A campaign is currently underway to mobilize 1500 people to meet on Saturday, Aug. 27th, 2016 at Tarkington Park, Indianapolis to attempt to break the world record for most sparklers lit simultaneously, the outcome of a public art project called 38th and Shine. The current Guinness World Record is 1070.
In addition to breaking the world record, the goal of 38th and Shine is to unite and inspire the local communities of the Maple Crossing Great Place (at 38th & Illinois), along with friends from surrounding neighborhoods and across the city in an act of collective history-making.
As a public art project, 38th and Shine is the vision of Indianapolis artists Asa Gauen and Stefan Eicher, and was the winning entry to the 5×5 Art Competition sponsored by Great Places 2020 in February 2016. 38th and Shine is an example of art helping revitalize local neighborhoods, in particular by building community through creative and collective action.
“We asked ourselves what it means for a place to become great, instead of grand, and realized it has to do with ordinary people coming together to do extraordinary things,” co-artist Stefan Eicher said.
The event is being organized as a partnership between the Neighborhood Associations of Butler Tarkington, Crown Hill, Mapleton Fall Creek, and Meridian Kessler, along with organizations Harrison Center for the Arts, Indy Parks & Recreation, Kheprw Institute, Mapleton Fall Creek Development Corporation, Midtown Indianapolis Inc, and Martin Luther King Community Center.
Sponsors include Harrison Center for the Arts, LISC Indianapolis, Mapleton Fall Creek DC, and the MLK Center.
Participants need to be 9 or older and can sign up at www.38thandShine.com either as a regular participant or a ‘Lighting Captain’ who will be responsible for the lighting of 3 fellow participants’ sparklers. On Aug. 27, on-site registration will begin at 6:30pm with the two attempts to break the world record taking place at 8:30 and 8:45pm. A viewing area will be set up for family and friends not participating.
38th and Shine is one of several light-related events happening the weekend of August 26 & 27, and following the breaking of the world record, participants are encouraged to visit the Indianapolis Light Festival (IN Light IN) on the canal.
More information at: www.38thandShine.com and Facebook.com/38thandShine
