Quick Take:

Browse the line up of Frequency, the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History’s (MAH) new biennial festival of light, sound, and digital culture which will run September 16 through September 19, 2021.

Frequency festival logo
Frequency: Festival of Light, Sound, & Digital Culture Credit: The MAH

From laser domes and video games to kinetic sculptures and experimental animations, The MAH’s new festival – Frequency – is designed to illuminate the connections between community and art.
The mostly free event will activate the museum, neighboring gardens and plazas in downtown Santa Cruz with installations of site-responsive work, live performances, interactive technologies, and immersive experiences.

Frequency runs from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm, September 16 through September 19, and features dazzling, innovative artworks by an eclectic mix of artists and technologists, including:

Submergence by Squidsoup art installation
Submergence Credit: Squidsoup

Ocean of Light: Submergence by Squidsoup

5 to 10 pm | MAH, Solari Gallery

A large, immersive, walkthrough experience that uses over five thousand individual points of suspended light to create feelings of presence and movement within physical space.

Orbital Phasing by Squidsoup
Orbital Phasing Credit: Squidsoup

Orbital Phasing by Squidsoup

5 to 10 pm | MAH, Sculpture Garden

A multisensory installation comprised of suspended orbs where slowly-rotating waves of energy gradually pick up momentum to create a whirling dervish of sound and light.

SILVER LINING by Sujin Lim
SILVER LINING Credit: Sujin Lim

SILVER LINING by Sujin Lim

5 to 10 pm | MAH, Atrium

An illuminated cloud-shaped sculpture that highlights the human relationship with nature and contemplates the intersection of culture and environment.

Poems of Positivity by Orlosky Studio
Poems of Positivity

Poems of Positivity by Orlosky Studio

5 to 10 pm | MAH, Secret Garden

An interactive digital work that uses audience-generated content to create sculptural poems which highlight universal sources of positivity.

Quilt City by Office Kovacs
Quilt City

Quilt City by Office Kovacs

5 to 10 pm | Abbott Square

A freestanding sculpture that explores connections between technology, temporary structures, and the further collapse of the virtual and physical worlds.

Entanglement by the Magic Makers Art Installation
Entanglement by the Epicenter Credit: Rendering by the Epicenter

Entanglement by The Epicenter

5 to 10 pm | Abbott Square

An immersive piece that consists of a geodesic dome, lasers, and sound, all of which gets activated by the participants who engage inside the artwork.

Zoom Meeting by Visual Endeavors, Inc.
Zoom Meeting

Zoom Meeting by Visual Endeavors, Inc.

5 to 10 pm | Abbott Square

A playful installation featuring an LED wall that uses cameras, screens, and technologies to invite audiences to participate in a Zoom meeting that takes place on a real world scale.

The Trellis Project by M. James Becker
The Trellis Project

The Trellis Project by M. James Becker

5 to 10 pm | MAH, Atrium

An interactive installation that utilizes the trellis form to engage participants in collaborative construction and reflection on systems of support.

CUBISM 2: Baroque Edition by Patrick Stefaniak
CUBISM 2: Baroque Edition

CUBISM 2: Baroque Edition by Patrick Stefaniak

5 to 10 pm | MAH, Garden Room

A two-channel videogame installation played on a touchscreen and projector, utilizing computer graphics to imitate realistic movement in animations.

Quantum Elders’ Consciousness Vaccine by Karlton Hester
Quantum Elders’ Consciousness Vaccine

Quantum Elders’ Consciousness Vaccine by Karlton Hester

5 to 10 pm | MAH, Atrium

An interdisciplinary, electro-acoustic ritual involving an audio-visual-sensory journey exploring the connections between molecular forms, spirit, and human consciousness.

Lite Sprites by David Crellin
Lite Sprites

Lite Sprites by David Crellin

8 to 10 pm | Abbott Square

An immersive, affective engagement, anthropomorphizing light in a whimsical form of techno human hybrid that seeks to connect and delight.

The Choose Your Own Adventure Show by Stellaria Creative
The Choose Your Own Adventure Show

The Choose Your Own Adventure Show by Stellaria Creative Company

5 to 10 pm | MAH and Abbott Square

A collaborative interactive performance that consists of live aerial acrobatics set against audience participatory elements like equipment, lighting, and other thematic fixtures.

“Frequency supports our museum’s commitment to producing programs that extend beyond our walls and enhance the cultural vibrancy of Santa Cruz County. By showcasing local artists alongside national and international talent, we inspire, cross-pollinate, and increase exposure to our own thriving creative community.” — Robb Woulfe, Executive Director of the MAH

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Jessica M. Pasko has been writing professionally for almost two decades.She cut her teeth in journalism as a reporter for the Associated Press in her native Albany, NY, where she covered everything from...