Ideas for public art
Here’s my submission for the Tampa International Airport 2026 Call for Artists
I love thinking about trees of all kinds and crazy root systems and I want to use those shapes as the structure of my sculptures!
I paint and sculpt immersive spaces that invite viewers to step into landscapes of wonder and refuge. Through interrelated sculptures made from canvas and wire, I reimagine wild spaces as mythic and healing landscapes. Using rich color and abstraction, my work evokes dreamlike visions of place and memory, fostering curiosity, awe, joy, and wonder.
I am calling my proposed concept for artwork for the Tampa International Airport, Water Tree. The imagery of Water Tree will draw from the flora and fauna of southwest Florida, inspired by the cypress ecosystems of Everglades National Park. By drawing on the distinctive root systems and wetlands of the Tampa Bay region, Water Tree will reflect both local ecology and the dynamic movement of travelers through the terminal. My work reflects on the intelligence and power inherent in the natural world. I’m especially inspired by the nurse log: as it decays, it nourishes new life and leaves behind a hollow, a space where light enters. This “window effect” recurs throughout my work as a symbol of regeneration. In delicate canvas and sheer fabric elements, light passes through the work, inviting viewers to imagine themselves moving through these openings, connected to both earth and sky.
For the Tampa International Airport commission, I would translate the essence of the landscapes that inspire me in the Pacific Northwest into imagery drawn from Big Cypress National Preserve. I am particularly fascinated by imagery of exposed root systems and “cypress knees” which allow trees to live in waterlogged soils. These sculptural forms create natural hollows and openings that resonate with my ongoing exploration of passageways, light, and regeneration. The suspended and layered nature of my sculptural forms allows the work to engage architectural space, creating shifting perspectives and moments of discovery for travelers moving through the terminal.
Airports are places of transition, between departures and arrivals, anticipation and return. My hope is that travelers encountering Water Tree will experience a moment of pause and wonder, a brief invitation to daydream and connect with the living landscapes of Florida before continuing their journey.