PROJECT DETAILS
Big Picture Peoria “Live Greater” Mural
Peoria, Illinois, USA
Installed Products
Illuminating the Spirit of “Live Greater”:
How Architectural Floodlights Bring Vibrancy to Art
Big Picture Peoria (BPP) is a grassroots arts not-for-profit organization formed by a group of dedicated volunteers. Through the transformative power of the arts, its mission is to build a vibrant and inclusive community in this Central Illinois city. One of its most visible contributions is a variety of public art installations: Peoria is home to over 60 murals from many talented local artists, enriching the city’s cultural landscape for all to enjoy.
The recent highlight in downtown Peoria is the striking mural "Live Greater" by local artist Alex Carmona, which vividly captures the laughter and joy of embracing a vibrant life in Peoria. This artwork emphasizes the power of visual storytelling and artistic expression, transforming a parking deck facade into a canvas of community spirit. Rather than being directly painted onto the building, the mural is presented through a mounted system featuring an extruded aluminum frame and a durable vinyl face, allowing the artwork's vibrant digital print to stand out while preserving its integrity. This mounted mural system enables BPP to replace the artwork approximately every five years, reusing the permanent frame to provide a variety of artwork over time.
Considerations for Illumination
Mark Misselhorn, co-founder and VP of BPP, contributed to the lighting selection process for this project. As a retired architect with over 30 years of experience in commercial architecture, he emphasized several key considerations for illuminating the mural:
• Even, well-distributed lighting, with little or no glare from the viewpoint of an observer on the ground
• An appropriate lighting temperature that was pleasing to the eye (i.e., neither too blue nor too white in appearance)
• Good color rendition, so the true colors of the artwork showed through
• The fixtures themselves, due to their size and visibility, needed to look good during the day
• Very low maintenance and operating costs, with a long life, as the City of Peoria would ultimately own the lighting and the mural after installation
“Lighting of public art is extremely important to us, because good lighting does several things,” said Misselhorn.” It makes the artwork visible 24 hours a day, it adds a feeling of vibrancy and sense of safety on the city street, and it acts as a visible landmark for the parking deck and nearby businesses.”
Selection of SAF Architectural Floodlights
To achieve these goals, the team at BPP, in collaboration with agent KSA Lighting, selected Hydrel’s SAF14 LED Architectural Floodlights. With an IP68 rating, IP10 option, Taper-Lock technology, the SAF family is built to withstand outdoor environments.
Six SAF14 floodlights were selected and mounted horizontally to the building’s façade using 48-inch stem mounts, directing their beams downward toward the mural. To ensure stability and safety above the public sidewalk below, each fixture is secured with a safety cable, providing additional security and peace of mind.
The fixtures feature a 4000K color temperature, a cool white light that emphasizes intricate details, enhances color vibrancy—especially for cooler hues like blues and greens—and creates a sense of clarity across the artwork. Installed with prismatic lenses, these floodlights diffuse a uniformed light, reducing glare and controlling spill light, resulting in a balanced, inviting atmosphere that highlights the mural’s vivid colors and fine details effectively.
Working with local installer, Oberlander Electric, it was determined that because the Hydrel luminaires used relatively little current, they could be powered by the local lighting circuit from the adjacent parking deck. This greatly simplified installation, contributing to overall project savings.
The Result
“These Hydrel luminaires were the best choice for so many reasons,” Misselhorn said. “They look good, the illumination is excellent, they’re lightweight, and they require little energy. They checked all the boxes!”
Citizens and the City of Peoria itself agree: the Hydrel lighting is contributing to a beautiful and impactful downtown landscape.
“We’ve received nothing but positive comments and compliments,” concluded Misselhorn. “And that’s pretty rare for such a visible project!”
As the BPP team continues to create an arts corridor in the city center, it is anticipated that Hydrel luminaires will be an integral part of future projects.
