I seek to surprise and delight viewers and challenge their preconceptions through stop-motion animated videos. My work traverses the boundaries of digital and tactile materials and processes. My process and craft are heavily informed by my experience as a graphic designer and type designer, sometimes incorporating letterforms or font technologies, printed materials, and digital tools. Visual spectacle serves as an entry point to provoke thought and reflection—to move towards and embrace complexity and uncertainty.


Everted Sanctuaries is a series of stop-motion animated video works exploring the topic of introversion. Found objects are transformed to reveal complexities that often go unnoticed below the surface. The strains and stresses of transformation form a methodical performance where brokenness and adaptation are indistinguishable. The transformed objects become metaphors for the often uncomfortable process of becoming temporarily extroverted. Ubiquitous exteriors part to reveal intricate interiors—beautiful, but unintended consequences of the contortions necessary to fit in. Everted Sanctuaries demonstrates the remarkable flexibility of introverts and asks viewers to consider the depth and vulnerability concealed beneath silent surfaces.


They the People invite reconsideration of a familiar national symbol. Symbols come with intended messages, but their most enduring associations accumulate over time. Symbols are not content but are instead vessels in which content is stored. As designer Paul Rand said: “It is only by association…that a logo [symbol] takes on any real meaning. It derives its meaning and usefulness from the quality of that which it symbolizes.” Meanings come and go. They amass in rich, messy, complicated, diverse, beautiful layers. Symbols inevitably represent lived realities rather than lofty ideals. Stop-motion animated fibers form a fragile, loosely connected fabric that precariously hovers between order and chaos. This delicate vision is obscured and disrupted by fields of texture formed with repurposed digital symbols. We are reminded that symbols are what we make them—they can represent our ideals and successes, but also our collective failures, insensitivities, overconfidence, and divisions.

EDUCATION  

2013      MFA Graphic Design, Ohio University School of Art + Design, Athens, OH

2004      BFA Graphic Design, Summa Cum Laude, Utah State University, Logan, UT

2002      Summer Design Academy in Switzerland, Utah State University, Leysin, Switzerland

EXHIBITIONS/SCREENINGS/FESTIVALS

2023        Reflections 2023, International Juried Exhibition Online Curve Gallery, Maryland Federation of Art, Annapolis, MD

2023        Hacking the Library, National Juried Exhibition, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, WV

2023        Kinetic, International Juried Exhibition, Cultural Center of Cape Cod, South, Yarmouth, MA

2023        Embodied Knowledge, National Juried Exhibition, Ely Center of Contemporary Art New Haven, CI

2022        (un)Common Threads, National Juried Exhibition of contemporary fiber art, Carlisle Arts Learning Center Upper Gallery, Carlisle, PA

2022        KinoDrome Film Festival, International Short Film Festival Cleveland, Ohio

2022        INT'L All Media, International Juried Exhibition, Walter Piehl Gallery, Northwest Arts Center Minot State University, Minot, ND

2022        Axis Gallery 17th Annual Juried Exhibition, National Juried Exhibition Axis Gallery, Sacramento, CA

2022        3rd Coast Biennial, National Juried Exhibition, K Space Contemporary, Corpus Christi, TX

2022        Consciousness of Abstraction: Beyond Literal Appearance II, National Juried Exhibition ARC Gallery, Chicago, IL

2022        Weird Media, International Juried Exhibition, Laird-Norton Gallery, Winona State University

2022        And All of a Sudden, International Juried Exhibition, Propeller Gallery, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2022        Strange Paradise: A Window into Surrealism, National Juried Exhibition, Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center, Solomons, MD

2022        Tip of the Tongue, National Juried Exhibition Gallery 263, Cambridge, MA

2022        Moving Image Arts, International Short Film Festival, Ryerson University, School of Image Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2022        Fantastic Fibers, International Juried Exhibition Yeiser Art Center, Paducah KY

2021        Absurd Art House Film Festival, International Film Festival, The Criterion Blue Town Cinema & Music Hall Blue Town, Kent, United Kingdom

2021        Video Hackers Film Festival International Online Film Festival Novi Ligure, AL, Italy

2021        Mobile Animation Film Festival, National / United States Animation Category Alabama Contemporary Art Center, Mobile, Alabama

2021        Glitch is the Soul in the Machine, iDMAa International Traveling Juried Exhibition Laird Norton Center for Art & Design, Winona State University Minneapolis College of Art & Design

2021        Lost Words, International Juried Exhibition, Best Gallery, Northwind Art, Port Townsend, WA

2021        Reel Art, International Juried Exhibition of Short Films, Vault Gallery, Cultural Center of Cape Cod, South, Yarmouth, MA

