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Alumni Spotlight: TIEK BYDAY Led by LSU Design Grads

Art & Design, Interior Design, Alumni, Architecture, Alumni Profiles,
Tiek ByDay Founders. Photo by Kim Meadowlark.

TIEK BYDAY Founders. Photo by Kim Meadowlark.

LSU alumni-led team TIEK BYDAY are transforming spaces in South Louisiana and beyond. Their approach is decidedly interdisciplinary: as a collaborative team of architects and interior designers, they work together to create designs that seamlessly integrate the many aspects of the design process.

Interior design studio Tiek and Co., led by mother-daughter duo Cindy and Bridget Tiek (BID 2014s), and Byday, an architecture firm founded by Hance Hughes (BArch 2014), merged into TIEK BYDAY in 2023. This November, the design firm unveils its new office in midcity Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

TIEK BYDAY is responsible for many recent renovations of popular restaurants, businesses, and private residences around the capitol region, and has been featured in Architectural Digest, Southern Home, inRegister and more, recognized for its creative vision that pushes the boundaries of traditional Southern aesthetics.

They each came to design from different backgrounds. Cindy, who first studied chemical engineering at LSU (Class of 1983), returned to the university in 2009 to study interior design. At 49, she “made a total life change” and decided to fully embrace her creative side by enrolling in the LSU School of Interior Design alongside her daughter, Bridget. Despite its “sensible appeal, the engineering field had left her feeling disconnected, prompting her to explore more creative pursuits,” she shared with House Beautiful. Hance, once on a pre-med track, returned to college to study at the LSU School of Architecture. (Hance and Bridget had known each other since middle school, before crossing paths again as designers.)

We sat down with them to discuss their memories of LSU, and love of design.

Q&A

Q: Any notable memories from your time at LSU?

Bridget: Many long nights working in studio on campus. I had a pillow there for a reason. 

Cindy: 24 hours of no sleep, working on design projects on deadline.

Hance: All my memories go back to studio. It’s where [design students] spent so much time, where you meet all the people.

Bridget: You were with your classmates for so long. It’s unlike any other degree that I’m aware of. No one else on campus spends that much time together. We still keep in touch with our former studio mates, designers we went to school with who are now all in different places in the field, all over the country. It created a tight-knit family for us all.

workspace with stool

Studio space. Image courtesy of Bridget Tiek.

Q: What do you love about design?

Cindy: The most satisfying aspect for me is seeing the design process come to fruition. How people respond to a transformed space – they are transported. I love the moment when people see their home for the first time, walk in and say, “oh my god!” It’s the culmination of all the work that went into the project.

Bridget: It’s amazing how much your environment affects you, how much better your life is when your surroundings are more peaceful, more beautiful, more functional.

Hance: That’s very real. As an artist and creative, there are rewards in creative things: executing a painting, the pleasure at the heart of design. It’s making an idea, a thought, a reality. 

 

“It’s a mutual passion for all three of us: we are here to help clients realize dreams they didn’t know that they had. They never thought it could be as great as it is for them to have their spaces reimagined. There’s nothing else like it.”

 

Q: How do you all work at the intersection of the design disciplines?

Cindy: We are collaborating on projects together from the beginning – it should all happen in tandem for the best result. Oftentimes people assume that interiors are the aftermath, but it should be woven in together. We also work in tandem with landscape architects. Ultimately, it’s the team approach: architects, interior designers, graphic designers, landscape architects, everyone working together.

Hance: Today’s design process is not the traditional idea of architecture. In conceptual hospitality, the line is not really clear. I’m also a licensed interior designer, though Bridget and Cindy are the experts in the industry. The line isn’t clear in the workplace and is reinforced in the studio environment how we work collaboratively doing “non-traditional” work.

Bridget: We’re working in one big studio environment right now, not spread out and so we’re always consulting each other, weighing in on the architectural decisions. The architects weigh in sometimes on the interior and vice versa. The comprehensive team approach leads to the best outcomes. Communication leads to beautiful outcomes, so we don’t just silo in a bubble away from each other. 

