Jan Tichy Lights Up Gary, Indiana

Jan Tichy (Photography) was recently featured in the Chicago Tribune for his collaborative efforts with the City of Gary, Indiana and students from Thea Bowman Academy. Tichy, who is the lead artist of the Gary Heat Light Water Project, arranged a workshop in which 15 students from the Thea Bowman Academy created light based artworks with batteries and conductor thread with the help of students from SAIC. The workshop was created to bring attention to the Gary Streetlights Project, which is part of the Gary Heat Light Water Project and has received $55,000 in grants from National Endowment for the Arts and the Legacy Foundation. Tichy said of the project, "we are trying to create an event to get the word out and to work with kids and teach them about light in public places." The art works created by the Thea Bowman students are displayed in Borman Square Park in Gary, Indiana. Tichy sees the project as long-term and is planning more workshops to be held in Gary during the summer.