2021        Berlin Flash Film Festival, International Juried Online Short Film Screening Series Berlin, Germany

2021        That Which Surrounds You International Juried Online Exhibition, Arts Benicia, Benicia, CA

2020        XVI Festival Transterritorial de Cine Underground, International Film Festival, Argentina "Buenos Aires, Quilmes, Rosario, Cusco, Asunción, Bogotá, Los Angeles, London

2020        Film and Video Poetry Symposium International Film Festival, Week 1: Time Machines, Film and Video Poetry Society Gallery Los Angeles, CA

2020        Americas 2020: All Media, National Juried Exhibition, Walter Piehl Gallery, Northwest Arts Center Minot State University, Minot, ND

2020        $5 Video, National Juried Exhibition, Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts, Lubbock, TX

2020        Biblio Spectaculum, National Juried Exhibition, Main Street Arts, Clifton Springs, NY

2020        33rd September Competition, National Juried Exhibition, Alexandria Museum of Art, Alexandria, LA

2020        On the Surface, National Juried Exhibition, Attleboro Arts Museum, Attleboro, MA

2020        Art from the Heartland, Midwest Regional Juried Exhibition Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, IN

2017        GALEX 54 National Juried Exhibition, Galesburg Civic Art Center, Galesburg IL

2020        Automated, Fringe Arts Bath, contemporary visual arts festival* Bath, England, UK

2020        Nur Box Theatre Year Round Film Festival, Nur Box Theatres, Contemporary Calgary Calgary, Alberta, Canada

2020        Red Finch Film Festival, Red Finch Gallery, Orem, UT

2019        Altered Esthetics Film Festival, Trylon Cinema, Minneapolis, MN

2019        was it worth it? RedLine's 6th Annual Juried Exhibition, National Juried Exhibition, RedLine Contemporary Art Center, Denver, CO

2019        Therefore, I Am, National Juried Exhibition Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Ana, CA

2019        Opposites, National Juried Exhibition, Attleboro Arts Museum, Attleboro, MA

2019        Bound and Unbound V, International Juried Exhibition, University Libraries, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD

2019        Breaching the Margins, National Juried Exhibition, Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts (UICA) Grand Rapids, MI

2019        Our Words Will Still Be Heard National Juried Exhibition MICA Place, Baltimore MD

2019        Delete TV, season 2019, Vienna, Austria

2019        International Motion Festival, Cyprus, European University, Nicosia, Cyprus

2019        Movement, National Juried Exhibition, Jodee Harris Gallery, Seton Hill University, Greensburg, PA

2019        Freedom: Art as the Messenger, National Juried Exhibition, 1000 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC

2019        Revolutions per Minute Festival (RPM Fest), University Hall Art Gallery, UMASS Boston, Dorchester, MA

2018        The Shape of Change, National Juried Exhibition, Cade Art Gallery, Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold, MD

2018        Frostic School of Art Faculty Exhibition, Monroe-Brown Gallery, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI

2018        Everted Sanctuaries, Solo Exhibition, Frontier Space Contemporary Art Gallery, Missoula, MT

2018        Juxtaposed, National Juried Exhibition, Target Gallery, Torpedo Factory Art Center, Alexandria, VA

2018        64 Arts National Juried Exhibition, Buchanan Center for the Arts, Monmouth, IL

2018        13th Annual National Juried Exhibition, Axis Gallery, Sacramento, CA

2018        Aggregate Animated Shorts, 2nd Annual Film Festival, National Juried Exhibition Aggregate Space Gallery, Oakland, CA

2018        Cones & Rods, National Juried Exhibition Whitdel Arts, Detroit, MI

2018        Techne, National Juried Exhibition, Arthaus Projects, Williamsport, PA

2018        Fine Arts Exhibition, 2018 Decatur Arts Festival, National Juried Exhibition, Dalton Gallery at Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA

2018        Art and Fear, National Juried Exhibition, Arts Council of Southeast Missouri Cape Girardeau, MO

2018        First Date, Automat Collective, Philadelphia, PA

2018        Ryan Lewis: Everted Sanctuaries, solo exhibition, Visiting Artist Series John Sloan Art Gallery, Sloan Fine Arts Center Lock Haven University, Lock Haven, PA

2018        At the Surface, National Juried Exhibition, Foundry Art Center, St. Charles, MO

2018        95th Annual All Media Exhibition, Regional Juried Exhibition, Ann Arbor Arts Center, Ann Arbor, MI

