NECA/IBEW
Powering Portland’s nighttime identity
For nearly forty years, Portland’s bridges and the city’s creative spirit have been brighter thanks to a partnership between NECA/IBEW and the Willamette Light Brigade.
The Beginning of Portland’s Bridge Lighting Legacy
It all started back in 1987, when union electricians and contractors from NECA/IBEW teamed up with the newly formed Willamette Light Brigade to bring permanent lighting to the Morrison Bridge. With floodlights installed on the bridge piers, that first illumination on December 12, 1987, marked Portland’s very first architectural bridge lighting project.
It was both a technical achievement and a statement of civic pride that showed what’s possible when skilled labor, public agencies and the arts come together to shape the city we love. The lights on the Morrison Bridge have been glowing ever since, a nightly reminder of how collaboration can transform infrastructure into inspiration.
Illuminate Bridge City: Bringing Art-Forward Lighting to Downtown Portland
Today, that same spirit lives on through Illuminate Bridge City, the Willamette Light Brigade’s initiative to bring iconic, art-forward, color-changing lighting to all of downtown Portland’s bridges. This next chapter builds on the Morrison Bridge’s legacy of combining lighting technology with art and storytelling to connect neighborhoods, celebrate the Willamette River, shape our nighttime identity and reimagine Portland’s skyline.
NECA/IBEW and the Portland Winter Light Festival: Lighting Up the Community
NECA/IBEW’s role in that story continues to shine. As a longtime sponsor of the Portland Winter Light Festival, their dedication has helped the Festival grow from a small community event a decade ago into one of the Pacific Northwest’s signature winter celebrations, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors to connect and experience light-based art across the city during the darkest time of year.
Collaboration That Makes Portland Shine: Celebrating Light, Art, and Community
Their partnership reminds us that every illuminated bridge, every glowing art installation, and every shared moment of joy and wonder at the Light Festival is powered by the hands, hearts and bright ideas that make Portland shine!
