Skylee- Site Specific

Location for the art piece

Here are all slightly different versions of what I can do for the peice that would go in Prexy's Pasture. All of them have an element of interactive stress relief; some have glass or plastic you can turn, glass or plastic balls you can spin, fun textures to feel, or swings that you can also use. The other major aspect of this work is to educate the community and students about the resources available on campus and in the community, including the counseling center, DVR, DSS food resources, HDHD meetings, and more. The contact info for those resources will also be included in this piece; it would be the same as the other ideas that are under these. 

These two pieces would be located somewhere on the Prexy Pasture. I still need to find exactly where that will be. This piece is meant to relieve the stress of people by interacting with it. The other major aspect of this work is to educate the community and students about the resources available on campus and in the community, including the counseling center, DVR, DSS food resources, HDHD meetings, and more. The contact info for those resources will also be included in this piece. 

I would like for both of these pieces to be interactive in some way. One would be interactive because you feel and touch the different textures, and you can spin the pieces of glass that are in the cutouts of the piece. I have also considered the peice having globe balls(glass or plastic?) in it as well. 

Idea 1

Bernard Katz Glass

idea 2

This piece would be made of steel and glass sheets. Steel for the structure and glass for the color to make a comfortable place. This piece would be interactive because it would have swings hanging from it. 

glass or plastic sheets to have a ton of color to brighten the light and environment. A steel frame, and some of the sheets could be metal (maybe that is where the engraving is.) 

A couple of extra sketches of the same idea. The only thing that would be individualised would be the face. Name tags would be the ranks of the various employees. 

All of the following ideas are about how corporations treat people. This one would be located at T-Mobile. At many corporations, we are not treated as people but as numbers and as disposable. I have a lot of stress in my day-to-day life at work because there is a lot of pressure. Pressure to get good sales, good reviews, and just overall be at the top of the company. We are constantly judged by our performance. Currently, we have daily check-ins and weekly check-ins to see if we are doing well. I personally have an extra day off, and I'm under even more pressure to perform well with my numbers, so I am still valuable. The drawing below shows that dehumanization. This image is supposed to show my coworkers and me, but is made of our stats, specifically the sales we have, if we have been late, the reviews we have, and more. Exactly how we are valued as a person at T-Mobile. I don't think that they would have hair; however, the faces would be specific and personalized.

Idea 1

This installation explores how corporate environments reduce individuals to measurable data, and how that reduction shapes identity, self-worth, and daily lived experience. The work reflects on the ways employees are evaluated through statistics—numbers that determine performance, value, and ultimately access to stability, income, and well-being. In this system, identity becomes tied to productivity. The individual is no longer seen as a whole person, but as a set of metrics to be tracked, ranked, compared, and weighed.

The sculptures are constructed from printed performance data, including statistics such as phone line sales, protection plans, customer satisfaction scores, credit card applications, and other tracked metrics. These papers represent accumulated performance over days, weeks, months, and years. The figures are carved or formed from this material, physically embodying the idea that workers are built and defined by their numbers.

Each sculpture represents an employee within a T-Mobile retail environment. While the figures wear recognizable uniforms, their identities are altered: instead of names, they are labeled by rank within the company. The sculptures feature individualized faces, suggesting personhood and specificity, but lack other identifying features such as hair. This creates a tension between individuality and anonymity; each figure is both a person and a generalized worker. This partial personalization reflects how employees are simultaneously recognized and reduced within corporate systems: visible enough to be evaluated, but not fully seen as individuals.

The installation is intended for placement in a T-Mobile retail store, with the actual workplace serving as the exhibition site. The figures represent employees who work in that specific location, reinforcing the connection between the physical environment and the systems that operate within it. By inserting these sculptural bodies into the corporate space, the work makes visible the otherwise invisible pressures of performance tracking and evaluation.

This piece examines the dehumanization of workers within corporate systems, the role of statistics in shaping identity and self-worth, and the relationship between labor, survival, and value. It considers how performance metrics impact access to income, housing, and overall well-being. Ultimately, the work questions what it means to be seen as a number, and how living within these systems affects one’s sense of self.

Idea 2/3

The following drawing shows 2 different ideas that are similar. They would take place in a corporation, such as Walmart or some sort of franchise (maybe also could be T-Mobile) 

On the left, these objects would be spools of numbers. Those numbers would either represent the numbers that Walmart uses to track all of its workers. Numbers such as their picking numbers. Picking numbers is how fast one picks up the groceries that online shoppers order. These numbers on these giant spools would include the people who are fired. Fired for being late, not fast enough picking numbers, etc. Really, the idea is to show just how focused these corporations are with numbers. 