Project completion: December 2024
Lighting Design: Big Picture Peoria/KSA Lighting
Agent: KSA Lighting & Controls
Electrical Contractor: Oberlander Electric
Photography: Anthony Tahlier Commercial Photography
How Architectural Floodlights Bring Vibrancy to Art
Big Picture Peoria (BPP) is a grassroots arts not-for-profit organization formed by a group of dedicated volunteers. Through the transformative power of the arts, its mission is to build a vibrant and inclusive community in this Central Illinois city. One of its most visible contributions is a variety of public art installations: Peoria is home to over 60 murals from many talented local artists, enriching the city’s cultural landscape for all to enjoy.
The recent highlight in downtown Peoria is the striking mural "Live Greater" by local artist Alex Carmona, which vividly captures the laughter and joy of embracing a vibrant life in Peoria. This artwork emphasizes the power of visual storytelling and artistic expression, transforming a parking deck facade into a canvas of community spirit. Rather than being directly painted onto the building, the mural is presented through a mounted system featuring an extruded aluminum frame and a durable vinyl face, allowing the artwork's vibrant digital print to stand out while preserving its integrity. This mounted mural system enables BPP to replace the artwork approximately every five years, reusing the permanent frame to provide a variety of artwork over time.
Considerations for Illumination
Mark Misselhorn, co-founder and VP of BPP, contributed to the lighting selection process for this project. As a retired architect with over 30 years of experience in commercial architecture, he emphasized several key considerations for illuminating the mural:
• Even, well-distributed lighting, with little or no glare from the viewpoint of an observer on the ground
• An appropriate lighting temperature that was pleasing to the eye (i.e., neither too blue nor too white in appearance)
• Good color rendition, so the true colors of the artwork showed through
• The fixtures themselves, due to their size and visibility, needed to look good during the day
• Very low maintenance and operating costs, with a long life, as the City of Peoria would ultimately own the lighting and the mural after installation
“Lighting of public art is extremely important to us, because good lighting does several things,” said Misselhorn.” It makes the artwork visible 24 hours a day, it adds a feeling of vibrancy and sense of safety on the city street, and it acts as a visible landmark for the parking deck and nearby businesses.”
Selection of SAF Architectural Floodlights
To achieve these goals, the team at BPP, in collaboration with agent KSA Lighting, selected Hydrel’s SAF14 LED Architectural Floodlights. With an IP68 rating, IP10 option, Taper-Lock technology, the SAF family is built to withstand outdoor environments.
Six SAF14 floodlights were selected and mounted horizontally to the building’s façade using 48-inch stem mounts, directing their beams downward toward the mural. To ensure stability and safety above the public sidewalk below, each fixture is secured with a safety cable, providing additional security and peace of mind.
The fixtures feature a 4000K color temperature, a cool white light that emphasizes intricate details, enhances color vibrancy—especially for cooler hues like blues and greens—and creates a sense of clarity across the artwork. Installed with prismatic lenses, these floodlights diffuse a uniformed light, reducing glare and controlling spill light, resulting in a balanced, inviting atmosphere that highlights the mural’s vivid colors and fine details effectively.
Working with local installer, Oberlander Electric, it was determined that because the Hydrel luminaires used relatively little current, they could be powered by the local lighting circuit from the adjacent parking deck. This greatly simplified installation, contributing to overall project savings.
The Result
“These Hydrel luminaires were the best choice for so many reasons,” Misselhorn said. “They look good, the illumination is excellent, they’re lightweight, and they require little energy. They checked all the boxes!”
Citizens and the City of Peoria itself agree: the Hydrel lighting is contributing to a beautiful and impactful downtown landscape.
“We’ve received nothing but positive comments and compliments,” concluded Misselhorn. “And that’s pretty rare for such a visible project!”
As the BPP team continues to create an arts corridor in the city center, it is anticipated that Hydrel luminaires will be an integral part of future projects.
Project completion: December 2024
Lighting Design: Big Picture Peoria/KSA Lighting
Agent: KSA Lighting & Controls
Electrical Contractor: Oberlander Electric
Photography: Anthony Tahlier Commercial Photography
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