, more art.” That was an idea advocated at the opening ceremonies of the first Northern Spark Festival on the Mississippi river fronts in downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis, earlier this June.

Overnight arts, light and river celebrations were held simultaneously in both cities from roughly 8:55 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. It was a marvelous example of possibilities that emerge when a dedicated group of people collaborate to maximize local creativity.

And, since it occurred just across the border and included some of our western Wisconsin artists and musicians, it surely demonstrated that what we need is here.

I had a marvelous time seeing a handful of the plethora of offerings.

One example was a seven minute “Car Horn Fanfare” written and conducted (standing on the seat of his convertible) by noted musician Philip Blackburn. It was played impeccably by a dozen art cars arranged in a semicircle. Each horn brought its own quality to bear on this complicated piece and, in the final minutes, headlights and windshield wipers added that “je ne sais qua” touch.

UW-River Falls Music Department’s professor, Pat O’Keefe, was one of the car horn artists. Well done, Pat!

In the green space on the river across from the lower level of the Minnesota Science Museum on Shepard Road and Old Chestnut Street, St. Paul, a sculptural installation entitled Scattered Light will remain standing until July 24.

Created by artist Jim Campbell, it is on tour from New York. The large open rectangular frame is hung with more than 1,600 LED bulbs. It lights up and flickers at night tempting people to walk through it. That alone is worth a viewing.

However, when seen from a distance a whole new vision appears. From the upper decks of the Science Museum it seems that people are walking through it at a clip, as though heading for work. A moment’s reflection reminds the viewer that no such thing is happening and realization dawns that the lights are programmed to create the imagery.

The concept and its execution bring delight.

ott light bulbs: How to choose the best compact fluorescent lamp light

There are two ways to describe the inner light: the color temperature and color as it does to other objects.

The color temperature is easy to describe. For example, look at a light bulb, and then lookwith a fluorescent ceiling light. The light from the lamp is warm, welcoming and yellow, like a candle or fireplace. The fluorescent tube is colder and the quality of light in the blue, more like daylight. The color temperature is measured in degrees Kelvin - the higher the value, the cooler the light. Sun-2700K 3000K is described as "white hot" when you see this term and 4100K CFL Packs + is "cool white." For indoor use, it's definitely "warm white", and if the package contains the value, then the lower the Kelvinbetter.

The second factor is a bit 'harder to quantify - it essentially says is, look how rich colors of an object when you shine a light on them. Consider how differently not the skin and clothing under an incandescent lamp and a lantern outside. Among the first to look at your skin tone and clothing alive and full of life, in the second, you look pale and dead. This difference in the way objects are made what is called the color rendering index (CRI) is measured. A score of 100called the bulb, which makes it the perfect color.

The problem with CFLs is that their late CRI bulbs. They generally have a value of about 70 CRI Objects This causes the color of the skin, clothing and the other to the lamp is not so alive, so the difference in the quality of light we see.

However, not all the same and do a little 'CFL is far better than other colors. Which is best?

They are demanding and the quality of light - I've tried a lot of compact fluorescent lampsMost CFL worries me. After many trials with pears from different companies, I can say that there is a winner: the N: vision compact fluorescent lamps sold at Home Depot. They are available in different color temperatures, but you want a "white hot", those in the green pack for internal use. They have a CRI of about 82, far better than most other bulbs. Their light is bright and warm, and I've also come to prefer it compared to incandescent lamps for general lighting.

It 'important toSwitch to CFL bulbs, because they consume much less energy. Now we can do without most of the quality of light that we expect inside. Try the N: Vision CFL bulbs and I think you'll agree.

Don't ever wonder

N-Vision, Inc., Labor Productivity Benchmarks and International Gap Analysis

Webster's New World Thesaurus

Up in a heaval

The World Book Dictionary