The second idea is just another version of the same topic. It would be a series of people with all their stats. what their picking numbers are, hours they work, or how many times they were late or called in sick. (At Walmart, someone can only be sick or call in 5 times. You get 5 Tally Marts. Being late or leaving early counts as half a tally mark. It takes 6 months for that tally mark to disappear, and if you hit five, you are automatically fired.) On the left is another idea, people would be represented by mannequins made of meat. This work is kinda inspired by performance artist Zhang Huan, with his meat suit. The other option for the one on the right is that the mannequins represent real people, but they would have their numbers around their necks. Maybe a list or another sort of attachment to the statues. They could also be a stack of their stats, like from their idea above.  

Bethany- Site Specific

April 20

My new idea is to make a memorial to my friend Ryan who passed recently. He loved making music and was an accomplished trombone player. I want to make a trombone statue in front of the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts since he was so involved in the music program. It would be a cast metal trombone draped in a blanket that reads “make a joyful noise,” which is a Psalm I think both perfectly describes his life and can relate to other musicians as well. 

I would like it to be outside the entrance of the BCPA. I had two spots in mind, but I think I like the one off to the side of the steps.

Option #1

Option #2-preferred

To make my model, I was going to cast my brother’s trombone Christmas ornament, but unfortunately he left it back at home. So instead, I am making one out of sculpy, which is pretty difficult. I forgot to take a photo, but I am not great with clay. I am hoping to make the trombone and then cover it with fabric after it is cured. Then I will spray paint it all a bronzy-brass color.

I haven’t gotten to do much with the landscape. I may want to lazer-cut the exterior of the building or otherwise just use a photo. 

 

April 6

I want to do my instillation in Harvey Hall- a house that my college ministry uses to host events. It is named after the original owners from the ministry, Jesse Harvey, Steph Harvey, Ian Hal, and Tylinn Hall, and it is where I first met a lot of my college friends. It also serves as a pivotal turning point in my life, when I had gone from being severely depressed to finding friends and community.

I was inspired by artist Tomislav Topić, who makes these colorful paneled works made from thin sheets of transparent color that become vibrant when looked at in a mass. It creates the illusion of volume and shading.

Artist Tomislav Topić

I am thinking of doing a piece that hangs over the staircase in Harvey Hall with multiple panels each featuring a section of lace. When looked at from the front, the lace would cover the whole section, and from the side each this piece would be about the impact and strength of communities  and how encountering different people at different times in your life shapes who you are. I think the lace works in communicating this because lace is an intricately woven material.

Side view of stairs

 Front view of stairs

If I were to make this, I would need to get fabric, lace, and some sort of hanging device that wouldn’t damage the house. I would also need permission from the guys that live there currently.

Keeley Hagen – Site Specific

04/20/26

Initial Ideas and Sketches

    I've been scratching my head about this project for quite some time, but once I had time to visit the building and take some photos, ideas for this site-specific piece came to me right away. When I first pulled up, I was immediately struck by the sight of an imposing black metal gate. I totally understand why it needs to be there for security reasons, but it was intimidating. I was deterred from entering in any way. I wondered if there was anything a public art project could do to maybe lighten that a bit. To light a path for survivors and ensure that they felt comfortable enough to walk into that space to receive help. 

    I still want to sit down with the individuals who work at the SAFE Project to understand the overall limitations. Whether a project like this would be logical and would uphold the safety and privacy measures they already maintain. Also, present the project as one that could be worked on with the survivors they've helped or housed, so they can leave a more lasting mark on the world. Nothing identifiable, of course, but being a part of the overall project so that it signifies what they've overcome. Which is why I have a meeting with them on Thursday to possibly fully flesh out an idea and see if it could become an actual project! (Very exciting, but we'll have to figure out costs and funding, etc)

Here is a little script I wrote out before making the phone call:

Hi. My name is Keeley Hagen, and I am a student at the University of Wyoming Visual Arts department. I was given an assignment to create a site-specific piece somewhere in Laramie. The majority of my work centers around violence against women, and with research, I found your project. Before I get into the details of what I hope to accomplish, I do want to note that this entire project is just a mock-up and won't actually come to fruition. Unless, of course, you are interested in any of the designs and concepts I create while working on this assignment. From your website, I got your mission statement, and I want to begin to create work that is more supportive of victims and survivors rather than detailing my own experience as a woman dealing with the normalization of violence in society. Creating better outreach and extending the overall voice of my work from me to many other victims. I was calling today to just see what that could look like or if it was even a possibility. 

