Map of 2026 GLOW installations 

Cary's Annual Lantern Parade will kick-off this coming year's GLOW outdoor exhibition on Saturday, January 10, 2026 at 6pm! Join us as hundreds brave the cold and gather with their lights and handcrafted paper lanterns to illuminate Downtown Cary Park together.

GLOW 2026 Installations 

Bryant Holsenbeck : A Gathering of Moons

 Location: Post Office

Bryant Holsenbeck is a Durham based, environmental artist and educator. Driven by a desire for conservation Bryant sees potential in the everyday objects we discard and uses said refuse to create her sculptures. Teens and adults in the community had the opportunity to participate in the construction of this piece; inspiring them to think critically about how waste impacts the environment and consequently ourselves.

Tangled monofilament line collected by the Duke Marine lab in Beaufort , NC adorns this sculpture; influenced by the 95 known moons of Jupiter. Monofilament is made to glow and reflect light so that it can be seen in the water and hopefully not lost at sea. This sculpture glows with reflected light, in the same way that our moon, and all the moons in our solar system glow with reflected light from the same sun. “A Gathering of Moons” is about reuse, community, and inspired by the vast night sky.

"Many thanks to artist/designer Andrew Preiss who saw my vision and made the globes as well as to the students and friends who have helped make this project whole by weaving the materials together." -Bryant Holsenbeck

Learn more about Bryant Holsenbeck's studio practice. 

Not actual art that will be featured. For conceptual purposes only

Artist Bryant Holsenbeck and the Cary Teen Council 

Brittney Flood: Light Murals

Location: Parking Deck

Britt Flood is a North Carolina based painter and public artist who transforms overlooked spaces into sites of visual poetry. Her light art installations are an extension of her gestural drawing and painting practice.

These large scale marks mimic oversized sketches, crafted from hundreds of yards of looping glowing tubes. The floral forms climb the walls; speaking to the persistence of a single mark, repeated and reaching and how that can grow into something expansive. Through light, scale, and movement; “The Persistence of Almost” manifests the experience of ongoing growth, tenacity, and the quiet intangible moments that define actualization.

 Learn more about Britt Flood's murals.

Not actual art that will be featured. For conceptual purposes only

 Julia Gartrell

Location: TBD

Julia Gartrell is a North Carolina based sculptor who uses a wide range of materials including wood, ceramic, textile and found objects to create work exploring material culture and history.

These illuminated quilted windows bring warmth and comforting patterns to the spaces in which they are installed. Quilting is a craft based in thrift and practicality, but it also provided a creative outlet for anonymous makers in history, most of whom were women. By using traditional quilt block patterns in transparent window film, each space is transformed into a familiar but modernized version of pattern piecing. Placed at each end of downtown, these warm quilts frame the urban area and cozily illuminate the dark winter evenings.

Learn more about Julia Gartrell's projects! 

Not actual art that will be featured. For conceptual purposes only

Robin Vuchnich: Light Projection

Location: Ivey-Ellington

Robin Vuchnich is a Tennessee-based New Media artist and founder of XO Immersive, an interactive art studio specializing in a wide array of digital installations. These installations leverage light-based and interactive art to engage with public science, social change, community, and the natural world.

The historic Ivy-Ellington house was built in the 1870s and is a classic example of Gothic Revival architecture. A popular design in the mid-19thcentury; it was commonly promoted in rural areas because its complex lines and defined silhouette were thought to complement a natural setting. The pointed windows and steeply sloped roofs are designed to direct the gaze upward towards the sky. Like the architects who designed the Ivy-Ellington over 150 years ago, Vuchnich uses this historic house as a platform to share her reverence for nature.

Using 3D projection mapping technology, Vuchnich projects a kaleidoscope of flowers that conforms to every detail of the historic home. Phantom Spring reminds us of the beauty and color of spring, even in the darkest part of winter.

Learn more about XO Immersive and Robin Vuchnich

Not actual art that will be featured. For conceptual purposes only

Helen Seebold: Meditation Labyrinth

location: Ivy Ellington lawn 

Helen Seebold is a multimedia artist based in Cary, North Carolina. Her community-driven, installations encourage viewers to explore the possibilities of public spaces, through interactive art.

A labyrinth, unlike a maze, leads to a center and back out again; there is no right or wrong path. Walking the labyrinth invites introspection and might be meditative, playful, or mysterious. This installation of “Lighted Labyrinth” adds cool revitalizing blue light for the participant’s evocative evening or nighttime walk. Seebold’s love of nature and interest in ancient global traditions fuels her creativity, inviting the viewer to reflect on the beauty of the living Earth and their place in it. 

Wind your way to the center during a quiet moment of reflection, or listen to one of three accompanying audio tracks, here and learn more about Helen Seebold. 

Not actual art that will be featured. For conceptual purposes only

Erik Beerbower: Find Your Happy Place Light Sculpture

Location: Downtown Cary Park near the Library 

Erik Beerbower is a North Carolina-based sculptor and educator. His larger than life structures are often interactive and use color, form, and sound to spark joy, play, and wonder within the community.

One of the driving concepts behind Beerbower’s work is presence; creating a multisensory experience to encourage the public to pause and be fully engaged in the moment. Find Your Happy Place creates space and the opportunity for the community to reflect on the happiness already present in each of our lives through light, music, and a welcoming place to rest. 

Click here for some feel good music and to learn more about Erik Beerbower's studio. 

 Not actual art that will be featured. For conceptual purposes only

We are accepting submissions on a rolling basis for future GLOW exhibitions: Apply Now for GLOW 2027!

To learn more about past GLOW exhibits, visit our

GLOW Archives

 In the news, WRAL - Whimsy & Wonder. Jan 16, 2024

Interested in participating in future GLOW? Contact emily.morrison@carync.gov and denise.dickens@carync.gov 

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