River St. Bridge Permanent Illumination
Set for September 23rd

Press Contact:
Elissa Bolt
The Charles River Conservancy
1 Education St.
Cambridge, MA 02141
(617) 619-2855
ejb@thecharles.org

For Immediate Release

Newton, MA...August 23, 2007...Moving steadily forward in its plan to illuminate the bridges that span the Charles River between Watertown Square and the Charles River Dam, the Charles River Conservancy is pleased to announce the addition of permanent lighting on the River Street Bridge.

The new bridge lightings will both beautify and draw attention to the architectural treasures that connect Boston and Cambridge over one of America’s most historic rivers. Lighting designer John Powell of Light Time in Space Inc. will work with the Charles River Conservancy, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and the LEF foundation, as he has in the past to illuminate the Anderson Bridge, the Western Ave Bridge, and the Weeks footbridge.

“The bridge illumination will complement RiverSing, the celebration of the autumnal equinox on the River Street Bridge. Illumination will become a permanent feature of the parklands and show off the beauty of this prominent architectural feature even when the water and the parklands are bathed in darkness,” said Renata von Tscharner, president and founder of the Charles River Conservancy.

“The illumination will emphasize the rich sculptural quality of the bridge's decorative elements for people who pass by on Memorial Drive and Storrow Drive at night,” said Powell. He will use off the shelf industrial lighting mounted close onto the bridge structure and energized with existing power systems for these bridges. In the years to come, the illumination will continue down the Charles. Illuminating these bridges is a key way to accentuate the grandeur of the city.

“We support this artistic effort as it draws attention to the beauty of both the parklands and the elegant structures that cross the river. The illumination of the under arches doubles the effect, as light is also reflected in the river running underneath,” said Lyda Kuth of the LEF Foundation, a private foundation that supports the contemporary arts in New England and California. It is largely though the support of the LEF Foundation that other bridges have been permanently illuminated along the Charles River: the Anderson, Western Avenue, and the Weeks Footbridge.

Built originally in 1810 as a flat wooden structure with a draw, the River St. Bridge was replaced in 1926 with three arches of reinforced concrete that span 330 feet. It has neoclassical cutwaters that are pointed in the upstream (western) elevation and rounded on the downstream (eastern) designed to break up winter ice as it floats downstream. The bridge was designed by architect Robert P. Bellows and is stylistically similar to the Pont Neuf in Paris.

In conjunction with the bridge lighting, Revels and the Charles River Conservancy present RiverSing 2007: Bridging the Charles with Voice and Light, our 4th annual free outdoor “sing” celebrating the Autumnal Equinox and the beauty of the Charles River parklands and bridges. This event on Sunday September 23rd is free for all and lasts from 6:00 to 7:30 pm at the Weeks footbridge.

About the Charles River Conservancy

The Charles River Conservancy (CRC) forges partnerships to make the 500 acres of public parklands along the urban shores of the lower Charles more active and attractive for all. Our Conservancy Volunteers program engages over 2000 people per year in parkland renewal projects. Other CRC projects include improving 17 miles of riverfront pathways, preparing for public swimming in the river, and creating a world-class skateboard park under the Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge on the banks of the Charles River in Cambridge. For more information on the Charles River Conservancy, go to www.thecharles.org.

Contact information

John Powell
101 Franklin St
Allston, MA 02134
lighttimeinspace@verizon.net

Lyda Kuth
LEF Foundation
P.O. Box 382066
Cambridge, MA 02238
lyda@lef-foundation.org

Renata von Tscharner
1 Education St
Cambridge, MA 02141
rvt@thecharles.org

Get RiverSing lyrics in advance! Email RiverSing07@yahoo.com.

Choruses interested in helping to lead from the bridge should contact George Emlen at gemlen@revels.org.

For more information on RiverSing 2007 call 617-972-8300 or visit www.revels.org or www.thecharles.org.

Purchase tickets online to the reception following RiverSing.

The Charles River Conservancy (CRC) founded in 2000 takes as its mission to make the parklands more attractive, more active and accessible to all. Temporary bridge illuminations in 2001 and 2003 led to the wonderful RiverSing collaboration with Revels in September 2004 and resulted in the permanent illumination of the Weeks Bridge and in the following years the CRC illuminated the Anderson and then the Western Avenue Bridges with the RiverStreet Bridge being added this year. The parklands themselves are a living work of art, where seasonal changes of nature and mirrored light from the river play in concert with the bridges. By collaborating with Revels on RiverSing, the CRC seeks to achieve a fusion of musical and environmental art with full audience participation. The CRC also brings over 2500 landscape volunteers annually to the parklands and works on returning swimming to the Charles River. www.thecharles.org

Founded in 1971, Revels has a nearly four decade long tradition of marking the calendar with participatory, community- building events and festivities, the best known of which is the annual Christmas Revels winter solstice celebration at Harvard University’s Sanders Theatre in Cambridge. Known for its seasonal celebrations that explore world cultures through their traditional music, dance and rituals, Revels also produces the free Summer Revels family celebration at the Boston Children’s Museum each year, has a standing 40-member touring ensemble, Circle of Song, produces recordings (Revels Records) and songbooks of traditional music and folk material and provides seasonal educational programming that cultivates appreciation of the arts and world cultures. www.revels.org

RiverSing sponsors include The LEF Foundation, Harvard University Community Affairs and Allston Development Group,
The Alchemy Foundation, Anchor Capital, The Harvard Square Business Association, Titan WorldWide and Flagraphics of Somerville.

Artist's Rendering of planned River Street Bridge illumination