Studio 46 Media Creates Light Tapestry at Saint Joseph Hospital with Chauvet Professional

Like much else in bluegrass country, there is a tranquil beauty to Saint Joseph Hospital. With its gently curved inlayed stone outer walls, multi-level windowed surfaces, and soaring main tower, the 433-bed medical center on the outskirts of this picturesque town, projects a sense of serenity and calmness.

It is a sense that has reassured Kentuckians through good times and bad since 1877, when the hospital was founded by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. In 2020, this modern medical facility came to the aid of its community in another crisis by serving at the center of the region's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This June, Saint Joseph showed its gratitude to the hospital's health care heroes and its support for families that have been impacted by the virus with two successive week-long lighting displays created by Studio46 Media, using the company's Chauvet Professional fixtures. The hospital was lit in blue the first week to honor its medical staff and green the second week as a sign of compassion for victims of COVID-19.

Electrical contractor, Davis H. Elliot Company Inc., which has a fulltime crew at the Saint Joseph Hospital, contacted Studio46 Media to create the lighting design. "The hospital approached us about doing something for Healthcare Worker Appreciation Week," says Ethan Mills, live events operation manager for Studio46 Media. "Tony Watson, our contact at St. Joe turned to Studio46 Media to make the visual transformation happen."

The design team, which included chief designer Matt Cooper, and installation specialist Paul Moore, relied on seven COLORado Solo Batten and 15 COLORdash Par H12 IP fixtures to light the front of the hospital building. A particularly impressive feature of this area is its glass and metal gridwork section. Drawing on the COLORado Solo Batten's beam angle, the team bathed the grid frame in color without spilling light onto the windows.

"We placed the battens on a ledge outside of the building and shot them up at a steep angle, so we could hit the grid work while minimizing light spill onto the window front," says Mills. "This fixture was chosen because its beam angle let us focus as much light as possible on the building. It also has a great throw that allowed us to hit the top of the six-story building."

The 15 COLORdash ParH12 IP fixtures were used for fill-in light at the front of the hospital, as well as for uplighting on the detailed rock work at the building's base. An additional 24 units of the compact, but powerful, RGBWA-UV par fixtures were used to light the ER corner of the hospital building.

Saint Joseph Hospital's signature inside waterfall was woven into the tribute design by a pair of COLORado Solo Batten fixtures that bathed it in thematic colors, and a single Ovation E-930VW ellipsoidal that accented its distinctive features.

"Seeing the fountain come alive with color was special," says Mills. "The lighted tower was also very inspirational. Driving up here the first night and seeing it glow blue gave me a great sense of appreciation for the healthcare workers." It was a sentiment shared throughout every hill and valley in the bluegrass region.