Going Green at 5th and Main

By Ed Fuentes
Published: Wednesday, May 14, 2008, at 02:53PM

Ed Fuentes

Pharmaka's Shane Guffogg stands outside the gallery, located at 101 W. 5th street.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Pharmaka's current show may be the collection of Molly Barnes, but those who visited the gallery for last week's Art Walk or last night's Art Seen event got to check out a different kind of installation.

The gallery went recently green, the first of its kind in the U.S. According to Pharmaka's Shane Guffogg, the new LED lighting from “Green Touch” is saving 90% off the gallery's energy bill while leaving vibrant light for art.

A centerpiece of the environmentally-friendly installation is a giant fan with a 12 foot span. It runs completely silent and lets the air circulate through the entire gallery.

The gallery's furniture is made from post consumer (recycled) milk cartons and reclaimed teak wood, while the shelves and counter are made of cornhusk. Pharmaka's even started using environmentally-friendly floor sealer.

The gallery's eco buzz reached the Discovery Channel, who came in to shoot a piece on Pharmaka. It will be broadcasted on the show "Alter Eco" later in July.

Comments

David Kennedy writes:

I am curious as to the quality of the LED lighting in terms of viewing works of art. Is it better, worse or no different? I'll be sure to check it out myself. But, I'd be interested to know the professional opinion of working artists (in particular, those who paint) and gallery owners.

# on May.14.2008 AT 05:35 PM

Bert Green writes:

I worked with the lighting consultant on the Pharmaka re-lighting scheme. It is a work in progress, and we will continue to tweak it until we get it right.

The fundamental difference between halogen lighting, which uses 50 -90 watts per bulb, and the LED lighting, which uses 3 watts per bulb, is obviously the intensity of the light.

By bringing the power consumption down by more than 90% there is a performance loss. But not as much as you might think. The LED lighting is pretty good. The issue now is color temperature, not so much the intensity, which can be made up for by adding extra lights.

We will work with the available fixtures to find a formula for the artwork that is both flexible and green. It may take lighting a few shows to get it right. Come in and take a look.

# on May.15.2008 AT 12:30 AM

Jane writes:

OMG! That is so cool! That Gallery is the best! I went there once! I also know Shane! How cool! Keep up the good green work!

# on May.17.2008 AT 08:56 AM

PE writes:

A great gallery and a great green step forward! Go Shane and Pharmaka!

# on May.17.2008 AT 09:08 AM