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Rainbow light installation lights up Harvey Milk Plaza

“Harvey’s Halo” premieres amid drizzle and the sounds of Queen

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It’s not unusual for rain to precede a rainbow, and as such the drizzly Wednesday weather in the Castro didn’t hold up the unveiling of “Harvey’s Halo,” a new light art piece overlooking Harvey Milk Plaza and dedicated on the 40th anniversary of Milk’s election to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

The new, temporary installation from Illuminate, the same non-profit group that brought us the Bay Lights and Summer of Love light show at the Conservatory of Flowers, projects LED beams over the SoulCycle building immediately next to the plaza in what’s supposed to look something like a rainbow crown, fired toward the sky accompanied by the sounds of Queen’s “We Are the Champions” Wednesday night.

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Unfortunately, Wednesday’s winsome weather seems to have somewhat watered down the effect. Fortunately, Harvey’s Halo will glow again for the next two weekends as well, providing ample opportunity for the atmosphere to behave.

In addition to the Milk rays, the addition of a new, permanent installation to the SoulCycle building, the neon words “Hope will never be silent” affixed to its facade below the cornice, a quote attributed to Milk.

Illuminate was coming up a bit short in its crowdfund campaign for the Milk gala on Wednesday, but the last minute contribution of $15,000 on behalf of Salesforce put them over the top.

Harvey Milk Plaza, San Francisco_2

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