Bringing the Garden to Life: CHAUVET Professional and The Lighting & Sound Company Create an Immersive Experience at Maymont Garden Glow
Nestled in the heart of Richmond, Virginia, Maymont Estate’s annual Garden Glow event is a local treasure—a celebration of natural beauty, artistry, and light. In 2024, The Lighting & Sound Company once again transformed this historic 20-acre park into a wonderland of color and motion, and CHAUVET Professional was proud to be at the heart of it all.
From the tranquil lakes of the Japanese Garden to dramatic rock formations and lush foliage, every corner of the park pulsed with energy and atmosphere. Under the expert leadership of Jonathan Blake, Director of Technical Services at The Lighting & Sound Company, this year’s event was more than a visual showcase – it was a fully immersive experience.
“We aimed to highlight the ground’s horticulture in a way that respected and elevated its natural elegance,” said Blake. “To make that happen, we needed fixtures that were not only powerful and vibrant but rugged enough to handle unpredictable outdoor conditions.”
With over 300 CHAUVET Professional fixtures powering the experience, the lighting design was as technically impressive as it was visually stunning. The inventory included:
- 84 COLORado Panel Q40s, delivering bright, saturated light across large swaths of the park, especially across the lake in the Japanese Garden.
- 163 COLORdash Par H12 IP units and 40 COLORado 1QS fixtures, offering vivid color washes across the landscape.
- 22 Ovation E-260WW IP ellipsoidals, used for projecting custom gobo patterns on rock formations, gates, waterfalls, and even walkways.
- 16 Ovation REVE E-3 IP ellipsoidals used for colored gobo projection
- 40 ÉPIX Strip IP units, forming a dynamic light tunnel that connected Glow Village to the serene Japanese Garden trail.
All CHAUVET Professional units used were IP65-rated, ensuring optimal performance throughout the three-week outdoor installation, no matter the weather.
“Using the Q40s was a game changer for us,” Blake emphasized. “Their long throw and powerful punch let us light features across the lake with stunning clarity. We’ve done this show before without them, and the difference this year was undeniable.”
The lighting was orchestrated over an advanced control network utilizing 10 universes of DMX around the lake and an additional 24 universes for special features like the ÉPIX tunnel. sACN protocol ensured seamless communication from the show control hub to each strategically placed DMX node, making every flicker and fade count.
The result? A breathtaking blend of nature, light, and sound. As visitors wandered through glowing pathways, under illuminated archways, and past shimmering reflections on the lake, traditional Japanese music emanated from hidden rock-shaped speakers, completing the sensory experience.
CHAUVET Professional are honored to support creators like The Lighting & Sound Company who use our technology to push the boundaries of what’s possible in live and environmental design. Maymont Garden Glow wasn’t just a walk through the park—it was a journey into the extraordinary.
