Midtown Crossing is primed to celebrate the Omaha return of the US Olympic Swim Trials by making a brilliant splash of its own. Starting Friday, June 24, neighborhood guests will be encouraged to get in “The Pool by Jen Lewin,” a world-renowned, fully-interactive light and color experience.
Created by American artist Jen Lewin, her studio describes The Pool as “an environment of giant, concentric circles created from interactive pads. By entering The Pool, guests enter a world where play and collaborative movement create swirling effects of light and color. ”The Pool by artist Jen Lewin, photo by Aaron Rogosin. The Pool will take up residence in the southeast quadrant of Turner Park until July 4. The US Olympic Swim Trials run June 26 – July 3 at CenturyLink Center Omaha. The display is free and open to the public.
A world-travelling piece, The Pool has been included in festivals in Singapore, Sydney, Lisbon, Prague, London, Istanbul and at Burning Man and has clocked millions of user steps. It is weather resistant and designed for aggressive use: “Like a giant game of light ‘ping pong,’ the pool will have users running and jumping, adding, bouncing, and mixing light together. As multiple users play in The Pool, their interactions become mesmerizing patterns of shifting and fading colors.” (jenlewinstudio.com)
Molly Skold, Midtown Crossing’s vice president of marketing and communications, says, “We couldn’t imagine a more perfect way to celebrate the excitement of the US Olympic Swim Trials and continue one of our favorite traditions: finding new ways to bring even more of the fresh and exciting to Turner Park. It’s going to be a blast seeing our community play in The Pool!”