The web edition of ARCHITECTURAL LIGHTING magazine, A|L Online offers resources for the lighting professional, including industry news, blogs, and a manufacturer’s guide.
The lighting industry has lost one of its original voices and thinkers. Marvin Gelman, founder of Lighting Services Inc, died yesterday in Westport, Conn., of cancer. He was 84. Mr. Gelman began his career in lighting during the heyday of television as the lighting director of NBC's The Tonight Show with Steve Allen. In 1958, Gelman left NBC to start his own consulting firm, Lighting Services Inc (LSI). At LSI, he introduced track, accent, and display lighting. LSI has set up a section on its website to post memories and condolences.
The IALD has issued the call for presentations for its 2012 Enlighten Americas conference to be held Oct. 11-13, 2012, in Vancouver. The deadline for submissions is Jan. 9, 2012. The conference theme, Speaking of Light, "reflects a need for the architectural lighting design community to refocus on those important discussions on the evolving nature of the art and science of architectural lighting design." Although the conference will follow the same three-track system that has been employed at past Enlighten gatherings, the tracks have been renamed under the headings: Art, Science, and Professional Tools. To download the submission guidelines go to iald.org.
Today, as many governments worldwide begin to enact legislation that will phase out incandescent lamps, the Pace Gallery is paying homage to the iconic, endangered form with a show that celebrates the light bulb's role as an artistic muse. "Burning, Bright: A Short History of the Light Bulb," is a group exhibition that focuses on the incandescent lamp as both subject and essential tool. It spotlights a recurring fascination with the light bulb by some of the most important artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Pierre Yves Lesaicherre has been named CEO of Philips Lumileds. He succeeds Michael C. Holt and will report directly to Philips Lighting's acting Chief Executive Officer Frans van Houten. Lesaicherre has worked in the semiconductor and component industry for more than 20 years, including time at NXP Semiconductors, and most recently as senior vice president and general manager at Microcontrollers & Logic.
Lutron has appointed Michael W. Pessina as its new president. Pessina, a licensed professional engineer in the state of Pennsylvania, has been with Lutron for 35 years and has a broad understanding of the company's engineering, quality assurance and manufacturing sectors. Since 2000, he has held several senior-level management positions including senior vice president, executive vice president and chief operating officer, and president, office product development. He is also a member of Lutron's Executive Board and Lutron's Advisory Council.
Berkeley, Calif.-based lighting design firm Alice Prussin Lighting Design has a new name: illuminosa. According to firm Principal Alice Prussin, "Our new name reflects another step in the realization of our vision to be a fully collaborative design studio." Along with the new name is the addition of Faith Jewel as studio director, who joins Prussin and project manager Phan Dung.
If you could invite five people in lighting—alive or dead—to dinner for a memorable conversation, who would you invite? I know who I'd invite, and I'll be posting my response to this question shortly. And as always, if there is a question or a topic you'd like to see posted, please let me know.
