Design/Community Projects

 Camera Functions

A one-page pocket reference guide for introductory photography students. I created this for an Intro to Darkroom class at the University of Arkansas. Printed with red and black inks on a Risograph printer.

Come Here, Build ____.

Come Here, Build ____. began by considering how citizens feel disconnected from the democratic process, and specifically, from the development of projects created in their city space. By building off of a fun and accessible platform in the coloring page, I want to engage with people’s sense of creativity and foster attention to the areas in which they interact and inhabit.

In response to a prompt asking to rethink and explore the possibilities of the West Bottoms district in Kansas City, Missouri, Come Here, Build ____. asks citizens to participate in reimagining the potential of one underutilized area of a unique icon.

The 12th Street Trafficway Viaduct is a historical landmark, one that was built over 100 years ago. The unique geography of the downtown area was the driving force for it’s initial concept. As the greater downtown sits on top of several bluffs, both the East and West Bottoms were separated by this vertical space. The West Bottoms have historically been an industrial area, and in many ways remains one. Its unique geography, sandwiched between the downtown area and the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers, helped shape its industrial heritage. However, as many industries have evolved and changed, and the nature in which we use our urban spaces has also changed, so has this area of Kansas City. With the first development of (legal) living spaces in the area in quite some time, this area is destined for transformation.

This project focuses particularly on the area underneath the bridge, a space that has often interested me with its potential, and one that seems most bridges have yet to take advantage of. By offering a blank outline, inspired in part by the resurgence of coloring books, I'm working to offer people a fun and creative way to participate in creative ownership of their city.

Archive Collective

Founded in 2013, Archive Collective provided opportunities for Kansas Citians to engage with photography by hosting group critiques, gallery visits, artist talks, local and traveling exhibitions, studio visits, books, zines, workshops, artwork documentation, online exhibitions, and meet-ups. Archive’s goal was to create fun and immersive ways to celebrate the democracy, versatility, and ever evolving critical discourse of photography and lens-based media, while simultaneously securing its place within a broader Kansas City arts community. Archive launched a publishing platform and residency program to connect photographers to resources, audiences and opportunities in 2017.

Archive functioned with the support of its community and by institutions and organizations including the Kansas City Art Institute, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Charlotte Street Foundation, Arts KC, The Drugstore, Front/Space, H&R Block Artspace, Kiosk Gallery, Trapp Gallery, Juice Box, 50/50 Gallery, Fort Gondo, University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas State University at Emporia, Holy Cow Market and Music, and many more.