 

Q: What advice do you have for current design students?

Cindy: The internship experience is so important. To be able to try so many different paths for creatives, see different types of firms – do many directions, and get out an experience it. In smaller firms like ours, you get to see everything. I recommend researching firms and trying new things. It’s different than it used to be: nowadays, you can change course easier when you find what you love the most.

Bridget: Yes, there is so much opportunity in the design world. Go and intern for big and small firms, try something new like product design – you can go really niche into furniture or fabric, whatever interests you. Find what you love.

Hance: As a student, it’s about getting experience in the real world. It’s so important to reach out to people who do what you want to do. This career is so tactile, so it’s important to get in front of the real people doing the work in the field. You have to push to get where you want to go.

 

Q: Anything else you would like to add?

Cindy: It’s never too late. I went back for a second degree when I was 49. If you want to do something different with your life, you can still do it.

Bridget: With our firm’s growth over the last few years, we are excited to welcome new opportunities and projects in the door. We’re ready to travel, to expand our reach and creative influence not only in Baton Rouge, but across the gulf south. We’re willing and ready.

 

Learn more about TIEK BYDAY.

Learn more about the LSU College of Art & Design: LSU Schools of Architecture, Art, Interior Design, and Landscape Architecture.

LSU Interior Designers Enhance Louisiana Schools, Welcome Students to Campus

Students, Interior Design, Events, Community Outreach, Faculty, ,

Designing for Donaldsonville

LSU interior design faculty and students recently enhanced common spaces in several Ascension Parish public schools, gaining work experience in real-life settings and bringing design strategies to educational environments. The initiative was led by Professionals-In-Residence in the LSU School of Interior Design Tracy Burns and Matthew Edmonds, principal designers at CDI Solutions (an LSU alumni-led design firm.)

Interior design student Hannah Falls worked on a project to redesign the Donaldsonville High School cafeteria, transforming it into a more welcoming and uplifting environment for students. Falls served as project manager on the design project while still an undergraduate student, gaining real-life experience in the interior design field.

“Our goal was to enhance the space through thoughtful design elements that encourage community, comfort, and pride in their school environment,” Falls said. “By incorporating color, school branding, and custom graphics, we aimed to create a setting where students could relax, connect, and enjoy their time together, transforming an everyday space into one that better reflects the school’s spirit.”


“This project was especially meaningful to me as a student because it allowed me to see firsthand how design can make a real impact within a community,” Falls said.

“Working on a space that students use every day reminded me why I’m passionate about interior design, it’s about more than aesthetics; it’s about improving people’s daily experiences. Being able to contribute to something that supports younger students and helps them take pride in their environment was incredibly rewarding.”

Coming to Campus

On October 27, students from Donaldsonville High School (DHS) visited the LSU College of Art & Design and explored LSU campus. The visit was a chance to expose Louisiana students to higher education and the many opportunities at LSU, and explore different fields of art & design.

“It’s an opportunity for young members of our Louisiana community to be introduced to design, and visit LSU campus,” said Dana Mitchell, assistant dean of recruitment & engagement.

The high school students met LSU students, participated in a mini design charette, learned about the DHS interior branding project presented by Burns and Edmonds/CDI Solutions, and toured design studios. Participants included Minority Students Studying Interior Design (BID candidates Nia Robinson, Kiara Wynn), Interior Design Student Organization (Victoria Vo, Alairah Richardson), and LSU School of Interior Design staff member Whitney Butler, APA Interior Design.

“At Donaldsonville High School, our mission is to ensure that every student graduates college and career ready with a quality diploma in hand. With that commitment, we are intentional about providing our students with meaningful experiences that help them discover their passions and envision their futures,” said Dr. O’neil Robinson, principal of Donaldson High School.

“Our recent campus tour of the LSU College of Art & Design was truly inspiring. I was beyond proud to see our students fully engaged in the activities, asking thoughtful questions, and connecting what they learned to their own goals. Several students even expressed their desire to attend LSU in the future.”

