Locust Projects is thrilled that with our new home we are now able to offer free temporary studio space for upcoming exhibiting artists who do not have existing formal studios. We will also have summer studios for teaching artists to be in residence giving them the time, space and focus to nourish the creativity that they so generously invest in the next generation all year long.

Our three inaugural teaching artists include Dimitry Chamy, Chire Regans, and Loni Johnson, as well as exhibiting artist Jen Clay. In addition, artist and designer Madeline Gannon joined us for temporary use of our space to be able to experiment on a larger scale to complete her project which will be showcased to the public at New World Symphony during Miami Art Week. 

Dimitry Chamy (June and July 2023)

Dimitry was one of the first three recipients of our Teaching Artist Summer Studio Residency. Dimitry worked on a sculptural multi-media installation featuring multiple projectors and upcycled pandemic barriers he calls "Momentum Mori," a polyvocal reflection on the pandemic aftermath, still in the early stages.

"I've never had a dedicated studio as an artist other than my computer or tablet. While working on this piece, I was shocked to realize I had scaled down my practice over the years, of necessity, to fit on a single screen—permitting myself to imagine a work that demanded ample space to exist. The last time I did a room-scale video installation was 20 years ago to commemorate my partner's death. The generous and incredibly supportive team at Locust Projects and the fantastic artists I shared space with, Jen, Chire, and Loni, inspired me to work and think bigger and allow the work to hold whatever space it deserves."

"Momentum Mori" also invites other artists to share and shape the space by combining their submitted animations into a multi-faceted collective immersion that will also be reactive to viewers of the work. The raw test projections in this story include hand-animated contributions by artists Michelle Weinberg, Amalia Caputo, and Massimo Tarridas.

During his residency, Dimitry focused on the physical preparation and staging of the panels, the technical build and software research required to run the piece dynamically, and testing and documenting the way the panels react to the projections to envision the next phase of development, animations, for which he is seeking artist contributors. 

Jen Clay (April - November 2023)

Clay spent months quilting tree-monsters, which she then photographed, montaged and animated to create the first video game made entirely of quilts that opened to public view at Locust Projects on September 16. In keeping with Locust Projects’ mission to provide artists with opportunities to experiment and create new work, over the past year the artist delved into learning how to translate her aesthetic digitally using video game technology. Read more about her Inaugural Project Room Show Eyes of the Skin. 

Madeline Gannon (October - December 2023)

Madeline, a native of South Florida, is an interdisciplinary designer who trained as an architect but practices as a roboticist. Funded by a Knight New Work Grant, Madeline began her project “Korio-bots” by small-scale prototyping at Oolite Arts. Locust Projects was happy to welcome Madeline for a temporary use of our space to be able to experiment on a larger scale to complete her project which will be showcased to the public at New World Symphony on December 4 for the Knight Foundation Symposium to kick off Miami Art Week!

Madeline, a native of South Florida and FIU alum, traded the beaches for robots for the last 12 years, working on robotics in Pittsburg. She has done a lot of work making big robots interactive and lifelike. The purpose of her work is to create non-screen-based interactive and immersive art that brings physical environments to life. Her craft is trying to suspend disbelief of what the audience sees, challenging them to see robots as living, breathing mechanical creatures. 

Loni Johnson (June - December 2023)

Studio artist-in-residence Loni Johnson used her time at Locust preparing for 3 exhibitions!

Johnson’s work in our space this summer includes alters to her “little self” which is her way of connecting with her inner child, something she says we often lose touch with. She has also started making “pods” again, which she hadn’t made in years but started exploring again during covid. 

Upcoming venues and events where Loni’s work will be featured:

Oolite Arts Walgreens storefront on 71st and Collins

The Bridge Initiative's Conversation with Climate show

BFI National Climate Conference on Miami Beach 

Visit Loni and Chire at Locust Projects through December 16. 

Chire Regans (June - December 2023)

Since finishing her mentorship of highschool students during our summer LAB program, Chire has been able to devote her time to a new body of work as one of our inaugural teaching artist summer studio residents.

The braids used for the sculptures, ranging from 12 ft to 24 ft in length, were originally hanging from trees for a temporary public art piece at MOCANomi titled “To What Lengths.” Her work in the studio is an evolution of that project, transforming the braids once intended for viewing in a large public setting to something much more intimate. Each sculptural portrait is made with a different person in mind, varying in scale, color, and detail, adorned with textiles and earrings. 

The artist notes that “hair braiding and anything that is done to your hair requires for you to be vulnerable and accepting of what is being done. It is an art form and these pieces are in recognition of this art form. The braids are a call to black women stating that what they do is acceptable anywhere.”

Visit Chire and Loni at Locust Projects through December 16. Click here for residency Gallery Notes.