The US Tour
50 US Monuments in the spotlight – one per state – exploring US history and
the common roots of the United States of America and Switzerland.
The pioneering spirit of the LIGHT ART GRAND TOUR by Swiss Light Artist Gerry Hofstetter and his daughter Céline, remains a characteristic of American society today. The monuments featured in this extra-ordinary tour explore the history of particular locations. Each is an important piece in the jigsaw puzzle of the United States of America and its founding, and plays a role in fostering friendships with other countries, including tiny Switzerland. The USA and Switzerland share many common roots and political structures.
Both are democracies with a federal
system of government; the USA comprises 50 federal states and Switzerland has
26 states known as cantons. Both established their freedom and national independence by fighting off foreign forces, the USA on 4th July 1776 and Switzerland
on 1st August 1291. Both are very internationally minded and their people live
in peace.
The first year of the tour will focus on the original 13 states to join the Union, followed in the second and third years by the remaining states, from East to West, along the route taken by the pioneers who rolled back America’s frontiers. A Light Art performance will be organised for each selected monument or landmark. The fourth year will be devoted to the
post-production of a film, book, 2021 calendar and art exhibitions. From 2021 onwards, art exhibitions will be presented
in the USA and Switzerland.
The ultimate goal of our tour is to help citizens of the USA understand how both countries share the same core values of freedom, liberty and democracy. The tour’s logo reflects this history.
Gerry Hofstetter,
Céline Hofstetter & team,
and the participating monuments
1st Tour – 2017
East Coast
01 Pennsylvania
Monument: Washington Crossing at Washington Crossing
Light Art: 16th Sept 2017 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM
02 Maryland
Monument: Thomas Viaduct at Elkridge
Light Art: 18th Sept 2017 7.30 PM – 9.00 PM
03 South Carolina
Monument: USS Yorktown at Mount Pleasant, Patriots Point
Light Art: 21st Sept 2017 8:00 PM – 10:30 PM &
28th Sept 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM
04 Delaware
Monument: Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library at Winterthur
Light Art: 25th Sept 2017 8.00 PM – 10.00 PM
05 Virginia
Monument: George Washington’s Mount Vernon at Mount Vernon
Light Art: 27th Sept 2017 7:45 PM – 9:30 PM
06 North Carolina
Monument: Wright Brothers National Memorial at Kill Devil Hill
Light Art: 1 st Oct 2017 8.00 P M – 9.30 PM
07 New Hampshire
Monument: The Mount Washington Hotel at Bretton Woods
Light Art: 4th Oct 2017 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM
08 New Jersey
Monument: Historical Society of Princeton at Updike Farmstead
Light Art: 10th Oct 2017 6:45 PM – 7:30 PM
2nd Tour – 2018
Southeast, Midwest, West
01 Florida
Monument: Rocket Garden at Kennedy Space Center
Light Art: 22nd Sept 2018 – not public
02 Iowa
Monument: Old Capitol at Iowa City
Light Art: 4th Oct 2018 8.00 PM – 9.00 PM, public event
03 Minnesota
Monument: Mill City Museum at Minneapolis
Light Art: 6th Oct 2018 8.00 PM – 9.00 PM, public event
04 Nebraska
Monument: Scotts Bluff National Monument at Gering
Light Art: During the Tour
05 Kansas
Monument: Monument Rocks and Prairie at Gove County
Light Art: 13th Oct 2018 7.00 PM – 9.00 PM
06 California
Monument: Sutter's Fort at Sacramento
Light Art: 25th Oct 2018 7.00 PM – 8.00 PM, public event
3rd Tour – 2019
Northeast, Southeast, Southwest
4th Tour - 2020
Midwest, West
Production 2020
Post-productions of film, book, 2021 calendar and art exhibitions
Art Exhibitions 2021
From 2021 onwards, Art exhibitions in the USA and in Switzerland
LIGHT ART
GRAND TOUR USA
2016 – 2020
Art project for the tour start and for the Swiss National Day ceremony in New York, 1st August 2016, placing a copy of the liberator of Switzerland, William Tell Statue from Altdorf on Rat Island. The only one island in New York which is privately owned. The owners are
two Swiss gentlemen. The island is located in the Bronx, 18 Miles away from the Liberty.
Hofstetter Marketing
Schwäntenmos 9 8126 Zumikon Switzerland
Tel +41 (0)44 918 72 27