DESTINATION CLEVELAND
A LEGACY OF LIGHT
LMNL Studio was commissioned by Destination Cleveland to design a monument that celebrates the city’s pioneering role in electric lighting and honors the donors who helped bring new energy to the heart of downtown Cleveland.
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As evening falls, A Legacy of Light connects Cleveland’s past to its future.
In 1879, Cleveland inventor Charles F. Brush presented the world’s first public demonstration of electric street lighting, showcasing his innovative arc lamps, each producing the light of 4,000 candles. Twelve of these light towers illuminated Public Square, attracting thousands to witness America’s first outdoor public space powered entirely by electricity.
More than a century later, A Legacy of Light reconnects the city to that breakthrough moment, transforming Brush’s innovation into a permanent symbol of the energy and civic pride that continue to power Cleveland today.
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An installation honoring the donors who made the new light show possible
Inspired by Brush’s original lamp, we designed a sculptural feature that reinterprets the form of the historic fixture as a contemporary piece of public art.
The monument is cast in bronze for permanence, fitted with acrylic diffusers to distribute light from an internal LED system, and finished with an engraved glass plaque honoring the donors behind the Illuminate CLE initiative.
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Installed across from one of the original arc lamps, A Legacy of light invites visitors to experience Cleveland’s story through historical narrative and illumination. The piece shines nightly as a beacon connecting history and community under the Illuminate CLE lightshow.