2017        Interstate, National Juried Exhibition, Sarah Spurgeon Gallery, University of Central Washington Ellensburg, Washington

2017        Precision, 8th Annual International Juried Exhibition, A.D. Gallery, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

2017        Off The Wall, Nighttime, Arts + Literature Laboratory, Madison, WI

2017        Videomedeja, International Video Art Festival, Museum of Contemporary Art of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Serbia

2017        Shout!, National juried exhibition, ARC Gallery, Chicago, IL

2017        GALEX 54 National Juried Exhibition, Galesburg Civic Art Center, Galesburg IL

2017        secac, Juried Exhibition, Columbus College of Art & Design, Columbus, OH

2017        Art Prize 2017, WMU Grand Rapids Juried Venue, Grand Rapids, MI

2017        Biennial 29, Warner Gallery, South Bend Museum of Art, South Bend, IN

2017        Project Free, sipma contemporary, The Printmaking Center of NJ, Branchburg, NJ

2017        Another's Treasure 2017, The Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana, Evansville, IN

2017        Annual Contemporary Art Survey, The Lincoln Center Art Galleries, Fort Collins, CO

2017        Serial Box Project, Serial Box Video Screening Space, Serial Box Projects, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO

2017        The Video Show: 4th International Exhibition of Video & Digital Media Installation, Raritan Valley Community College Art Gallery, North Branch, NJ

2017        Give Me Some Space, Charles W. and Norma C. Carroll Gallery, Marshall University, Huntington, WV

2017        Portrait, CICA Museum 시카미술관, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

2016        Frostic School of Art Faculty Exhibition, Monroe-Brown Gallery, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI

2016        iDEAS 2016 Exhibition, iDMAa 2016 conference, Tau Center and Laird Norton Building, Winona, MN

2016        Art Prize 2016, wmu Grand Rapids Juried Venue, Grand Rapids, MI

2016        Third Coast National, K Space Contemporary, Corpus Christi, TX

2016        ReMIX, Sweetwater Center for the Arts, Sewickley, PA

2016        Boundaries, Galletta Gallery, Sebastopol Center for the Arts, Sebastopol, CA

2016        Flow, Nave Gallery, Somerville, MA

2016        Art + Science, Tom Thomas Gallery, Indiana University East, Richmond, IN

2016        Boundaries, Borders, and Thresholds, Kreft Juried National Exhibition, Kreft Gallery at Concordia University, Ann Arbor, MI

2016        SYNESTHETICA, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH

2016        53rd Annual Juried Competition, Masur Museum of Art, Monroe, LA

2016        Intimate Systems, Level 6 Gallery at 100 State, Madison, WI

2016        Alter + Combine, Metrospace, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

2015        Who Might I Be? Pretending, Disguise & Elusion, Nave Gallery Annex, Somerville, MA

2015        Body and Mind, Sulfur Studios, Savannah, GA

2015        Artists’ Books 2015, Harold J. Miossi Art Gallery, Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

2015        Art Prize 2015, wmu Grand Rapids Juried Venue, Grand Rapids, MI

2015        Time | Place, Lansing Art Gallery, Lansing, MI

2015        feast: hunger + pleasure + ritual, Loudoun House Gallery, Lexington Art League, Lexington, KY

2015        Borders and Boundaries, Target Gallery, Torpedo Factory Art Center, Alexandria, VA

2014        Frostic School of Art Faculty Exhibition, Monroe-Brown Gallery, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI

2014        Art Prize 2014, wmu Grand Rapids Juried Venue, Grand Rapids, MI

2014        Unleashed, Annex @ Core Gallery, Denver, CO

2013        Frostic School of Art Faculty Exhibition, Monroe-Brown Gallery, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI

2013        MFA Thesis Exhibition, Solo Exhibition, Ohio University Art Gallery, Athens, OH

2012        ougd 50/20: 50 Handmade Books from the Past 20 Years at Ohio University, Ohio University Art Gallery, Athens, OH

2011        Second-Year Graduate Student Exhibition, Ohio University Art Gallery, Athens, OH

2011        First-Year Graduate Student Exhibition, Trisolini Gallery, Ohio University, Athens, OH

AWARDS/GRANTS/RECOGNITION

2022        Honorable Mention, Strange Paradise: A Window into Surrealism, Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center, Solomons, MD

2020        Merit Award, Americas 2020: All Media, Walter Piehl Gallery, Northwest Arts Center Minot State University, Minot, ND

