Bridges have been bringing people together to share experiences for centuries: the London Bridge that we all sang about “falling down” as children; the Brooklyn Bridge over which P.T. Barnum led 21 elephants; and the Ponte Vecchio Bridge in Florence--the only Florentine bridge to survive WWII. Over the last decade, cities from London to Dubai, Singapore to San Francisco have transformed their bridges into breathtaking canvasses of light illuminating the rivers and reinvigorating the cities where these sprawling structures make their connections. This innovative public art approach is breathing new life into cities. 

It is in large part due to a $1M donation from Dr. and Mrs. George Bakowski that 13,000 LEDs will interactively illuminate 2,982 feet of what opened in 1934 as the Long/Allen Bridge. The new interactive LED lighting heralds a transformational era of urban design pairing artists with technology experts to harness the power of artful lighting. It will transform the cityscapes of Shreveport/Bossier City and unite the communities and their economies.

“The Shreveport/Bossier City communities have supported my optometry practice for 45 years, and Sandra and I have decided to give back in a way that brings these cities alive with light, instills civic pride, and unites the people like nothing else will,” says Dr. George Bakowski. “I hope ours is the first step in incentivizing others to contribute to a new era of vitality for our area of Northwest Louisiana.”

As the designated “Public Art Arm” of the City of Shreveport, the Shreveport Regional Arts Council (SRAC) is enlisting an entire team of artists, designers, and IT professionals to create this state-of-the-art bridge lighting system. SRAC is also counting on this team to commit to using the project as a pipeline for training young artists for new professional art careers.

“Shreveport is alight with creativity, talent and public-private cooperation,” says SRAC Ex. Dir. Pam Atchison.  “The Bakowski Bridge of Lights is going to astound people with its interactive and constantly morphing colors, shapes, and forms.  It will be a show-stopping statement on the skyline of our two cities—all designed and programmed by our own NWLA artists and IT professionals.“

William Joyce, Academy Award-Winning filmmaker and best-selling author will create the first design to debut the Bakowski Bridge of Lights this summer. He says, “It will be like nothing I have ever done before—a fundamental shift in our skyline, turning the bridge into a light sculpture in a dynamic, ever-changing way and pushing technology as far as we can push it to see what we can accomplish. It’s going to be the heartbeat that courses life between our two cities!”

Keith Hanson, Chief Technology Officer and Smart Cities Director for the City of Shreveport will be the primary IT professional programming the lights for the bridge.  Hansen is excited about multiple pieces of the Bakowski Bridge project, especially a 10-foot model to be created to give his team of programmers an opportunity to push artists’ animation from the computer screen to the model before bringing it to life on the Bakowski Bridge of Lights.

“Bill Joyce and I have worked together on projects, but this is something no one will be able to ignore.  This work is a cool blend of the ideas and skills of technologists and artists. As technologists, we will be bringing Bill’s and other artists’ creative vision to life on a 3,000 foot canvas 90 feet over the Red River. I will also have the opportunity to mentor young minds in art and technology to hopefully catapult them into a new career. That’s game on for me!,” says Hanson.

“We think the energy and excitement of the Bakowski Bridge of Lights has endless possibilities for uniting Bossier and Shreveport as never before,” said Pam Glorioso, long-time Bossier City Chief Administrative Officer. “It will be an interactive public art piece that helps spark energy into the East Bank District of Bossier City and serve as a catalyst for economic development along the Louisiana Boardwalk in Bossier and Shreveport.”

Stacy Brown, CDME, President/CEO Shreveport/Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau is also excited about the bridge. “The Bakowski Bridge of Lights will provide an iconic landmark that ties Shreveport and Bossier City together in a way that resonates with residents and visitors. It will also be a unique tool to entice conventions and events to NWLA with the opportunity to customize the lights to showcase their events.”

The transformation of the Bridge will be a beacon for attractions and special occasions. People can purchase bridge lighting designs for special celebrations and announcements; lighting programs can feature Causes such as Breast Cancer Awareness Month; Casinos, the Aquarium and Sci-Port can offer “viewing” opportunities; and major I-20 interchanges will invite visitors to drive the animated light experience.

The bridge is not the only event bringing excitement to downtown Shreveport this summer.  Opening Friday, June 11 and continuing through August 7, SRAC will celebrate the trail ride culture of Louisiana with “LOUISIANA TRAIL RIDES,” an exhibition of photography by LSU Professor Jeremiah Ariaz, along with saddles, hats, boots, belts, buckles, and “starched/pressed” shirts from the Northwest Louisiana Trail Rider Associations. A collection of vintage buggies from the Bayou State Trail Riders Association will line Texas St. on the opening weekend and trail riders will parade through downtown Shreveport in July.

Funding for the Bakowski Bridge of Lights comes from the Red River Waterway Commission, the Louisiana Public Service Commission, the Shreveport Downtown Development Authority, the National Endowment for the Arts, Will Atkins, and Dr. and Mrs. George Bakowski.

When the switch is flipped on the Bakowski Bridge of Lights during the summer of 2021, William Joyce hopes…”thousands of people will line the riverbanks on both sides to watch the bridge become a living, breathing entity illuminating the river as it comes to life in a pulsating, crescendo of music and energy unlike anything we’ve every seen.”