The Bayou Beacon is an environmental light sculpture designed by Falon Land Studio, a Houston-based interdisciplinary practice in public art and landscape architecture. The Beacon expresses the water fluctuations of White Oak Bayou as it monitors historic water quality data then projects a dynamic, parametrically-designed light animation onto suspended semi-transparent fabric panels. On view at night on Friday, April 23rd and Saturday April 24th, inside the Train Shed at Sawyer Yards’ Art Alley.

Art lovers, bayou lovers, nature lovers, digital art lovers, and anyone curious about the bayous’ water flow are encouraged to come and view the Bayou Beacon. Sited in the Sawyer Yards Train Shed, the Bayou Beacon takes advantage of a unique open air space in Houston’s Arts District. Grace Zuniga, Sawyer Yards’ Creative Director, explains that, “Non-traditional exhibition spaces such as the Train Shed allow for artists to experiment and see their visions unfold. These opportunities allow artists to grow their practice, challenge their parameters of art-making, and give the community a chance to experience art in a tangible and exciting way.”

To experience the piece, visitors can meander through, sit in provided chairs, or lie down on padded mats to watch a projected visualization of a few of Houston’s recent record-shattering floods. The animation pulls from White Oak Bayou’s stream gage data, then renders swarms of water droplets that express the cubic feet per second of water flowing past a single point in the Bayou Beacon. A portion of the animation specific to Harvey’s influx shows dramatic jumps in the size of water droplets as if they are pulsing towards you. This movement represents the massive spikes in water flow Houstonians experienced over three days as the rains from Harvey flowed through the bayous.

The Bayou Beacon will be located in the Train Shed, a former train repair station left intact adjacent to the iconic grain silos of Houston’s Washington Avenue arts district. At 100 feet long, the interior of the train shed provides an industrial setting for the light art. Projected onto bluish scrim, the installation creates a fluid experience of the water flow of the bayou.

#theBayouBeacon

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Sawyer Yards is a creative community thriving in the heart of Houston’s historic First Ward and Arts District Houston, surrounded by an active rail yard where 20+ trains change the landscape each day. Against this backdrop, industrial warehouses transformed into built- for-purpose studios are now home to one of the largest working artist communities in the country. This exceptional art community is complemented by creative businesses, public galleries, unique dining and entertainment venues—all brought to life through an active schedule of special events.

Falon Land Studio is an interdisciplinary practice in public art and landscape architecture. We work across urban design, landscape design, outdoor sculpture and new media with a focus on enriching the public realm and connecting people with local ecology.