“Exposure is everything—it opens minds, builds confidence, and helps our students see the limitless possibilities ahead of them. At DHS, we will continue to create opportunities that prepare our students not just for graduation, but for success in life.”

It was a great way to reach young people in the community, Mitchell said. “What our LSU alumni and students are doing (in interior design) are affecting their day-to-day lives – they see it in the transformation of their school, and so many ways. Now they know it’s a career path that could be possible for them.”

Melinda Jacob: Breathing Life into the Digital Canvas

Students, Art, Digital Art, Alumni, Publicity, BA

Melinda Jacob in LSU grad robeOriginally from Mandeville, Melinda Jacob has been guided by one constant—her lifelong passion for visual art. A recent Bachelor of Arts grad, Jacob has found a way to merge her love for traditional artistry with the boundless possibilities of animation.

“I’ve been passionate about visual art my whole life,” Jacob reflects. “I started in the talented art program in sixth grade, and that really set the foundation for everything I’ve done since.”

The Mystery of Animation

While Jacob explored many mediums over the years, animation held a certain mystery that called to her. “Every other art form made sense to me—I could reverse engineer almost anything,” she says. “But animation was different. Since I was never exposed to how it worked in grade school, it felt like this great mystery, and its secrets called to me.”

That curiosity evolved into creation. Today, Jacob channels her fascination into intricate stop-motion storytelling, blending physical craft with digital innovation.

Bringing Mother to Life

Her debut stop motion film, Mother, stands as both a technical feat and an emotional exploration. Drawing inspiration from the environmental struggles of the manmade lakes near her Southdowns rental home in Baton Rouge, the film dives beneath the surface—literally and metaphorically—to explore themes of misplaced faith shaped by trauma.

“Having experienced those struggles myself,” Jacob explains, “I reflect on the ways it can distort one’s understanding of the greater forces at work in the world around us.”

In less than a year, Jacob wrote, designed, built, and animated Mother entirely on her own—aside from voice acting and score. Using puppet, paint-on-glass, and paper cut-out techniques, she crafted a visually striking narrative that blurs the boundaries between the physical and the metaphysical.

Through Mother, Jacob hopes to contribute to the evolution of the animation industry by reintroducing the tactile beauty of stop motion to modern audiences.

Finding Her Place at LSU

When it came time to choose a college, Jacob’s decision was both practical and passionate. She had been accepted to the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), but ultimately chose LSU for its growing digital art program and the financial accessibility offered by TOPS scholarships.

“LSU had a new and exciting digital art program, so it felt like the right choice,” she says. “Despite all the scholarships I received for SCAD, staying in state was by far the best option financially.”

That decision proved fruitful—LSU gave Jacob the resources, community, and creative space she needed to explore animation in depth. After her third year at LSU, she took a break for a couple years and returned in 2023 as a part time BA student, to study animation under Joe Nivens, assistant professor of practice in the LSU School of Art.  

Looking Ahead

Currently, Jacob works as an airbrush artist at Composite Effects (CFX), painting silicone masks with remarkable precision. On the side, she experiments with airbrushing clothing, constantly expanding her creative skill set.

Her next goal is to transition into contract painting for CFX, allowing more time to focus on freelance animation. Eventually, she hopes to open her own studio, employing other creatives and producing original work.

But Jacob’s ambitions don’t stop there. One of her biggest dreams is to create an immersive art experience that doubles as a concert venue—a space where music and visual art intertwine to form something unforgettable.

“I’ve come to learn this idea is already being executed very successfully by Meow Wolf,” she says. “That might have discouraged young Melinda, but now I’m just itching to bring more of that type of thing into the world.”

Supporting the Journey

Jacob is currently submitting Mother to film festivals around the world, hoping to gain recognition as an independent animator. The process, though exciting, is also expensive—submission fees range from $10 to $100+ per festival. To help offset the costs, she’s launched a GoFundMe campaign.

Each contribution helps bring her story—and her art—to new audiences. For Jacob, every frame is an act of discovery, and every project a step closer to her vision of art that moves both literally and emotionally.