Here is some light inspiration I have been looking at that is related to dealing with situations that SAFE Project does:

Beaten with a Hammer by Bettina Landgrebe.

The month of October is the month of Domestic Violence Awareness, and a candlelight vigil is often held for both victims and survivors of DV. I was thinking of incorporating light in an outdoor installation to hold a vigil every single day for victims and survivors of violence. I think it could also act as a way to light the pathway forward to receive the necessary help and the support of everyone who came before. Here are some inspirational photos for that:

04/14/26

Thoughts and Prayers

    Scratch everything from my original post because I have a new idea that requires some work to be done before I can come up with the idea. I want to work with the Albany County SAFE Project, whose mission is to empower and advocate for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking while promoting sustainable practices that support long-term healing. They are also focused on educating and bringing awareness to prevention, improved community response, and outcomes in Albany County. To approach this project seriously, I want to meet with those who work at the Laramie office because I do want to place this piece there. Which means I need to see what that looks like and talk with them to figure out exactly what this piece could look like. 

 04/05/26

Ideation & Initial Sketches:

    When I first started thinking about this project last week, many of my initial location ideas were quickly ruled out. My current body of work explores violence against women, and I initially wanted to find a location that could continue to uphold those themes and fit within my overall portfolio. While researching what Laramie had to offer, I came to a single conclusion. Many of the available resources are discreet and kept under wraps, and for good reason. When dealing with situations of domestic violence, sexual violence, and even stalking, women are searching for shelter or a place to hide. Public art or site-specific art wouldn't benefit these shelters or locations in any way. So I quickly turned away from that idea. 

    Another thought I had was to work within the space of these shelters. This would allow it to remain more low-profile and enable the women within those spheres and situations to participate in the installation itself. I really do love this idea, but I wonder what that process would look like. Especially since I have no idea what the space looks like and would have to pull some strings to figure and put that whole initial meeting together. (If anyone has any further information or ideas on how to move forward with this piece, I'd love to hear! I think even if it isn't what I end up presenting, it will be a plan I can move forward with outside of just this class.)

    Another feasible option that could be more thought-provoking for the community as a whole is to fabricate a site-specific piece for the Women's Health Clinic at Ivinson or the Wyoming Women's History House. I need to do more specific research on

each one. 

    For both sites, I want to incorporate women's voices. I think the one located in the clinic should have tones that are hopeful and comforting because many procedures related to feminine care can be intimidating and sometimes scary. How could an installation in the waiting room help uplift women going through those experiences, and how can we continue to push for more research and greater dedication to women's health as a whole? Maybe the tones or information presented in the History house could be more serious or depict individual stories told by women currently living in Wyoming. Bridging the gap between generations and allowing for stories from the past and present to coexist. 

    I am going to begin sketching tomorrow to get my head around exactly what I want to do. The more I ideate currently, the more ideas I have. I also have no idea what the inside of both of these locations looks like, so I intend to either find decent images online or go to the sites myself to create my own documentation. 

    

    

Madelynn Kulmus - Site Specific

4/20/2026

This week marked the commitment and refinement in my site-specific process, as I officially chose to move forward with my installation in the Mel Cox Dance Studio. While at first glance this concept might not immediately read as “site-specific,” I’ve come to better understand and articulate why it absolutely is. On this campus, the Mel Cox studio is unique in its relationship to natural light. It is the only dance space where sunlight actively enters and transforms the room throughout the day. That quality alone makes it distinct, and it directly shapes how my installation will function. The translucent fabrics I plan to suspend will not just respond to movement and airflow, but also to shifting light, making the work inseparable from this specific environment. After settling on this direction, I began translating the concept into more concrete visual plans. I created two new sketches: one focused on mapping out the measurements of the space, and another aimed at better visualizing how the suspended fabrics will occupy and interact within the room. These drawings helped me move from a purely conceptual idea into something more spatially and structurally grounded.

Throughout the week, I also spent time in the studio taking detailed and accurate measurements. I documented not just the overall dimensions of the room, but also specific elements like the mirrors and windows, which will play an important role in how the installation is experienced. This process made me more aware of the precision required for site-specific work, especially when the goal is to create something that feels integrated rather than imposed.

