It’s hard to believe that my first ever artist residency with Open Air Montana has come and gone already!

Shown above is myself at the Missoula public library holding my most recent wall-mounted sculptural artwork called Pentaprism created using iridescent acrylic

I’ve spent the past six weeks in Missoula, Montana working at the public library’s maker space by day and exploring this fabulous western city beside. Many friends have been made and many design ideas explored. 

Allow me to share what I’ve been up to…

As you may or may not know already, I am little obsessed with iridescence for its energetic and mystical properties and feature it frequently through my artwork – including my annual sculptural Holiday ornaments.

During this artist residency I set out to determine how to create wall-mounted light refracting shapes using iridescent acrylic.

My first test utilized six individual pieces cut on a laser cutter joined together by wire. 

I liked the proportion and design of the sculptural shape, but I wondered - would this be possible to create using nothing other than the material itself - in other words: no wire, adhesives, screws, etc.?

I had defined a self-assigned design challenge which I now set out to resolve.

During my initial test cuts on the laser cutter, I attempted to create a score line (or etched partial indentation) and accidentally cut nearly all the way through the material, leaving only the iridescent film intact. What resulted was acrylic which bent on a seam.

With this new discovery that the acrylic could be folded, I then attempted to create the original shape using this bent approach. But what would join two separate faces to one another?

My solution: A custom mechanical joint created using only the acrylic.

Instead of hiding the connection, this custom joint would become part of the design expression, not only enclosing the individual shapes themselves, but also fastening them to one another.

After many tests – and realizing that a deviation of material thickness of only several thousandths of an inch was enough to turn a perfectly calibrated joint into a loose rickety nightmare – I established the following solution. 

Introducing the Pentaprism design (a throwback moniker rooted in deep appreciated for my first ever gallery show with Pop Box Gallery). 

In service to the library and my residency program, I employed suction cups to hang my study model series on the glass wall outside of the maker space and – using dry erase markers – jotted down my production notes and questions throughout the process to illustrate my design thinking journey for this artwork.

My hope is that this display will assist folks in gaining a better understanding of both the design process as well as what’s possible at the maker space.

A couple of my other noteworthy design explorations conducted during my residency follow here:

My first ever 3D printed design is shown above. I intended to explore 3D printing more but instead fell ill with influenza B and spent the entire final week of my residency bedridden 😫

Above is my new Tulips design (front and back) conceived as a single continue piece of material - shown here in hand cut leather. More on this exciting design to come!

Below is a lampshade design created using iridescent acrylic which I donated to Open Air Montana at the conclusion of my artist residency. 

Missoula public library was named best library in the world in 2022 and working there has been an absolute privilege and pleasure. A massive thank you to the Open Air Montana non-profit organization for supporting my work by providing housing, a stipend, many meals and resources and so much more.

This time in Missoula has been precious - I’ve learned so much about the geography, ecology, and culture of this special place, and am so grateful for my time here. 

Learn more about this fabulous non-profit organization by clicking the button below.

UP NEXT

I’m delighted to share that I will be speaking at this month’s local Creative Mornings on May 29th in Durham! Creative Mornings is a global, free monthly breakfast lecture series designed for the creative community, featuring short talks and networking in over 200 cities. This month’s topic is Thriving Through Change AND Create, and yours truly will be the speaker!

Location is TBD - I encourage you to join this community by signing up for the Creative Mornings newsletter using the button below and keep an eye on your inbox for the event registration (required as seats fill up fast and these events reach capacity more often than not!) 

I’m officially exhibiting my work at NeoCon, the largest and most prominent interior design trade show in the US on June 8-10th. What’s more? My attendance is SPONSORED by ArtLifting, an art agency I work closely with that represents artists with disabilities.

I’m currently working out the details of how I’ll be transporting a large quantity of artwork up to Chicago. Special shout out to ArtLifting for supporting my attendance in all the ways, and to Jake and Emily of And Other Works for helping with the packaging and shipping effort! 

Will you be attending Neocon? Come visit us at booth 7-2002 AND sign up for my workshop which I will be hosting during the trade show (details below!)

That’s all for now! I’m grateful for several upcoming projects which I'll be sure to share, including noise-reducing artwork at Durham City Hall for which installation will occur this summer 2026.