photo by David Goehring

Who is the Artist? Leo Villareal is one of the world’s most prominent LED artists with prestigious international commissions and solo exhibitions around the globe. A pioneer in the use of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and computer-driven imagery, his art is part of the permanent collections of prestigious museums including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Naoshima Contemporary Art Museum in Kagawa, Japan. Recent exhibitions include a survey show organized by the San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA, which continues to tour several museums in the United States.

Why You Should See It Rated Number One of “25 New Things to See and Do in 2013,” by United Airlines Hemispheres magazine, The Bay Lights is a very rare and special San Francisco art installation surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of the San Francisco skyline and the glimmering Bay. This dazzling, elegant project combines technology, engineering and art in celebration of the Bay Area’s force of culture, ingenuity and human connection on a grand scale—it is a bridge after all!

First Anniversary Festivities - All March Long DINE & SHINE FOR THE BAY LIGHTS, MARCH 1ST – 31ST

Enjoy artisan cocktails and tantalizing dishes inspired by the Bay Lights at Americano Restaurant & Bar, Chaya Brasserie, Coqueta, Epic Roasthouse, MarketBar, Perry’s, Waterbar, Waterfront Restaurant, and Hotel Vitale, who’ll donate a percentage of Dine & Shine purchases to help keep the Bay Lights lit through 2026. See an interactive map listing restaurant and hotel offers here.

RELIGHTING THE BAY LIGHTS, MARCH 6TH

In honor of the Bay Lights First Anniversary, The Ferry Building, MarketBar, KFOG and Illuminate the Arts will host a first anniversary celebration with artist Leo Villareal. We invite you to don lighted gear or wearable art and make your festive way to any place on the waterfront with a clear view of the Bay Lights—you can also watch it streamed live at thebaylights.org/view. Tune into KFOG-FM 104.5 and 97.7 before the Bay Lights goes dark at 7:00PM (or click LISTEN LIVE on kfog.com to catch the music on your phone or iPad), and ten minutes later you’ll hear a celebratory countdown to the Bay Lights relighting as KFOG broadcasts a brilliant 20-minute soundtrack. Check out our Dine & Shine map of waterfront restaurants with amazing views of the Bay Lights and make reservations now for a really special evening.

THE BAY LIGHTS FIRST ANNIVERSARY RIDE, MARCH 7TH

The San Francisco Bike Party, The SF Bicycle Coalition, Black Rock Arts Foundation and Illuminate the Arts team up to bring together an extraordinary evening bike ride, kicked off at 7:30PM by Illuminate the Arts Founder/CEO Ben Davis near the Embarcadero’s Cupid Span sculpture. At 8PM, SF Bike Party volunteers will lead a fun and safe ride through the city with stops to dance and socialize along the way. If ever there was a time to light up your bike, this is it!

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The photos displayed on this page are the property of one of the following authors:

David Goehring, Didier ZMI, peddhapati, Steven Bratman, Waqas Mustafeez

Some photos courtesy of: . The photos provided by Flickr are under the copyright of their owners.

This travel guide also includes text from Wikitravel articles, all available at WikitravelView full credits

This travel guide also includes text from Wikipedia articles, all available at WikipediaView full credits

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