In a really helpful conversation with Ashley, I started thinking more strategically about construction. She suggested using Adobe Illustrator to digitally map out the space using my measurements. From there, I can use a laser cutter to create the walls of a scale model. This approach feels like a major step forward in both efficiency and accuracy. Instead of relying on manual measuring and cutting, which can be time-consuming and prone to error, I’ll be able to construct a much cleaner and more precise model. What’s especially exciting is the potential to incorporate materials like plexi for the windows, which will allow me to simulate how light interacts with the space. The laser cutter opens up possibilities for a higher level of detail, making the model not just a representation of the studio, but a tool for testing how my installation might actually behave within it.

This week felt like a shift from imagining to engineering. I’m starting to think not just about what the installation means, but how it will physically exist. Moving forward, I’m excited to start building the model and begin experimenting with how the fabrics, light, and structure come together to fully realize the piece.

4/13/2026

This week marked a shift from observation into creation, as I began translating my site research into visual and conceptual proposals. I developed two initial sketches, one for the Berry Center butterfly path and one for the Mel Cox Dance Studio, each responding in very different ways to the environments I encountered last week.

For the Berry Center, I found myself returning to the butterfly path and thinking about its seasonal limitations. When I visited, there were no butterflies present, yet the space is clearly designed to celebrate them. This absence sparked the core idea behind my installation: what if the presence of butterflies could be felt year-round, regardless of season? In my sketch, I centered the installation around a large cocoon form placed within the circular seating area. The cocoon is tethered both to the ground and to the surrounding trees, creating a sense of tension and transformation that extends beyond a single object. Conceptually, the cocoon represents potential and becoming a suspended moment before emergence. I’m interested in how this form might suggest unseen life or imminent change, allowing viewers to imagine the presence of butterflies even when they are not physically there. It builds on the site’s existing themes of nature and education, while also introducing a more symbolic and immersive layer.

In contrast, my proposal for the Mel Cox Dance Studio focuses less on representation and more on activating the invisible dynamics already present in the space. Inspired by installation artist Ernesto Neto and choreographer William Forsythe, I began exploring how material, movement, and environment could intersect. This installation, Breath Held / Breath Released, consists of translucent fabrics suspended from the ceiling throughout the studio. While visually minimal, these materials are highly responsive, they shift, billow, and tremble in response to airflow, proximity, and the movement of bodies.

What excites me about this concept is how it reframes the studio itself. Dancers already occupy this space daily, but the installation would make their presence newly visible by capturing the traces of their movement. Breath becomes a central focus: something usually internal and unseen is externalized through the motion of the fabric. In this way, the installation creates a kind of secondary choreography, one generated not by deliberate steps, but by the residual energy of bodies moving through space. It also invites non-dancers to engage physically, transforming viewers into participants whose subtle actions activate the work.

Across both proposals, I’m noticing a shared interest in suspension whether it’s the cocoon holding a moment before transformation or the fabric capturing the space between inhale and exhale. Both ideas attempt to make something intangible feel present, whether that’s seasonal absence or the invisibility of breath and movement.

Moving forward, I want to continue refining these concepts by thinking more concretely about materials, scale, and audience interaction. I’m especially interested in how each installation might change over time, whether through environmental conditions or repeated use. As I develop these ideas further, I plan to create more sketches and began measuring the spaces for the small-scale models.

4/6/2026

This weekend ended up being busier than I expected, but I still made time to begin exploring ideas for my new site-specific project. I took a walk around the University of Wyoming campus with my fiancé, who knows the area much better than I do, so I let him lead the way and focused on observing the spaces we moved through.

We started by parking on 9th and walking up past the STEM center and surrounding science buildings. One of the first locations that caught my attention was an entryway I photographed. There was something about the structure and framing of the space that immediately felt like it could support an installation. 

From there, we walked along a butterfly path near the Berry Center, which ended up being one of the most compelling areas of the entire walk. I took a couple photos of the central seating area that features bronze animal sculptures accompanied by informational placards. This space stood out to me because it already invites pause and reflection, but it also feels like it could be transformed into something more immersive. The circular layout and existing elements create a natural focal point, and I can already imagine how an installation could build on the themes of nature, education, and interaction that are already present.

We continued past the Education Lab Building, where I noticed another seating area that has potential, though it felt slightly less defined than the previous space. Still, I’m interested in how more open or undefined areas might allow for greater flexibility in design, especially if I want to create something that evolves as people move through it.

