Guide to Art Displays with Lighting Options

Your art deserves to shine — literally. The right lighting doesn't just illuminate your collection; it transforms it into a breathtaking experience.

Quick answer: Pedestal Source offers seven lighting options for art pedestals: ambient, spotlight, corner, overhead, ladder, showcase, and lighted acrylic.

Each lighting option is suited to different piece types, materials, and display goals.

Below, we break down what each does, when to use it, and how to control it, whether you're a gallery curator or a passionate collector.

 

What Problem Does Pedestal Lighting Solve?

Displaying art without the right lighting means losing detail, texture, and impact. A beautifully crafted piece can look flat under generic overhead lighting or get lost in a room. Pedestal lighting solves this by putting the light source where it matters: built into the display itself, aimed and controlled to match the piece.

 

Types of Lighting

Ambient light

Best for: pieces that need broad, even illumination without harsh shadows.

 

Ambient-lit displays offer a broad, soft illumination enveloping your artwork. This expansive light source diffuses softly, casting gentle shadows, and enhancing the overall presence of your pieces.

In comparison, a more focused light source, like our spot or corner lights below, will create more pronounced shadows with contrasting areas of light and dark.

 

Spotlights

Best for: glass or semi-opaque pieces with color and nuance.

Spotlights focus a beam through a variable-diameter hole in the pedestal’s top surface, covered by a frosted acrylic disk. This feature fills and illuminates your glass or semi-opaque art piece, making it ideal for pieces with color and nuance. 

Explore our customizable spotlight pedestals with different aperture sizes and LED colors for a tailored illumination experience.

Although the standard light aperture is 3” diameter, we offer an array of customization. Learn more about how we can customize your lighted display today!

 

Corner Lights

Best for: highlighting natural contours and dramatic detail.

Corner swivel lights are small, round, adjustable spotlights that create spectacular drama by highlighting the piece’s natural contours. Our corner lights are available with small (2" diameter) or large (3.25" diameter) bezels to best suit the size of the display. The large lights come in a color-changing and temperature-changing option with remote control dimmer.

 

Depending on the height of your piece, you’ll want to make sure you provide enough top surface display space to achieve the proper angle. If you have questions, give us a call, and we can help design and discover the custom option to best display your art.

 

Overhead Lights

Best for: sculptures of the human form, translucent pieces, or a museum-quality look in a compact footprints.

For museum and gallery quality lighting in a small package, we recommend our overhead lighting option. 

These telescoping, stainless steel rods integrate seamlessly out of the pedestal top and cradle a rotating, 7.5 watts LED bulb that illuminates your piece from above for a heavenly glow.  While the rods come in 36” or 60” lengths, they can be adjusted down to any height using the retractable, telescoping feature.

Overhead lighting is great for bringing life to sculptures of human forms. It's soft, all-encompassing, and effortless. It also works well when you're lighting a translucent sculpture or other art. 

Another option is a ladder light. The ladder light provides adjustable backlighting for your piece. 

 

Ladder Lights

Best for: thick, tall glass sculptures or translucent art that benefits from backlighting.

 

Ladder lights slide up and down to match the height of the piece, creating adjustable backlight. Like overhead lights, they shift between warm and cool tones for different effects.

Check out the video below for a better visual of our overhead and ladder light options!

 

 

Both overhead lights and ladder lights are dimmable, adjustable for warm and cool, and can be switched to almost RGB hue imaginable!  Color options are endless.

For customers who already have their pedestal at home, an overhead light kit can be ordered and easily retrofitted into your existing display. 

 

Showcase Light

Best for: displays that need both illumination and protection.

This is the ultimate light package to showcase and protect your art. Our display case comes fully integrated with an acrylic dust cover and down-lighting installed in the overhead hood.

For additional lighting effects, we can customize your case with bottom lighting, including an ambient-lit base, corner lights, and spotlights. 

 

Lighted Acrylic White Pedestal

Best for: displays designed to be the visual centerpiece of a room.

Capture anyone’s attention with the magnetizing glow of our White Acrylic Lighted Pedestals. A vertical, low-voltage LED system distributes light evenly across the surface of the pedestal for an eye-catching effect: these pedestals glow.

 

Designed to call attention to your art, collection, or merchandise, the interior light of this pedestal provides a uniform ambient glow throughout the display space. 

 

Controlled by a remote control, you can fine-tune the coloring and brightness to whatever best fits the situation.

 

 

Comparison Chart: Which Lighting Is Right for Your Piece?

How Do You Control Pedestal Lighting?

We have three standard options for turning up the lights on your pedestal: remote, foot switch, or side switch.

 

For discreet control, consider a switch on the backside, available in white or black. Some lighting options feature remote control, enabling adjustments within a 20-meter radius.

 

Foot Switch

Our foot switch, typically used in ambient and spotlight pedestals, is available in clear, black, brown, and white cords, offering ease of operation. Our bulbs that come standard in ambient and spotlight pedestals are typically turned on and off using a foot switch, connected by a cord to your pedestal.

 

Cords come standard in clear, but we also offer black, brown, and white cords. Because we hand-make every pedestal to order, it's easy to customize your cord. Just let us know you’d like a different color when you order!

Side Switch

For something a bit more discreet and convenient, we can install a switch on the backside of your pedestal. You can choose black or white side switches to match your lighted display.

 

Remote

Most lighting options include a remote control — you can adjust the color, temperature, or brightness of your lighting within a 20-meter radius using the AAA battery-powered remote. Not all of our pedestals or lighting options can be outfitted with adjustable bulbs, so if you have any doubts or need clarification, please call us!

 

LET'S CHAT

 

 

Why Use Lighting for Art Displays?

Lighting enhances visibility, sets the atmosphere, and draws attention to specific pieces. Consider lighting for:

1. Reveal the Details: Lighting uncovers the intricacies of your artwork, bringing out the textures and nuances that might otherwise go unnoticed.
2. Set the Tone: Create the right atmosphere for your art with strategic lighting. Whether it's highlighting the vibrancy of a piece or setting a mood, lighting sets the stage for an immersive viewing experience.
3. Ensure Visibility: Whether it's day or night, lighting ensures that your art is seen and appreciated by all. It eliminates shadows and highlights key features, making your display stand out.
4. Encourage Interaction: Lighting invites viewers to engage with your art on a deeper level. By playing with light and shadow, you encourage exploration and interaction, enriching the viewing experience.
5. Transform the Ordinary: With the right lighting, even the simplest of displays can become captivating. Lighting has the power to elevate your art from ordinary to extraordinary, making it truly shine.

Lighting isn't just about making art visible; it's about enhancing its impact and creating a memorable experience for viewers.

Ready to Illuminate Your Art Collection?

Transform your art display with our range of lighting options. Whether you're looking to highlight specific pieces, create a captivating ambiance, or enhance visibility, we have the perfect solution for you.

Don't let your art collection go unnoticed. Illuminate it with our expert lighting solutions.

 

SHOP LIGHTED ART PEDESTALS

Contact Us Today to Explore Our Lighting Options!

Give us a call at 800-333-9953 or fill out our contact form to discuss your lighting needs and find the perfect solution for showcasing your artwork.