🐋Gaylord Pacific Art: Individual Piece

In collaboration with Looney & Associates + Carroll Adams

Suspended 40 feet above the convention center walkway Breaching and Diving are life size humpback whales, composed of thousands of translucent acrylic rods.  Designed as a visual landmark, the installation integrates large-scale aesthetics, seismic engineering, lighting, and long-term durability - demonstrating how contemporary art can operate seamlessly (above guests) within an active, high-traffic environment. 

The suspension system allows for subtle movement caused by normal air circulation within the space. As the transparent tubes shift slightly, light passes through and between them, creating continuous variation in reflection, transparency, and shadow. This interaction produces both actual and perceived motion, reinforcing the sense of the whales moving through water rather than occupying static space.

The concept of Breaching and Diving is directly tied to the property’s coastal context. Humpback whales migrate up to 5,000 miles between feeding grounds in Alaska and Mexico, traveling along the California coastline from December through May. The two sculptures represent brief but defining moments within this journey: breaching, as the whale rises from the water, and diving, as it descends below the surface.

By combining modular fabrication with large-scale suspension, the installation captures movement, migration, and passage through space. The result is a contemporary interpretation of a regional natural event - one that integrates art, engineering, and architecture into a unified, site-specific work.

Everyone says they are honored (and we are)

but mostly we are supremely energized by being recognized as finalists in both art categories for the Hospitality Design 22nd Annual Awards this year.

🌵Miraval Spa Arizona Art: Program

In collaboration with Harken Interiors + Rosemont Project Management

This collection reimagines the role of art in hospitality; in some cases the art becomes the space itself. Hand-crafted surfaces created on-site, directly on walls and ceilings, blurs the line between art, design, and function. Inspired by the surrounding desert landscape, the collection draws on natural textures, regional materials, and references to celestial and geological forms. A monumental textile commission anchors the arrival experience, while custom sculpture throughout the property creates a rich, sensory spa environment. 

Curated and commissioned exclusively for this location, the collection draws deeply from the surrounding desert landscape. Natural textures and locally inspired materials inform every gesture, resulting in a layered experience that is both visually striking and inherently calming. A 20-foot, large-scale textile artist commission anchors the arrival experience behind the front desk. The front desk itself is clad in a custom-fabricated surface that references regional stone and granite, blurring the line between sculptural art and functional design.

Central to the project was a specialty art fabrication team working onsite, hand-crafting custom textures across walls and ceilings. These surfaces were created in real time, responding to the architecture and light conditions of the space, reinforcing the idea that the environment itself is the artwork.

Throughout the property, curated artworks reference celestial and geological forms - moon-like surface textures echo desert terrain, while other pieces draw directly from nearby mountain ranges and sandstone formations, including shale and limestone. Subtle nods to the region’s copper and gold mining history are embedded in material choices and tonal shifts.

In the salon, abstracted forms inspired by ancient petroglyphs create a visual language that connects history, landscape, and contemporary design. Together, the collection and interior design are inseparable - warm, tactile, and immersive - embodying a welcoming aesthetic that enhances the guest experience while showcasing innovation in hospitality art integration.