Projects
“All my work keeps going like a pendulum; it seems to swing back to something I was involved with earlier.”
Colour Literacy Project
The complex topic of color can be approached from many angles, but the academic study of color has been relegated primarily to art education, where the information is often oversimplified, inaccurate, and fossilized. I’m part of the leadership team for the Colour Literacy Project, a partnership between the Inter-Society Color Council (ISCC) and the International Colour Association (AIC). We’re currently developing a color education website that will address basic misconceptions and provide state-of-the-art resources to classrooms from Pre-K to university, industry professionals, and lifelong learners. I’m also a Board member of ISCC and involved in planning its Color Impact Conference—a one-day virtual symposium on June 6, 2020 and a three day event at Yale University on June 6-9, 2021.
LU+CO Studios
In my pursuit of alternatives to the “starving artist” paradigm that limits audiences, demoralizes artists, and inhibits creativity, I was inspired by the Arts & Crafts and Bauhaus movements to found a design studio called LU+CO. Our goal was to connect fine artists with new audiences and markets beyond the familiar confines of commercial galleries. We also championed the concept of “art for daily life,” with particular emphasis on women and the domestic sphere.
Peace Through Pie
Peace Through Pie is an Austin-based nonprofit I founded to recognize the power of shared food traditions to bring communities together.
The first seed was planted in 1995, on the MLK holiday. After watching a documentary about the Civil Rights Movement, I thought about the connection between each unique holiday and the foods we serve to celebrate its message. I realized that a signature culinary tradition symbolizing Dr. King’s spirit of inclusiveness and social equity had not yet developed. So I baked a “Peace Pie” (old fashioned Buttermilk) and wrote “I have a dream” on top with red icing.
Over the next several years, I reached out to community partners to celebrate the MLK Holiday with Peace Through Pie Socials. Savory or sweet, any pie can be a Peace Pie if it’s served with that intention. As of January 2020, over 350 of these events have been held in homes, schools, businesses, and faith groups in Austin and beyond.