Finally, we made our way down to the conservatory. After stopping to read the placard there, I was struck by the open grassy area beyond it. Compared to the more structured spaces earlier in the walk, this area felt expansive and full of possibility. It would allow for a larger-scale installation, something that could interact with the natural environment more directly having wind, light, and movement becoming part of the piece itself.

Overall, this initial exploration was less about settling on one final site and more about starting to see the campus differently. I found myself thinking about how people already use these spaces, what draws them in, and how an installation could either enhance or disrupt those patterns. Each location offered something unique, and I’m excited to continue developing ideas that respond not just to the physical environment, but to the experiences already embedded within it.

Looking ahead, I plan to start translating these observations into sketches later this week, using the photos I took as a foundation for developing more concrete design ideas. I also want to continue my exploration by moving indoors and investigating how interior spaces might function differently for a site-specific work. I’m especially interested in photographing the Buchanan Center lobby and the Engineering Building, both of which I think could offer unique architectural features and spatial dynamics to respond to. Exploring these interiors will help me consider how lighting, circulation, and enclosure might shape the experience of an installation in ways that differ from the outdoor sites I’ve been drawn to so far.

Bri - Site Specific

4/19/26 - Artist Inspo and My Ideas

Wendy Letven

Commissioned by The Public Art for Public Schools program of the NYC Percent for Art Program, “Everything at Once” is a site-specific artwork created by Wendy Letven @wendy_letven for the lobby ceiling of the newly created Elizabeth Jennings School for Bold Explorers in Brooklyn. Bold, brightly painted shapes made from cut aluminum are curved and layered to create an exuberant burst of color that stretches over 12 feet long. The artwork can be seen from the sidewalk as students and passersby approach the school entrance, and it greets everyone when they first enter the building. From each angle, the undulating shapes look different, encouraging people to walk around, experience its many vantage points and notice how the patterns, colors, lines and shadows change.

Letven’s design was inspired by the many patterns found in both our natural and built environments. It incorporates forms that can be observed in nature such as tree branches, Fibonacci spirals, and ocean waves, as well as scientific elements, such as molecular structures and topographical maps. The sculpture also celebrates the beauty of the man-made with references to the architecture of the nearby Barclays Center, artifacts of the Lenape tribe and the elegant choreography of Alvin Ailey dancers, who perform at the nearby Brooklyn Academy of Music. “Everything at Once” offers surprising visual combinations that show the joy of discovery and learning across different subjects.

Everything at Once

Art on Paper

My Ideas:

For this project, I would like to make a sculpture for the elementary school I attended, where my mother also still works. The specific site in question is the cafeteria of Southside Elementary School in Powell, Wyoming. It has a wide, high vaulted ceiling, which is the perfect space for a hanging sculpture for the students to look at during lunch. Right now, it is just a blank, empty space despite being an area where parent and student events are held and being centrally located. This area could benefit from having a lively sculpture because artwork in schools can enhance creativity within students, improve the school's aesthetics and pride, and boost student morale and motivation to learn. By installing a sculpture here, my hope is that students have another element of their school to engage with and enjoy. The Powell High School is full of large installations within the hallways that the students would work on each year. I remember always staring at them as I walked in the hallways or during break times in class. They made me want to build larger sculptures myself and made me even more interested in our school's art classes, which in turn led me to where I am today. Making a sculpture for the elementary school would not only be giving back to the community that supported me, but would also unify the schools within Powell and inspire future creatives.

I would like to make a sculpture that is inspired by Wendy Letven's work, where she uses bright colors, layered materials, and abstract forms to fill a space. Southside's school colors are blue and yellow, and their school mascot is the sun, so I would like to design motifs that are abstractions of the mountains that surround our town, that include other elements of the local flora as well as that of the sun. I like the idea of having a design that mirrors itself on the other side, possibly having an abstract representation of a sunset and sunrise. I want to play with color and shape with this project to mirror the never-ending energy of elementary school children.

The full sculpture would be made of thin sheet metal and rod, which are each painted a different flat color. The installation would be installed into the ceiling with bolts and a metal chord to ensure they never fall. To mimic this within my maquette, I will laser cut the designs from chipboard because of its similar properties at a small scale. The rod will be mimicked with wire, and all pieces will be painted with acrylic paint.

My mom will be sending me some images and measurements of the space so I can prepare for class on Tuesday and start making files for the laser cutter.