This was a big one!

Hello friends! I've just arrived back home to my studio after a whirlwind trip to Colorado Springs for my largest art installation to date! I'm excited to tell you all about my experience. 

Consisting of two separate artworks, one inspired by the other, these pieces occupy a large new mixed-use building downtown Colorado Springs. I'll be focusing primarily on the installation experience in this email - to learn about the design intent behind these works, click the buttons below!

From the design proposal phase this project has been referred to as the “Denver Project”. A couple of weeks before the installation was scheduled to occur, I received the site address and was surprised to find out that this installation was actually happening in Colorado Springs, not Denver, despite the artwork already having been shipped to and stored in Denver for months. 😅 🤔

I had already been working remotely during the month of February in ski-country Colorado, so on March 1st, my partner Mikie, who was driving back to North Carolina that weekend, dropped me off in Denver where I rented a vehicle and traveled south. This was my first time traveling for an art installation!

The very first stop I made upon arriving in Colorado Springs was to Garden of the Gods to experience some of the beautiful rock formations of the area which I evoked in the design of the artwork.

(I was really hoping Garden of the Gods had a profound story behind the majestic name, but the place is actually named after, of all things, beer.)

I also visited the Manitou Cliff Dwellings and Cave of the Winds while I was in town - for research purposes of course 😉

I was very nervous going into this installation for a couple of reasons: 

1. I had a rough fabrication experience, and

2. there were issues encountered with the walls changing lengths during construction from what was drawn in the architectural plan.

Upon arriving at the site, none of the three walls which were to receive artwork were the same dimensions as had been confirmed via email prior to the installation. They were, however, all big enough to make it work **phew!**

The installation lasted three solid days in what is very much still a construction site. We were required to wear personal protective equipment and take special care to negotiate space with other tradespeople and massive amounts of dust.

Day one consisted mostly of getting the work to the site from storage and inside of the heated building. Because of the abnormal shape of the Journey artwork panels, they were shipped flat on palettes.

Days two and three were occupied with mounting the art; For Journey, the locking mechanisms required a great amount of alignment precision in the installation process and the work was tedious and time-consuming. 

Meanwhile upstairs Snapshots, a more straightforward installation, was being hung…

We finished the mounting process on Wednesday, made paint touch ups, and snapped some photos of me with the work to wrap up the day.

What a whirlwind!

Below are photos of the completed installation. Once the building is complete, we will have a photographer capture the works in all their glory (minus the dust!)

I'm especially proud of how this corner detail turned out - we re-did this area several times to get it just right!

Generally it was an interesting experience being on a construction job site again but in a different capacity - previously as part of the architecture team, now as a sculptural artist. 

What was a little strange about this project was that there was no clear ‘client’ figure on site, so I received (positive) feedback primarily from the art installation team and the site tradespeople working on completing the building construction.

 I’m accustomed to getting final approval from a client before leaving an installation. In this case, that approval had to come from within myself, which feels less easily accomplished! I am my harshest critic, there's no doubt about it. 

I’m really proud of these completed installations, and the feeling is hard earned. This was my first time being (or intending to be) “design only” on a commission and outsourcing fabrication management, and I actually had a terrible experience with my fabricator. I under-budgeted yes, but I also over-trusted, and lost a large amount of profit.

 Most importantly, I learned A LOT. 

It’s surreal to see these pieces fully mounted, then turn my back and say goodbye. Another art baby sent off into the world, *sigh*.

One of my favorite experiences in Colorado Springs was my stay at a cute hotel 3-minutes from the job site with a great healthy (+affordable!) restaurant on the main level. 

What was awesome about this hotel, called Kinship Landing, was that I had a wonderful view of the very mountain this artwork is inspired by right out my bedroom window! Nearly everywhere I went during my stay in Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak was within view; The inspiration for the artwork was always readily available for admiration.

Thank you so much for your continued interest in my work! I hope you have a wonderful rest of your week. Until next time!

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