Sidewalk Harp is a permanent, outdoor interactive instrument in Minneapolis, Minnesota, located at the headquarters of the Be The Match Registry.

The Sidewalk Harp is played by passing your body through the 36 sensors capped with LEDs along the bottom of the 40-foot-long stainless steel form. Much like plucking the string of a harp, passing through the sensors triggers custom circuitry to produce musical notes and LED colors. As the community gathers and plays together, they create a symphony of color that washes over the urban landscape. This act of engagement with others is just as much a part of the art as the sculpture itself.

The Be The Match Registry, operated by the nonprofit National Bone Marrow Donor Program, is the world’s largest hematopoietic cell registry, listing more than 10.5 million individuals and nearly 185,000 cord blood units. Hematopoietic cells from NMDP donors or cord blood units are used to transplant patients with a variety of blood, bone marrow, or immune system disorders. As of January 2013, the National Bone Marrow Donor Program had facilitated more than 55,000 transplants worldwide.

The Laser Harp Series is an evolution of immersive installations using movement and laser light to trigger sound. Jen Lewin has been creating light harps since the mid-1990s. These harps have ranged from art installations to stage and performance works and large outdoor sculptures. The Sidewalk Harp is the second permanent installation in the series and the first to incorporate LED interactivity.