Sparkflight Studios

  As architects, we love to discuss our favorite buildings and how they've influenced us. Perhaps our favorite even says something of our personalities? Feel free to leave us a comment with your favorite building and why!

(Left to Right) quantum (Sugar Land, TX), Through Her Eyes (Henderson, NV), "Typographical" Map (Henderson, NV). Imagery © Sparkflight Studios. Here at Sparkflight, one of our passions is public art. We believe in its power to delight, invite reflection, speak of cultural truths, and spark curiosity. Here are a few of our past proposals that we are excited to share with you. Though never constructed, they are a part of our never-ending investigations into creating compelling works of art that inspire. Imagery © Sparkflight Studios. quantum (2019) The City of Sugar Land, Texas requested proposals for an atrium public art piece that will be suspended in City Hall's atrium to commemorate the City's 60th Anniversary. Our proposal, called quantum , is inspired by the historical richness of Sugar Land and seeks to understand its history through the lens of memory, collective hope, and heritage. Every angle presents to the viewer a new dynamic between the elements, mirroring...

Artist's rendering of the new LACMA designed by Atelier Peter Zumthor (set to open 2024). Fly-through video by Andrei Juradowitch © 2021.  http://andreiucop.com/ THE NEW YORKER published a thoughtful article on Peter Zumthor's newly (and controversially) designed LACMA in October 2020. The article touches on several nuances of the project: local and municipal politic, meaning of art within cultural milieu and institutional structures -- all in the context of conversations with Zumthor in his hermitage in Haldenstein, Switzerland. Read the full article, here . Below is the latest release from LACMA: New galleries. More art. For all of Los Angeles. A new way to encounter the world’s cultures—past, present, and future. Over the last two decades, LACMA has sought to find new ways to embrace all the communities of Los Angeles County and honor all the world’s artistic traditions. Our goal is to make the experience of our collection richer and more accessible than ever befo...

SAY IT LOUD - Nevada Virtual Gallery in collaboration with UNLV  ©2021 by BeyondtheBuilt.com . Beyond the Built Environment "uniquely address the inequitable disparities in architecture by providing a holistic platform aimed to support numerous stages of the architecture pipeline. [They] promote agency among diverse audiences and advocate for equity in the built environment through [their] approach which utilizes a method ... termed "the triple E, C". The triple E, C method is a strategy to: Engage, Elevate, Educate, and Collaborate." A collaboration between Beyond the Built Environment and The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, explore Anne's two virtual galleries at SAY IT LOUD - Nevada Virtual Gallery. The two featured projects are: Winchester Cultural Center Dance Studio (2013) - Las Vegas RTC Mobility Training Center - Interior Murals & Streetscape (2016) - Las Vegas Find additional project details, photographs, and a Q&A session with SAY IT LOUD, her...

 Jim Hodges’ sculptural boulders, Untitled (2011). Source: Walker Art Center, Paul Schmelzer  © All Rights Reserved. One is easily captivated by Jim Hodges' shining boulders, with their brilliant colors and refracting light. The idea behind these pieces came to him during a trip to India. Jim's experiences of a cacophony of color and complex layering: temples flying flags in Rajasthani fields, Ganesha statues painted orange and gold, images of the Hindu deity Hanuman enhanced with red or orange paint, women pouring water as they prayed...  “As you walk amid the sculptures and they are animated by light, they at once seem massive and monumental yet light and buoyant, almost weightless,” Walker executive director Olga Viso wrote. For Hodges, the initial idea came to him quickly, but the process to fabricate the stainless-steel high-gloss skins to each rock, each over 400 million years old, was an intensive and prolonged process. Paul Schmelzer writes: "Seemingly dipped in ...

Marble Manor Enhancement Project (2009), Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority. Image by Sparkflight Studios, © All Rights Reserved. Sparkflight Studios believes in the power of public art. From our experiences, we know art to be a vehicle for uplifting the human spirit. Over the years, we have refined our approach, which tends to be four-fold, ranging from the "small" to the "extra-large": Small: attention to detail, materiality, and scale. Medium: the concinnity of the "small" elements.  Large: sensitivity to the social, environmental, historical, and cultural milieu. Extra-Large: holding the past, living the present, and projecting art for future generations. In the past, we've posted organizations such as Artolution and Forecast , to whom we look towards for trustworthy guidance when it comes to making powerful art and positive change in communities. For us too, community participation is important. For instance, in our Canal Convergence scul...

