>I'm getting ready for an open house bowl exhibit this summer, and I'm planning a gallery room to house about fifty finished peices. My Dad and I are getting ready to build the room, and we're trying to figure out the lighting. What do I need? I'm not too keen on flourescent lighting, because of how colors get thrown, but is there a bulb that would take care of this? I'm looking for the most natural light I can get, without spending an absolute fortune. Track lighting is nice, but really pricey for a room that's going to be 12 by 32. The room won't have any doors or windows to the outside, because I don't want the sun streaming in on the bowls. What do galleries and such use to light big rooms? Thanks guys.
>Do some research on the track lighting. There are places that sell it much cheaper. It's still expensive however but the spot lights on the wall or on each piece really look good.
You can get color correct Flourescent bulbs. they are color balanced for 5000 degrees Kelvin. They are quite a bit more expensive than standard Flourescent bulbs but they do last a fairly long time.
>Those color corrected florescent light are a treat. You will find yourself in that room in the winter wondering why you feel better. Do some searches for the florescent tubes as some places have much better prices than others. I would also set up a "station" where you have "extra lighting" that you can direct people to with bowl in hand so they can get a feel for what the bowl might look like in different lighting. That "station" can also form the basis of a photo "studio".
They used to sell mirrors that had different filters of the lights to simulate day, office, evening light. That was supposed to help the person putting on makeup.
Anyway a voting booth kind of thing where the person inside can turn on different lights could be a strong selling point. That would give the person confidence that they were making the right choice. It would also give them a quiet moment to reflect on the purchase.
On second thought is sounds like a whole lot of unnecessary work and the reasoning sounds like a bunch of mumbo jumbo.
>David- low voltage Q/Halogen track light fixtures are the best way to illuminate artwork of all kinds and won't break the bank if you shop around. I generally find prices at Lowes to be good, and if you use fluorescent you want Deluxe Cool White tubes to simulate daylight. You can mix these 2 sources together and really dress up specific exhibit areas with Q/H spots.
>Thanks for the advice guys. I looked on the internet and have found a much better deal than the local borg - HD wanted about fifty bucks for a four foot section of lighting, with three fixtures, and no bulbs (bulbs then costing some eight dollars apeice!). Considering I need some seventy or so feet of lighting, that wasn't going to cut it. But I found some clearance lights online, and I think I can light the entire room, with halogen track lighting, for less than three hundred dollars!
Jamie - I was curious why you mentioned the low voltage? Is it cheaper at most places? I found it to be a little more expensive, and more hassle with power supplies and all - just curious though; thanks for the response.
>Many craft shows are now requiring low voltage systems, and multiple light fixtures create much less power draw than 110v fixtures. Some building codes have wattage limits for such installations, so I prefer the low voltage as a conservation efficiency to slow down the meter spin speed!