8 Fluid Ounces Ceramic Cups Show 2025

Events, Art, Ceramics, Exhibitions

LSU School of Art’s biennial cup show, 8 Fluid Ounces, featuring ceramic cups by twenty-five artists, opens November 7, 2025, at Glassell Gallery. 

LSU School of Art’s biennial “cup show,” 8 Fluid Ounces, will be on view, with works for sale, from November 7–December 12, 2025. The exhibition will feature 100 ceramic cups and vessels by over twenty-five artists invited from across the country by guest curator and visiting artist Ruth Easterbrook. The cups and vessels are available for sale. 

Artists included in the 2025 8 Fluid Ounces include Maria G. Albornoz, Chris Alvershere, Samantha Briegel, Ray Brown, Jessica Faulk, Celia Feldberg, Katherine Hackl, Jeremiah Ibarra, Quinn Maher, Marret Metzger, Lindsay Oesterritter, Jennifer Pak, Kourtenay Plummer, Austin Riddle, S.C. Rolf, Eileen Sackman, Josh Scott, David Swensen, Amal Tamari, Karen Tharp, Dallas Wooten. For more about the exhibition, artists, and available works, visit https://mailchi.mp/lsu/8fluidounces2025 

This exhibition is organized in conjunction with the LSU School of Art Ceramic Artist Student Association (CASA), who selected Ruth Easterbrook as guest juror and visiting artist.  All exhibitions and programs are free and open to the public. Sales support both the artists and Glassell Gallery’s exhibitions and programming. 

Visit https://design.lsu.edu/news-and-events/events/ for more College of Art & Design exhibitions, events, and programs. 

Programs 

Lecture: Friday, November 7, 5:30 p.m., LSU Museum of Art 3rd Floor 

Reception, Friday, November 7, 6:30–8 p.m., Glassell Gallery.

Interactive Throwing Wheel Demonstration with LSU Ceramic Arts Student Association Vice President Lance Wilson – Sunday, November 16, 2–4 p.m. 

Hand building Cup & Pinch Vessels Workshop with LSU Ceramic Arts Student Association officers Kaylon Khorsheed (MFA ‘28) and Tigerlily Wolowitz – Free First Sunday, December 7, 1:30–4 p.m. 

 

Jeffrey Carbo Awarded ASLA Design Medal

Landscape Architecture, Honors & Awards, Events, Alumni Events, , ,
Carbo Family and Dean Flaten

Carbo family and Dean Flaten at ASLA 2025 reception. Photo by Catherine Restrepo.

Jeffrey Carbo, FASLA, PLA, BLA alum, was awarded the 2025 American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Design Medal at the national ASLA conference in October 2025. Selected by ASLA’s Board of Trustees, the ASLA Design Medal represent the highest recognition ASLA bestows each year.

“I am extremely honored and humbled to receive this recognition,” Carbo said.

Jeff founded Jeffrey Carbo Landscape Architects in 1994 in Alexandria, Louisiana, and now located in Baton Rouge. Jeff was the founding principal and design director until 2022. In those 28 years, he led the firm to receive more than 100 national and state ASLA and AIA awards, with projects ranging from residential gardens, institutional and academic campuses, parks and streetscapes, and botanical gardens and nature centers. In 2014, ASLA awarded him its Award of Excellence for the Woodland Rain Gardens in Caddo Parish, Louisiana. 

“Landscape architecture is an incredibly diverse discipline that appeals to all of my interests — art, nature, environment, and cultural history. Integrating all of these interests into works that are actually performing, and more than just for aesthetics, make what we do increasingly more essential, significant, and relevant,” – Carbo

Jeff’s love of his Louisiana home helped to shape and drive his many career and project endeavors. He maintains an emphasis on private and public work that enhances and impacts quality of life while advancing awareness of Louisiana’s diverse landscapes.

Jeff and his family continue to advocate tirelessly for the LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture, hoping to advance its legacy of excellence and providing the same transformative experience he and his son Will had while they were students. Jeff is a 1985 graduate of the Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture at LSU and in 2011 he was inducted into the LSU Alumni Hall of Distinction, the highest honor given to an LSU graduate. 

