Brighten Your December at Let There Be Light

Liberty Anderson, staff writer

“It is the sweetest thing in life, art and free food,” said Beryl Solla, chair of visual and performing arts and professor of arts. Join PVCC on Friday Dec. 7 from 6-9 p.m. PVCC’s 12th annual Let There Be Light. Let There Be Light is PVCC’s biggest event and always becomes the focus of the college and the community. Hot chocolate, apple cider, and banana bread will be free to all. Upon arrival, attendees are provided a flashlight and a map. The event features light-based temporary sculptures.

The event brings the community together. According to Solla, attendees come from all around, and there is no doubt you will run into people you know from many areas of your life. Last year over 3,000 people came through in a three-hour time period. “That’s a lot of hot chocolate,” said Solla.

According to Solla, “It is the perfect event; it is magical.” Solla said that the work for Let There Be Light is so overwhelming they sometimes doubt they can keep the tradition alive. But it is a part of the community and is always worth all of the work the college puts into it.

Let There Be Light was meant to be a one time thing, but it became an instant tradition. Over 500 people came the first year, and it has grown every year since. From year to year every exhibit changes, always bigger and better to meet the community’s expectations. Other than the artists and exhibits, only logistics change to make the event run better each year.

“It is a college-wide event in every sense of the word,” said Solla. Many professors help out and are passionate about the event, not just the art professors. Most of the outside help comes from the humanities and language professors, who help to feed the artists and prepare hot chocolate for the visitors.

Preparation for Let There Be Light began back in June when they started to get commitments from artists. Artists are assigned an area, and they begin their sculpture design. Everything must be planned out and expectations must be met.

In October, PVCC does inventory and they replace and repair anything that can no longer serve its purpose. They make sure they figure out all the logistics in time. Soon they will be purchasing the 53 gallons of apple cider and milk for hot chocolate, and 175 loaves of banana bread.

Half of the year is spent in preparation for Let There Be Light, but regardless of how much preparation has been done, the rush on the final day is overwhelming.

They start making the food at 10 a.m., cutting loaves of bread around noon and setting candles out at 3 p.m.

As for the artists, they have to set up and take down their masterpieces in one day.

“It opens up art to the community,” said Solla. This is what Let There Be Light means to her. Come to PVCC on Friday, Dec. 7 from 6-9 p.m. and find out what it means to you.