2020        Honorable Mention, 33rd September Competition, Alexandria Museum of Art, Alexandria, LA

2020        Best in Show, $5 Video, National Juried Exhibition, Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts, Lubbock, TX

2020        Juror's Prize, On the Surface, Attleboro Arts Museum, Attleboro, MA

2020        Merit Award, GALEX 54, Galesburg Civic Art Center, Galesburg IL

2019        Third Place, Freedom: Art as the Messenger, 1000 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC

2019        Juror's Prize, Opposites, Attleboro Arts Museum, Attleboro, MA

2018        Best Non-Narrative Animation, Aggregate Animated Shorts Film Festival, Aggregate Space Gallery, Oakland, CA

2018        Best Sound Design, Aggregate Animated Shorts Film Festival, Aggregate Space Gallery, Oakland, CA

2018        Third Place, Techne, Arthaus Projects, Williamsport, PA

2018        Second Place, 2018 Decatur Arts Festival National Juried Exhibition, Dalton Gallery at Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA

2017        Second Place, Precision, A.D. Gallery, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

2017        Purchase Award, Biennial 29, Warner Gallery, South Bend Museum of Art, South Bend, IN

2017        First Place, Another's Treasure 2017, The Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana Evansville, IN

2017        Frostic School of Art Faculty Development Grant, Western Michigan University

2017        Publication of Papers and Exhibition of Creative Works Fund, Western Michigan University

2016        Fourth Place, Third Coast National juried exhibition, K Space Contemporary, Corpus Christi, TX

2015        Mark Mehaffey & Sue Holmes Creativity Award, Time | Place, Lansing Art Gallery

2015        Frostic School of Art Faculty Development Grant, Western Michigan University

2015        Publication of Papers and Exhibition of Creative Works Fund, Western Michigan University

2014        Honorable Mention, Unleashed, Annex @ Core Gallery, Denver, CO

2013        mags distinguished nominee for Graphic Design Area, School of Art + Design, Ohio University

PUBLISHED WORKS                                                                                                                  

2019        Illustrations For Everyday Media Literacy: An Analog Guide For Your Digital Life, "An Accessible Graphic Guide To Media Literacy Addressing How To Consume And Create Media Intentionally And Critically".

2017        "Everted Sanctuaries: Visualizing Introversion", International Journal Of The Image Volume 8, Issue 1

EXHIBITION CATALOGUES

2019        Freedom: Art as the Messenger, 1000 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC

2016        Manifest Exhibition Annual Season 12, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH

2016        Art + Science, Exhibition Catalogue, Indiana University East

2016        Alter + Combine, Exhibition Catalogue, Michigan State University Department of Art, Art History, and Design

2015        Time | Place, Exhibition Catalogue, Lansing Art Gallery

PRESS   

2017        Kalamazoo Lively Arts, WGYU 

2017        "Art Prize 9: The Juror's Shortlist", Everted Sanctuaries IV shown on wmu's Art Prize on Wood TV8

2017        "Attend: OFF THE WALL, NIGHT ONE at Arts + Literature Laboratory" by James Kreul, Madison Film Forum

2017        "SIPMA Contemporary holding juried art exhibit in Branchburg" by Linda Schmidt, Hunterdon County Democrat 

2016        "Reuse Gets Upscale Treatment at Sweetwater Center for the Arts", by Kurt Shaw, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

ARTISTS LECTURES/PRESENTATIONS

2021        Everted Sanctuaries VI: merging virtual and physical animation, iDMAa Conference “Broken Media” Winona State University, Winona, MN

2020        Artist Talk, Biblio Spectaculum, Biblio Spectaculum at Main Street Arts, Clifton Springs, NY

2018        ArtTalk, Public lecture, Millikan Art Resource Center, University of Montana, Missoula, MT

2018        Visiting Artist Lecture, public lecture about Everted Sanctuaries, Lock Haven University, Lock Haven, PA

2018        Everted Sanctuaries: Stop-Motion Process, Lock Haven University, Lock Haven, PA

2017        Applying User-centered Design to a General Education Text, Michigan Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters Annual Conference Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI

2015        Everted Sanctuaries: Visualizing Introversion, Sixth Annual International Conference on the Image, Berkeley CA

2014        Recent Design and Process, Public lecture, University of Minnesota, Duluth

2014        Recent Design and Process, Public lecture, University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg

2013        Recent Design and Process, Public lecture, Minnesota State University, Mankato

2013        Recent Design and Process, Public lecture, Texas State University, San Marcos

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

AIGA, The Professional Association For Design

CAA, College Art Association

SECAC, South Eastern College Art Conference

The Image Knowledge Community