Meet Our Member

The IESNYC spotlights a member each month whose volunteerism, perspective or personal story helps advance our goals, piques our curiosity, and makes the IESNYC become a more vibrant and diverse lighting community. We value their expertise and thank them for volunteering their time and energy for the betterment of the section and NYC Lighting Community. #the_iesnycmom

June 2026

Anne Rainbow Savage
Project Designer, Lux Collaborative

Q: How did you first get started in the lighting industry?
After working as a licensed architect in Pittsburgh, I moved to Seattle in December 2008 to be closer to family.  At the onset of the Great Recession, I was in a new city with no professional contacts, and absolutely no one was hiring architects. I learned that the University of Washington in Seattle offered a graduate certificate program in Integrated Lighting Design, both architectural lighting and daylighting.

For me, as an architect, lighting was the most enriching aspect of architecture: it animates the built environment, gives form to space, reveals the texture of materials, and allows us to experience the visual as tactile. However, I’d never worked with lighting designers and was unaware that lighting design was its own specialized discipline. But damn if I wasn’t excited at the prospect of diving in headfirst!

Edward Bartholomew (of Bartholomew Lighting and Light Justice) taught the architectural lighting course. He spoke of lighting as an ephemeral element that transcends the functional and engages the user as living experiential art.

Thoroughly inspired and invigorated, I soon joined WSP Flack + Kurtz as a lighting designer, under the leadership of Melanie Taylor. She recognized my newfound passion for lighting and my years of experience as a designer. As a mentor, Melanie encouraged curiosity and challenged me to grow. But ultimately, Melanie gifted me the freedom to find my own expression as a lighting designer. 

Q: How did you first get involved in the IESNYC?
As an architect, I was a member of the AIA and recognized the value of professional organizations. I joined the IES early in my lighting design career in Seattle, and continued my membership upon relocating to New York City in 2019.

Coming from Seattle, the sizable IESNYC Section appeared daunting and unapproachable. However, I found that members were eager to connect, share knowledge, and offer support. And later, when I was looking for a new job, generous colleagues and peers readily stepped in to put the word out. In fact, each position I’ve had since moving to NYC has come through word-of-mouth connections. That sense of community is real, even now.

I attended IESNYC events and continuing education programs, but it wasn’t until I participated in Moonlighting as an exhibiting artist that I felt compelled to become more involved. To share artistic work is an exhilarating and vulnerable experience. But it also allows others a view into the person, and what inspires them, beyond their resume or job title. I was so enlivened by that experience of connection that I wanted to facilitate it for others.  

Q: How do you see your role as a member of the IESNYC?
I lean towards aspects of the IESNYC that leverage that direct human connection. In addition to my role in Moonlighting as a committee member and artist, I’m currently participating as a mentor in the IESNYC Guiding Lights Circle.

Throughout my career, I’ve encouraged and supported emerging designers on my team, acting as an informal mentor. I participate in Women in Lighting + Design’s mentorship program, a peer-to-peer cohort model through virtual meetings. But I was excited to find an opportunity locally with Guiding Lights, a 9-month structured, in-person program. Meeting one-on-one and in-person fosters a unique bond and level of trust. As a mentor, I encourage both professional and personal development.

I appreciate that our community values personal connection and individual experience. Both Moonlighting and mentorship offer space to share my passion, as well as to celebrate and nourish it in others. When each individual feels seen and supported, the community is stronger as a whole.

Q: In your opinion, what are the best assets of the IESNYC?
The IESNYC provides a forum for timely and important industry conversations, such as the role of lighting in human health, neurodivergent-sensitive environments, and Alzheimer’s care; the evolving role of distributors in the construction process; and growing awareness of Light Justice and the impact on greater society. We offer education on wide-ranging topics, encourage collaboration among disciplines and beyond the lighting industry, and cultivate opportunities for meaningful networking and volunteer involvement, at all levels of professional experience.

The Section is a resource to strengthen technical expertise, explore creative expression, and nurture the inspiration and connections that sustain our passion for lighting. And whatever your passion within the lighting industry, you can find it within the IESNYC.