In 2019, Jeff, his wife Wendy, and son William created the Carbo Landscape Architecture Recruitment Center (CLARC) to attract the best and brightest to LSU. Jeff is a national board member for the LSU Foundation and currently the director of Jeff and Wendy Carbo GoodWorks, where he provides pro-bono design services for nonprofits. He recently launched JCLA Studio, continuing his work on select new and existing legacy projects throughout Louisiana and the southeastern United States.

Read about the 2025 honorees.

See photos from the LSU ASLA 2025 reception.

Read about the LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture.

Professors Max Conrad and Charles Fryling Awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards

Art & Design, Landscape Architecture, Honors & Awards, Events, Alumni Events, Faculty, ,
Dean Arne Flaten and Professor Charles Fryling holding award

Professors Max Conrad and Charles Fryling receive Lifetime Achievement Awards. Photos by Catherine Restrepo.

Dean Arne Flaten and Professor Max Conrad holding award

Professors of landscape architecture Max Conrad and Charles Fryling were awarded lifetime achievement awards for their many years of service to the LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture (RRSLA). The awards were presented at the LSU RRSLA reception October 11, 2025, held in tandem with the 2025 American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) national conference in New Orleans.

“We honor these faculty with Lifetime Achievement Awards, in recognition of their service to LSU throughout their careers, their dedication to the field of landscape architecture, and most of all, to the lives they devoted to their countless students,” said Arne Flaten, Dean of the LSU College of Art & Design.

“These two faculty members have shaped the Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture, and have taught nearly every single one of the students who studied there for over half a century. They have taught generations of LSU students, and have made an impact on so many lives, it’s difficult to fathom.”

Professor Conrad has taught landscape architecture at LSU for over 60 years, and professor Fryling taught for 58 years before his retirement in 2025.

Hundreds of LSU landscape architecture alumni attended the event to honor their former professors, and celebrate their momentous achievements.

About RRSLA

The LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture has an established international reputation as one of America’s leading and consistently top-ranked programs. For decades, the program has produced landscape architects who practice all over the world and participate in the full spectrum of the discipline.

 

 

LSU Researchers Envision the Future of Coastal Resilience With and For Louisiana Communities

Art & Design, Research, Community Outreach, Architecture, Faculty, Doctor of Design,

James Spencer, a professor of architecture from LSU’s College of Art & Design is collaborating with experts in flood modeling, community adaptation, environmental laws and policies, civic advocacy, and community fundraising, many of whom are also active community members in Lake Charles, to explore community-based and community-financed solutions to coastal resilience in the city.

Read more.

Fabio Capra-Ribeiro Selected for NASEM Early Career Research Fellowship

Art & Design, Research, Honors & Awards, Architecture, Faculty, Doctor of Design

Fabio Capra-RibeiroDr. Fabio Capra-Ribeiro, assistant professor of architecture, has been selected for the new Early Career Research Fellowship of the Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. He is one of eight research fellows selected nationally for the Human Health and Community Resilience track for 2025-27.

Dr. Capra-Ribeiro founded and co-directs the Caribbean Spatial Justice Lab. His research engages interdisciplinary teams to develop spatial justice and environmental planning projects focusing on bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and community needs.

Since 2021, he has also been a member of the Green Infrastructure for Urban Sustainability(GREENIUS) research group based at the International University of Valencia in Spain, contributing to advancing innovation in green infrastructure. Before collaborating with academics, governments, and communities in Louisiana, he held similar roles in Spain and Venezuela. 

Prior to his appointment at LSU, he was faculty and Academic Coordinator for the Master of Advanced Ecological Buildings and Biocities at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) in Spain and collaborated with three master’s programs at the International University of Valencia, focusing on education, elearning, and circular economy. Dr. Capra-Ribeiro is the author of the book “Uncertain Regional Urbanism in Venezuela: Government, Infrastructure, and Environment,” which explores territorial foresight strategies for cities in the Global South. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture and a Master of Science in Architectural Design from the Universidad Central de Venezuela, where he began teaching in 2009 and later served as Coordinator of the Master of Urban Design program and Director of the School of Architecture. He earned his Ph.D. in Urbanism from the Università IUAV di Venezia in Italy and completed a Master’s Degree in Technology Applied to Education.

