Home / Process
From first call to first light
A clear path from idea to a working Luminary, with a dedicated design process and a full-size mock-up before anything is built.
Six steps
The studio moves fast. Renderings and a mock-up can be ready within weeks, and a Luminary can go from first meeting to installation in about four months when decisions keep pace.
Conversation
A call about what you want to say, where it will stand, who will see it, and when you want to dedicate it.
Design and renderings
Rounds of design meetings and artistic 3D renderings until the look and feel is right for everyone at the table.
Full-size mock-up
A full-size mock-up is built and lit outdoors. Within about 150 miles of Delaware County, Indiana, it can be set up and lit on your site. Farther away, it is lit at the studio and you receive drone footage, photos, and measurements. Three or four rounds of changes are included.
Fabrication
Once the design is signed off, the Luminary is cut from 7-gauge, 316-grade stainless steel, finished, fitted with its light, and tested.
Site preparation
Your team handles permits, utility marking, and site prep. The studio supplies engineered foundation drawings and an exact anchor-bolt template for your concrete contractor.
Delivery and first light
The studio delivers and sets the Luminary on its foundation, connects it to the site lighting, and switches it on, ready for the dedication.
By proposal
Every Luminary is a custom, permanent commission. The investment depends on size, design, finish, and site, and is set out in a proposal after the first conversation.
- Design meetings and 3D renderings
- A full-size mock-up, lit outdoors, with three or four rounds of changes
- Fabrication in 316 stainless steel, satin or powder coated
- A 1500-watt projection light by Infinity Projectors
- Engineered foundation drawings and anchor template
- Delivery and installation in the contiguous United States
How projects get funded
Clients pay for a Luminary the way they pay for any lasting gift. The Ball State Luminary was commissioned by the Ball State Foundation.
Foundation or lead donor
One gift funds the piece, often with naming recognition.
Class gift
A graduating or reunion class leaves a legacy.
Capital project
Included in a new building or campus plan.
Public art
Funded through a city or state public-art program.
