In 2017 I had the opportunity to work as both an artist and performer in Wayne White’s MONITORIUM at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art. Drawing on local history, the site specific installation transformed the gallery into the Civil War submarine, The Monitor using sculpture, props, masks, and puppets. As an artist I worked on various elements of the installation including both large scale and miniature cardboard sculptures and painting/transforming the physical space into the ironclad panels of the Monitor. Throughout the duration of the installation, I performed in a four foot tall sculptural mask as Captain John L. Worden in a puppet show about his life and the battle of the ironclads. Wayne White built the mask and I modified it for performance. WAyne White is best know for his work as a set designer, character designer, and puppeteer on Pee-Wee’s Playhouse.