Dr. Zhihong Pang, assistant professor of construction management at LSU, is one of the other research fellows selected for the cohort. His research focuses on building energy efficiency, intelligent HVAC control, and the resilience of low-resource housing systems under climate stress, with a particular emphasis on the Gulf Coast region. See the full list. 

“Our Early-Career Research Fellows are pursuing innovative and applied research that directly addresses the Gulf region’s most pressing challenges,” said Karena Mothershed, director of GRP’s Board on Gulf Education and Engagement. “Their research not only advances science but also provides real-world benefits for communities and ecosystems across the Gulf. We are excited to welcome these exceptional individuals to the 2025 cohort of Early-Career Research Fellows and to continue supporting them as they make a lasting impact on the Gulf region.”

About the Early-Career Research Fellowship

The Gulf Research Program’s Early-Career Research Fellowship helps researchers during the critical pre-tenure phase of their careers. Fellows receive a $76,000 financial award along with mentoring support to provide them with independence, flexibility, and a built-in support network as they take risks on untested research ideas, pursue unique collaborations, and build a network of colleagues.

Read more: GRP Welcomes Early-Career Research Fellows in Offshore Energy Safety and Human Health and Community Resilience | National Academies

Katharina Wang: Innovating with Glass

Art & Design, Students, Research, Interior Design, Art, Alumni, Architecture, Donors, ,

Kat Wang working on glassKatharina Wang’s creative scholarship and research explores the intersection of art, design and technology.

“I’m exploring the question: how can digital fabrication support traditional glass forming techniques?” she said.

With support from the Stouffer Design Excellence fund, Master of Architecture candidate Katharina Wang attended the Pilchuck Glass School workshop over the summer, furthering her creative scholarship and enabling the next step of her research thesis exploring using recycled glass as a sustainable building material.

“If you would have asked me at the start of my masters program, would I be working with glass – I never would have seen this coming.”

But thus is the exploratory nature of a graduate design program, with the benefits of an interdisciplinary art & design college. She is interested in understanding how to apply technology to working with different mediums. Her interest in glass started with an initial idea: can glass be used in architectural model-making? Designs that she envisioned were tough to make out of acrylic, she learned. So she started learning about working with different materials – including glass.

“The best thing you can do while researching is to chase those sparks of inspiration. If you are going down rabbit holes chasing your inspiration, sometimes you actually end up in wonderland and find something really exciting.”

Kat Wang in LSU architecture shirt with blue glass vessels

A “Transformative” Experience

With a background as an interior designer studying architecture and practicing artist, Wang embodies the interdisciplinarian artist-designer who is both a student and an educator herself at the LSU College of Art & Design.

In June 2025, Katharina attended the “Living with Glass” workshop “Reimagined Material: Kiln Forming Recycled Glass” led by Morgan Gilbreath at Pilchuck Glass School in Washington, with the aim of furthering her experience working with the medium. She applied to the summer residency after learning about the program from interior design instructor Ana María Agüero Jahannes, who recommended it to her when discussing her interests.

Wang said that she never expected to be selected to participate. “I didn’t have a portfolio built up in glass, didn’t have good documentation of my past work in stained glass to submit with my application.” She submitted her digital fabrication and architectural work, and was delighted to learn that she was invited for a summer session.

While at the residency, she learned more about the techniques of glassmaking and had the opportunity to explore and test the properties of different glass types and applications. The experimental process merged the experiences of artmaking and scientific testing, in an environment with everything one could want or need.

“The entire class —  entire campus — was so overwhelmingly positive and inspiring. It felt like a summer camp movie, where all of the people there come from different corners of the world and all bring so much creativity and inspiration that it is palpable in the air around you.”

