Thérèse Lahaie

Lightbirds fly atop the SalesForceTower Art, brings attention to the Spring migration of bird species that travel the Pacific Flyway in San Francisco and those no longer with us. We hope that watching birds of light soaring lifts spirits in difficult times.

Watch the migration live April 1- 26 from 12 AM - 1 AM - see dates below expanded performances and watch parties.

We met with Jim Campbell for three live tests at 5th and Brannan in San Francisco.
Jim uploads our reels from the tailgate of his Volvo station wagon, and moments later,
the birds are flying on the Tower, and critiques commence.

My collaborator from Running Reel Films, Hahn Nguyen,
and I refined our content, contrast, scale, speed, and color palettes.
Hence, birds with forty-foot wingspans soar on updrafts bringing
calm and vibrancy to the San Francisco Bay Area.

Follow up on Instagram: @thereselahaie @jimcampbellstudio @salesforcetower @bxpbostonproperties @runningreelfilms

Light installation artist Thérèse Lahaie is influenced by the tides and seabirds she sees as she swims in the San Francisco Bay. Employing sunlight and optical mirrors, her Sunbird reflections occur during the day, then shift after sunset to video projections with a second set of light patterns for a nighttime migration.  

In addition to compelling art installations the “Lightbirds" are also a call to action for protecting seabird habitats and the impact of warming oceans on birds. This series began to bring recognition to half a million Common Murres, diving sea birds that we have lost since 2015 due to warming oceans on the Northwest US & Canadian Coast. The shapes of the sun's reflected light are reminiscent of birds and fish, as Murres can dive hundreds of feet deep to feed.

Lightbird installations have been temporary pop-up events and semi-permanent installations to date. The current mission is to grow the migration of Lightbirds to interior and exterior public and private spaces. This goal requires raising funds for engineering the technically formed mirror optics in acrylic and mirrored stainless for wall and pole mounting for architectural scale installations. The goal is to use these formed mirrors to reflect Lightbirds with 20’ - 60’ wing spans that fly with the sun on building walls, and to do so. Our goal is to raise $50,000.

The Salesforce Tower Lightbird installation is my biggest canvas for Bay Area audiences, and please keep the Lightbirds soaring by supporting our mission.  

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Please use the donate button below to make your tax-deductible contribution to this project or contact;
Thérèse Lahaie, at therese@thereselahaie.com

You can make a tax-deductible donation via paypal here.

If you prefer to contribute by cash, credit card or check, please contact Thérèse Lahaie, therese@thereselahaie.com

You can watch Lightbirds flying here and please reach out with any questions about this public art project.

Thanks for your support!