GRACED WITH LIGHT

Last February I was fortunate enough to see the “Graced With Light” art installation at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco’s Nob Hill neighborhood, before it was taken down. I had recently purchased a DSLR camera and was looking for a subject/place to practice using all of the buttons and settings that I didn’t have a clue about. I also had just started taking photography classes and was learning about “ISO/Shutter Speed/Aperture” and this thing they called “White Balance”…it was all Greek to me.

“Graced With Light” was a music-inspired installation that featured nearly 20 miles (1,100 strands in total) of multicolored ribbons which cascaded from the church’s vaulted ceiling arches. It was designed by Anne Patterson, a New York installation artist and director, and was the cathedral’s 2013 artist in residence.

The exhibit was definitely breathtaking to see in person. Believe me, these pictures do not do it justice. I also discovered other treasures about the church that day. Grace Cathedral’s main doors are a replica of Lorenzo Ghiberti’s “Gates of Paradise.” There is also a Keith Haring altarpiece, two labyrinths (one inside and the other outside of the church) and a statue of St. Francis of Assisi by the late San Franciscan sculptor Beniamino Bufano.

It was a day well spent in the city I call home. Sometimes I can’t believe how lucky I am to live here.