Flipping the switch: Kidd shines in career as outdoor lighting designer

Projects have taken shape locally, along with taking jobs in Evansville, Newburgh, Bowling Green, Lexington, Louisville and other parts of the tri-state.

Kidd’s journey in lights started when he moved to Austin, Texas, in the early 2000s to attend the MediaTech Institute at Arlyn Studios to study studio engineering and recording techniques.

However, Kidd didn’t find enjoyment recording in the studio and pivoted to live sound productions in bars, clubs and other venues in downtown Austin.

“... That kind of turned into doing lighting at the clubs and events,” he said. “I would do large weddings and stuff like that.”

Kidd became a lighting tech and stagehand at the Frank Erwin Center at the University of Texas at Austin and worked in production for touring entities such as the Rockettes, AC/DC, WWE and Brad Paisley.

He was also asked to be part of the light crew for the Austin City Limits Music Festival.

Eventually, Kidd moved back to the Owensboro area when he found out he was going to be a first-time father and got the spark of starting his own business.

“I was sitting out on my father’s deck one night looking out over his lake, and it was completely dark,” he said. “I just kind of thought to myself that maybe I should do landscape lighting; and it just clicked from that point on.”

From there, Kidd has achieved recognition for his work — most recently securing two awards from the Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals (AOLP), including the 2023 “Best of Show” for his designs for the First Presbyterian Church in Owensboro.

“I’m just kind of taking it all in stride over the past 13 years,” he said, “and (I’m) making my main focus to get better at lighting; and it just kind of paid off finally this year.”

His work has also been on display in the woods during the annual ROMP Fest at Yellow Creek Park and at Garden Lights & Ocean Waters (GLOW) at South Coast Botanic Garden in California, alongside friend and fellow lighting professional Anthony Bogdanovich.

But the work goes beyond the attention and praise he’s received.

“Every project (being) different is the main reason why I love it so much,” Kidd said. “Every time I pull up to a house, it’s a totally customized piece of art to me. It’s not just sticking lights in the ground — it’s about knowing everything about the whole scenario that is involved with each piece of property, how people use it ….

“It’s just a huge piece of art and kind of like a puzzle you have to put together correctly, and I just strive every time that I do to do it a little better.”

One of Kidd’s favorite things is bringing a different kind of light on a client’s face when they see the finished product.

“There’s generally an emotional reaction among some people …. Sometimes they don’t realize what their property looks like at night,” he said, “... and when they don’t know, once you turn the lights on, oftentimes people are just super happy.

“They didn’t know what they were missing the whole time by not having lighting.”

For more information, visit tranquilitylights.com or facebook.com/tranquilitylightingdesign.