Artistry in Motion

Radiance Performance Series videowalls are the focal point of a new art gallery in Sacramento, paying tribute to the works of local artist Jackie Anderson.

The emotional connection we feel when viewing a beautiful, inspiring piece of art is undeniable. As the curators of one of Sacramento’s newest, hippest galleries have discovered, this bond intensifies when technology is intertwined. Conceived as a living legacy to local artist Jacquelyn Anderson by her husband, The Jacquelyn studio brings more than 80,000 works from her eclectic collection of photography and sketches to life on two massive Digital Projection videowalls. Scaling upwards more than 20 feet in the gallery’s main atrium, the dynamic exhibit rotates seasonally, creating an ever-changing digital canvas of stunning, hand-picked imagery. “Expressing Jackie’s work as a digital artform was the only way possible to convey the incredible talent and passion behind every piece in her collection,” says Keith Wackford of Sacramento Production Services Inc. (SACPS), the technology integration firm contracted to outfit the gallery with digital displays.

The two-piece videowall may appear as a natural, seamless extension of the gallery’s contemporary architecture, but getting to that point required plenty of planning and perseverance. “We quickly realized based on the architectural and design constraints that integrating two videowalls would be tough to pull off,” says Wackford. Yet, not impossible. They knew they could count on the highly capable videowall experts and Digital Projection to collaborate on the design, installation, and configuration to ensure the perfect fit and function.

As is the case with most construction projects, The Jacqelyn morphed considerably during its two-year build-out. Within the space allocated for the two vertically stacked videowalls emerged a transparent glass catwalk and massive window. The light exposure from the fenestration and visual demarcation from the catwalk would influence every aspect of the videowall design. The SACPS team found itself in a near-constant state of flux to establish a peaceful coexistence between these two prominent architectural features and the large-scale displays. There was also some miscommunication and miscalculation midway through the project to overcome. “We had specified LED panels according to the architectural drawings, which ended up being off by a few feet from the actual construction,” Wackford says. “This left us with a visually unappealing gap at the top of the videowall.” Digital Projection was ready with a resolution. They expedited to the jobsite additional panels to bridge the divide and helped SACPS align and daisy chain them to form one cohesive digital canvas. An additional five hours of calibration time was also required and the field technicians from Digital Projection “nailed this exercise, too,” Wackford says. “You’d never know the existing panels and two new rows of panels came from different manufacturing batches.”

This was much more than a sizing exercise, however. Due diligence in the selection and calibration of the videowall components was crucial to accurately depict the hues, textures, and nuances of Jackie’s original art. Digital Projection’s Performance Series LEDs provided the perfect canvas: 1,500 nits of brightness to combat high levels of natural and ambient light, integrated photo sensor to lower the brightness in the evening, RGB 4:4:4 support to maintain color accuracy, and 4K resolution for true-to-life imagery. More difficult to determine was the appropriate pixel pitch for the displays. There were many options, SACPS called on Digital Projection to lead a demonstration. “Collectively with the client, we compared the image quality of various pixel pitches, settling on fine pitch displays of 1.2mm. They all agreed that 1.2mm pixel-pitch images looked smooth and the details well-defined from close up and far away, just as visitors would be viewing Jackie’s artwork at the gallery,” Wackford says.

A fusion of artistry and technology, the Digital Projection videowall at The Jacquelyn gallery not only honors Anderson’s legacy but serves as a testament to innovation and creativity. “It pushed us to explore new designs, new applications, and the creation of something totally unique and inspiring,” Wackford remarks. “With the help of Digital Projection and remaining nimble and open-minded, we were able to overcome obstacles and create a truly unique and inspiring experience for visitors and a wonderful addition to the surrounding art community.”