The Fabric of our Society

August 2021

Broadening Our Reach 

Shoshanna Segal
Hartranft Lighting Design
IESNYC Vice President

August is a tricky month. We’re deep in summer, but back-to-school sale signs are everywhere, and nights are taking on that crisp edge. Even at the beginning of the month, we can feel a tug toward a busier, more scheduled season. Given the currently relaxed pandemic restrictions, fall seems both exciting and worrying.  

While I’m still not fluent in all of the TLA’s* that go along with my new position, I am awed by the sheer magnitude of creativity and commitment brought to bear on the many aspects of life that go into running the section. I am thrilled that the programming and education committees have an exciting collection of programs scheduled for the fall covering a variety of topics and subjects. 

One of the most exciting and important topics that we are beginning to address with specific programming is equity and diversity within our community and our professional practice. These programs are sure to be engaging and thought provoking.  What I really want to focus on is the idea of what it means to broaden our collective definition of “the lighting industry “ or “lighting practitioners“. 

The Society has always done a good job positioning ourselves as the source of expertise and knowledge about lighting and the lit environment within a fairly narrow professional lane. As the world continues to grapple with issues of inclusion and awareness, our goal should be to broaden our reach beyond architecture and engineering and into the larger community. My challenge to you during these last, less-structured days of summer is to find a way to do just that; expand our reach, engage new communities, explain to your landlord or dentist or the person on the elevator why lighting matters and why they should care and be engaged. And maybe, while you’re at it, ask them what they know about that you should too. 

To accomplish the tough work of creating an inclusive society, we’re need to re-learn how to talk to people who don’t “get” us or what we do. I truly believe that the IESNYC has a role to play in this work and that by sharing the technical and artistic knowledge that is our daily focus with the larger communities of which we are all a part, we will find new ways to light the world and new allies with whom to light it. 

Happy end of summer, the fall is looking bright (and maybe a little scary, too)

*TLA= Three Letter Acronym (and there are a lot of them!)