Image credit: The annual 4th Avenue Fest in Austin, MN was imagined by city planner Holly Wallace, Cheryl Berglund of MacPhail Austin (pictured percussion experience), and multiple community artists and volunteers. Forecast is a non-profit arts organization founded in 1978 by and for artists working in public space. Based in Saint Paul, MN and working both locally and nationally, Forecast connects artists with cities, institutions and communities to courageously tackle the vital issues of our time. They partner with decision-makers and stakeholders on arts and cultural planning efforts, and support public artists with funding, training and opportunities to create partnerships and advance their public art careers. They also help others find, select, curate, fund and commission public artists. Forecast emphasizes access for artists of color, indigenous artists, and groups that are traditionally excluded. This blog post's headline image captures moments from a Forecast project which ...

Artolution imagines a brighter future for global refugees. Artolution began a decade ago with two nomadic artists, circling the globe to promote positive social change through one-off projects in crisis-affected locations; in places that few people would dare to travel on their own. They brought together groups of people who never knew that they could exist in the same room; only to discover their shared traditions and hopes for the future created the capacity to feel hope together. The communities where they worked repeatedly asked, “But, when will you be back?” Artolution believes that through the process of creating collaborative art, diverse communities can come together in times of conflict and social turmoil to address the challenges they face together.  Projects are organized and facilitated in partnership with local artists, grass-roots organizations, schools, and international organizations to ensure locally-led programs survivability and long-term, integrated presence wi...

  Landscape of the Vernal Equinox (III), Paul Nash. National Galleries Scotland. In honor of the transition to spring... This painting depicts Wittenham Clumps, an ancient British camp in Berkshire. The Clumps can be seen in the background; they are two dome-shaped hills with a thick clump of trees on top. Nash had been familiar with the area for many years, since spending family holidays nearby from 1909. He painted the Clumps in a series of dream-like works, three of which present the vernal (or spring) equinox, with the sun and moon depicted simultaneously in the sky. These paintings were intended as poetic metaphors, referring to the mystery and magic of the perpetual cycles of nature. See our recent snow collage on Instagram here .

The mission of the Henderson Arts and Cultural Council is to enrich the quality of life for those who live, work, and play in Henderson through the advancement of arts and culture.  Under the direction of the City of Henderson, Evolution Art in collaboration with Sparkflight Studios, designed, fabricated, and installed five life-sized hockey puck benches at the new Lifeguard Arena in Henderson, Nevada. Find these fun public art pieces at the south building entrance adjacent to the pair of 25-foot tall chromed hockey sticks! The hockey sticks also seen in the video are designed by TSK Architects and fabricated and installed by Evolution Art and Blaque Metal Works in collaboration with Sparkflight Studios. Evolution Art - https://www.evoartnv.com/​ TSK Architects -  https://www.tska.com/​ Sparkflight Studios - https://sparkflightstudios.com/​ Blaque Metal Works - https://blaquemetalworks.com/

  Sparkflight Studios is an award-winning, DBE-certified, woman-owned firm, based in Henderson and established in Nevada for more than 16 years. We are focused on integrating sustainable practices into civic, commercial, multifamily residential, and public art projects. We believe the keys to a successful design are effective collaboration between all parties and thoughtful consideration of its impact on the community. Our passion for art and dedication to improving our community shines through in our projects and elevates our clients’ spaces. Link to full video  here .

The Big Draw Festival 2020 The Big Draw is a visual literacy charity that promotes the universal language of drawing as a tool for learning, expression and invention. It’s an annual event that is held between the 1st to 31st of October. The charity leads a diverse program of advocacy, empowerment and engagement, and is the founder and driving force behind The Big Draw Festival – the world’s biggest celebration of drawing. The Big Draw manages collaborative research projects, campaigns and educational conferences on visual literacy, digital technology, and STEAM.  The types of organizations that hold the event include museums, schools, galleries, community centers, or simply people who are enthusiastic about drawing. Follow the link here to register for an event near you! See The Big Draw 2020 MINIMAG for full details.

