Muscle Beach Glow Of the 100 projects pitched to the City of Santa Monica for its 2010 Glow event, only 10 were selected including Muscle Beach Glow. The following is the official proposal as presented to the City of Santa Monica.
PRIMARY CONTACT ADDITIONAL TEAM MEMBERS Ian Forrest The Santa Monica Ringflyers Through the use of theatrical black lights, fluorescent tape and live music, the historical Santa Monica landmark known as Muscle Beach will be transformed into a glowing circus of sights and sounds. Although visually stunning on its own, the site will not remain static, but will instead become a magical and dynamic stage on which regulars and visitors “join the circus” - swinging, climbing, juggling and performing in the same way that they have in this space for 75 years. Thus the site would be transformed in the character of the GLOW event, yet remain true to its historical location and the spirit of old Muscle Beach.
Sixteen theatrical black light fixtures, supported by c-stands and secured by weighted sandbags, will be placed at key locations on the beach for best illumination of the equipment and participants. The area to be lit is roughly 300’ of sandy beach, running from the bike shop at 1700 Ocean Avenue to the grass square in front of Pacific Terrace. Lighting locations have been determined using computer modeling which includes the dimensions of the equipment and the throw/spread of the black lights. Fluorescent gaffers tape will be used to outline all of the gymnastic equipment, including the rings, poles, and the borders of the acrobatic grass area. Although most normal clothing will have some UV reactivity, additional fluorescent tape will be provided to spectators who wish to decorate themselves and “join the circus”. To further draw participants into the space, a live DJ will provide a soundtrack to the performances using his portable sound system, which will be set up along the cement wall separating Muscle Beach from Ocean Front Walk. Muscle Beach has been an integral part of the history of Santa Monica since 1934. Widely regarded as the birthplace of the fitness movement, thousands of visitors have gathered here to watch the athletic skills of the Muscle Beach regulars. Seventy-five years later, this tradition continues with our group, the Santa Monica Ringflyers - a diverse group of men, women and children who come together to carry on the tradition of the original Muscle Beach. Every weekend we answer questions, coach, encourage, and involve the crowd in circus activities such as gymnastics, hula hooping, juggling and walking the slackline. It is these stewards of Muscle Beach that will form our corps of GLOW performers. Already, 40 volunteers have signed a pledge agreeing to assist with set-up, circus performances and clean-up at dawn. The fixtures and DJ equipment will be powered with standard 120V current and plugged into existing outlets along Ocean Front Walk. Cords will be buried in the sand for safety. Additional c-stands holding black fabric half-shades (flags) will be mounted between the streetlights and the beach to prevent streetlight overspill from the interfering with the black lights. These shades will not block the lighting for pedestrians on Ocean Front Walk. Installation will take 2.75 hours with the aid of our 40 volunteers. These assistants will be given rolls of tape, instruction on the design scheme, and assigned a particular structure to decorate. Setup of the sound equipment will be completed by DJ Ian Forrest, who has set up in this location before and is familiar with the logistics. Rigging of the black lights, c-stands, shades, and electrical hookups will be directed by Robert Chapin, who as a special effects supervisor for the film industry, has the experience needed to oversee the proper and safe installation of this equipment. An extension ladder will be used to apply tape to the higher equipment structures. At dawn, site restoration will simply involve removing the tape from the structures and packing away the lighting and DJ equipment. With such a large team (who will have worked in shifts throughout the night) we expect to be able to complete site restoration in approximately 1:50 hours.
GALLERY Muscle Beach GLOW is not just an art installation - it is a community of artists and acrobats. As such, the following images include a sampling performers and activities that will be incorporated into Muscle Beach GLOW. 1. Creator of Ringflyers organization Christopher Filkins on cyr wheel, under black light. Photo shoot for Keith Mukai Photography (www.banzaistudios.com) August, 2009; Santa Monica, CA. Materials: Fluorescent tape, 20 black light fluorescent tube units, Cyr Wheel. Budget: $250.
2. See #1 - Diavolo Theater performer and trapeze artist Angie on cyr wheel.
3. See #1 - Partner acrobatics, Angie and partner.
4. See #1 - Angie on cyr wheel.
5. Brad Meyers on traveling rings, Summer 2005. One of the many Muscle Beach regulars that frequent the traveling rings and make up the Muscle Beach community of acrobats. The traveling rings and acrobats will be a featured apparatus of Muscle Beach GLOW – with the rings and acrobats illuminated by black light.
6. Aaron Hedrick on slackline, Summer 2007. Another of our Muscle Beach regulars on a slackline. The slackline is one of the newest additions to Muscle Beach and a fitness craze that is sweeping the country. Muscle Beach GLOW will feature both the slacklines and acrobats illuminated by black light.
7. Jack and Jeri Kalvan with son Max, Summer 2009. World Class jugglers and regulars at Muscle Beach, they are just a few of the professional jugglers and acrobats who will be featured in black light performances throughout the evening.
8. Chris Solomon, Summer 2009. A Muscle Beach regular and part of a growing community of “hoopers” - teaching hula hooping to spectators. The hoops will be lit with LEDs or fluorescent tape for the evening.
9. Historical Muscle Beach. Continuing a world-famous tradition that dates back to the early 30’s, Muscle Beach continues to support a thriving community of amazing gymnasts and acrobats.
10. The Traveling Rings community, current day. Made up of students, teachers, acrobats, businessmen, lawyers, engineers and artists – all brought together by the Traveling Rings and the spirit of Muscle Beach.
Traveling Rings Music Video – shot and edited by Robert Chapin in the summer of 2007, the music video features the Muscle Beach community, the gymnasts, the stunts, and the amazing history of the area. Better than any still photography, this is perhaps the best way to visualize what this community is capable of.
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