White House
Ginger Bread
House
When retired White House chef Roland Messnier agreed to assemble one of his famous ginger bread houses for an exhibit, I was contacted to design and fabricate all the fixtures. These needed to be functional, elegant, and portable as the entire exhibition would later move to a different location. All the pieces could be knocked down and re-assembled without tools. The icing on the cake (see what I did there) was a small stand for Chef's prized copper pot, which I was trusted with for a few weeks.
BDNY 2018
My experience at Kalisher provided many opportunities for creative direction and conceptualization, but none as complex and important as our involvement in BDNY. This is the crown jewel of hospitality trade-shows, where trends are set and reputations are created. Kalisher had the honor of partnering with Studio11 and together we blazed a path to visual and interactive glory. Eventually titled “Reverie”, my intention to create an interactive and modern space without the trappings of overtly digital media was realized through the use of dichroic mirrors, transparent walls, visual narratives, and playful games. The hanging fabric and ode to lush botanicals invited patrons to the space…and the bar kept them there.
White House
Rose Garden
The Decatur house is one of the oldest homes in Washington, DC. Located just yards from The White House (and owing its preservation to Jackie Kennedy), it was the obvious location to host an exhibit celebrating the Rose Garden. Tasked with recreating the steps and columns of the oval office plus a few other massive elements, and then getting them safely into a 200-year-old home created a few hurdles. We had to install the interactive displays without damaging the historical facility, maneuver the 10ft columns through very narrow hallways, and of course have security sniff dogs go through our van.
Julie Sando
Artist
Julie Sando is an internationally recognized artist whose most recent work explores the cultural, sexual, and personal impact of late 70's Detroit music production through memory, association, and physical artifacts. Julie reached out for some assistance with a handful of exhibit fixtures. One project required a custom display and storage cabinet for a collection of used and discarded 45's. The other, a larger-than-life wall silhouette of Donna Summer carved from polished metal and bathed in light. These collaborative efforts rank as the most fun and inspiring builds I have completed to-date, and I am honored to have been a small part of Julie's world.