Water Street District Canopy Sign Water Street District has arrived on the scene, and Sparkflight Studios worked closely with the City of Henderson to prepare a dramatic, LED-lit sign next to the City of Henderson Events Plaza.  This 4′-6″ tall sign is rendered in an Art Deco font in keeping with the area’s style from the Basic Townsite era.  It features channel letters facing each side of Water Street with pre-programmed seasonal options like St. Patricks Day, Winterfest, Industrial Days, and of course, “Go Knights!” Rendering in red; Water Street District Canopy Sign

In honor of Memorial Day weekend, we extend our gratitude to all the heroes who gave their lives to win our freedom. The " Find Your Luck " window has been repurposed as a memorial thank you.  As we see it these heroes made the luck, the good, that we enjoy today.  The lucky 4-leaf clover has made a new appearance.  Can you find it? They Made Your Luck Heroes: 7 O'Clock Shadows

A new storefront display is now appearing on south Water Street. This temporary art installation is themed for St Patrick’s Day and Spring, and is constructed from salvaged materials. Discarded materials such as cardboard and newspaper were transformed by the Sparkflight team into organic letterforms and cheerful shamrocks.  A living grass lawn enlivens the front planter area. The “Find Your Luck” text refers to popular notions of the leprechaun-guarded pot of gold at the end of the rainbow or the elusive 4-leaf clover, and also to the idea of making our own luck. Our studio’s intention is that this window will launch an initiative, in collaboration with the Henderson Redevelopment Agency , to re-energize empty storefronts on Water Street with revolving artist-generated displays.  If our luck holds, it will be a short-lived program due to new leases. Can you spot the hidden 4-leaf clover in the window? We've already spotted people enjoying this window for photo opps....

Anne Johnson AIA is now Sparkflight Studios! Our name reflects the energy and enthusiasm we bring to projects.  How we take the spark of an idea and help it soar.  Sparkflight Studios has a multidisciplinary approach encompassing architecture, design, graphics, and art.  Let us engage you in the creative process and see your projects take flight. We hope you'll enjoy the new look as it rolls out in the coming months. ⇧

ARCHICAD supports our creative thinking process.  Its versatility and ongoing improvements allow us to discover new ways to improve project delivery.  ARCHICAD's connection with Rhino-Grasshopper allows us to propel our sculpture models from wireframe to art fabrication.  We deliver cost savings to our clients by exploding architectural forms into data and improving bid outcomes.  Client communication is enhanced by sectional models and walkthroughs.  After over 14 years of use, it’s exciting to see how far we’ve grown! See post on Graphisoft here...

Since 2010, we've been a listed DBE vendor with Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT).  The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program  dates back to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and "level[s] the playing field by providing small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals a fair opportunity to compete for federally funded transportation contracts." (NDOT DBE website) We aim to work with prime contractors to provide services that are not typically provided by architectural firms such as graphic mural creation and sculptural elements.  Our extensive architectural and construction experience supports delivery of exceptional spaces.  Our collaborative approach means that getting to the finish line is an enjoyable experience. The interior cityscape and mural design at the RTC's Mobility Training Center is one example of the type of project we excel at.  Read more here... Our registration is  NV20235437NUC...

This proposal is to create a sheltered gathering space by the water that offers a place for reflection on the interconnectedness of community. The form of the sculpture’s structure and skin are inspired by several associations from my desert experiences. The framework is literally tied to the water with a view, and metaphorically as people become the flow: a human network. Reflection is enhanced by written messages hanging within the shelter that are “good wishes” to be exchanged. Two rounded forms bypass each other creating an axial flow. The overlap creates a gathering space with dappled shadows by day, and uplit, sheltering walls by night. Simple seating is provided beside the forms.   Selected materials contain recycled content, are able to be repurposed and recycled, or biodegrade.