As part of a series of rotating exhibits, “Forming Light” brings a dynamic experience to the Broomfield Library and Auditorium lobby.

In September of last year, Broomfield’s Arts and History team put out a call for artists to create temporary art exhibitions in the lobby space of the auditorium and library. A selection of panelists narrowed down over 60 submissions to land on the final three selections. “Forming Light” by artist Sophia Dixon Dillo is the first of the submissions to be displayed.

“It’s a little bit new for us to be doing a rotating art project rather than a permanent installation or sculpture, and the idea came from the community,” Broomfield’s Interim Arts and History Manager Suzanne Linder said. “We had a selection panel that included people from across the county that reviewed the 63 submissions and narrowed it down to the three we’ll be seeing this year.”

The selection panel used a variety of criteria to land on the final selections, including what matched well with the installation site and if it was technically feasible to have in the space.

“The goals of the project were to inspire and connect community members through art experiences and unexpected places, to expand the reach of visual art in the community, to provide engaging experiences for residents and visitors and to create a rotating art installation that inspires the community to take photos,” Linder said.

Linder said she remembers reviewing “Forming Light” before it was selected, and that it fit her personal criteria for a project to fill the space.

“The installation is such a cool use of light, and I was really looking for things that were three dimensional, rather than just using the lobby walls as a traditional gallery,” she said.

“Forming Light” consists of 11 and a half miles of copper metallic embroidery thread, strung high up in the lobby space in a series of parabolic curves.

“When the light comes in, particularly in the morning, you get different effects on the metallic thread. So it will light up in different ways, and as you move through that space, the light will move with you, and you’ll get different effects from different angles,” Dillo said of her work. “It’s really just about capturing the light that’s in that space and creating a dynamic experience that will draw people in and interest them over time.”

Dillo said she was studying painting in college when she got the idea for the type of unique installations she now focuses on, an idea sparked by a visit to the Denver Art Museum.

“I noticed that there was a piece of art that was using fishing line or monofilament to hang the artwork, I looked above and noticed this refraction of light going across the multiple lines,” she said. “I found that more interesting than the artwork itself.”

Dillo said the installation of the work took about two and a half days, with a team of people helping to stretch the thread across the space. The work reflects the light coming in through the large windows in different ways as the sun moves, giving a dynamic feel that’s unique from all angles.

“I would encourage anybody who goes into that space to move around and explore it from different angles and from the two different floors,” she said. “ My recommendation is to go first thing in the morning on a sunny day, because that’s when you get the best light hitting those lines.”

“Forming Light” will be in the Broomfield Library and Auditorium, 3 Community Park Road, until April. After which, the space will rotate to its next exhibit, “Murmuration: The Dance of Starlings” by Rebecca Lefebvre from May to August. To close out the year, the final exhibit on display will be “Kaleidoscope Community” by Amelia Furman and Heather Rubald.