As an MArch student, she is exploring the overlap between glass and architecture, seeking to understand how buildings are created from glass, and how architects are using glass in different aspects of building design – both in traditional and unexpected new ways.

Her research is working toward full computational control over glass to understand its behavior. “I’m developing my own technique that combines digital fabrication with kiln formed glass, using technology with glass in an innovative way that eliminates the need for in-kiln constraints such as molds,” she said. 

Her research abstract has been accepted by ARCC, so now she is working toward a paper on how digital fabrication might meaningfully integrate into the traditional craft of Frit lace, Kilnformed glass. This digitally enhanced frit lace method could “help close the gap between the dynamic movement of molten glass and computational control, creating a path for further integration of this historically delicate craft within the world of architecture.”

She is delving into a new way to use digital fabrication with this medium, she explained. She is particularly interested in working with recycled glass, furthering knowledge on sustainable building materials. She even aspires to assemble a database of information on glass properties, that could be accessed by artisans, designers, and researchers working with reclaimed glass materials. 

Wang described the residency as transformative. “I would love for all art students to get to experience this kind of environment – it was so inspiring. I came away with new ideas, new projects I’m working on now, and I’m taking it all forward for my research.”

“It was an absolutely life-changing experience in so many ways, and I would just be so excited if other students get the opportunity to go and experience this,” she said. “I appreciate the support so much.”

Malcolm McClay’s Performance “Unwinding the Universe” Explores Neurodiversity

Art & Design, Research, Events, Art, Sculpture, Faculty
Malcolm McClay with book over face. Black wall with scribbles

Image courtesy of McClay.

The HopKins Black Box theatre at Louisiana State University, in collaboration with artists and scholars from LSU and the New Orleans arts community, presents Unwinding the Universe, a new performance that explores the lived experience of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) and other forms of neurodiversity. Created and performed by internationally renowned sculptor, performance artist, and Pliner Professor of Art Malcolm McClay, the work is directed by New Orleans-based artist Jeff Becker, with sound design by Derryl & Helen Haymon Professor of Music Dr. Stephen David Beck. 

Unwinding the Universe is a multidisciplinary art piece that combines live performance, sculpture, installation, film, and immersive sound design to explore the intersections of neuropsychological science and artmaking. The piece aims to represent the mental and physical experience of being a neurodivergent individual in a neurotypical society through a variety of immersive scenes, including large-scale sculptural installations and an original score. The performance will run for two days in the HopKins Black Box theatre (137 Coates Hall)—November 13, and 16—with additional performances in New Orleans in 2026.

The project is more than simply the performance, however; it is part of a larger arts-based research initiative funded by an LSU Provost’s Fund for Innovation in Research Award. As part of this research, Dr. Elia Soto, assistant professor of psychology with expertise in ADHD, will be collecting data before and after each performance to scientifically examine the psychological impacts of the performance on attending audience members’ knowledge and perceptions of ADHD. Further, each performance will be followed by a panel discussion led by Dr. Soto. The panel will feature mental health providers and specialists who will engage with the audience on the themes of the performance, seeking to increase understanding and reduce stigma surrounding neurodevelopmental conditions. Dr. Travis Brisini, assistant professor of performance studies, producing director of the HopKins Black Box theatre, and producer for the project, will also be writing scholarly articles and catalog entries that frame the work within the contemporary movement of multidisciplinary arts-based research.

“Drawing inspiration from those with ADHD that have managed to overcome and embrace the many cognitive and sensory/perceptual differences they experience is crucial and an impactful first step towards broadening our understanding of ADHD, reducing stigma, and, ultimately, improving life outcomes,” the researchers said.

Unwinding the Universe offers a unique and artistic first step towards broadening the public’s understanding of ADHD.

Performance Dates and Times: November 13, 7:30 p.m.; November 16, 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Location: HopKins Black Box Theatre (137 Coates Hall), LSU Campus, Baton Rouge
A donation will be accepted at the door for all performances.

For more information, please contact Malcolm McClay at mmclay@lsu.edu or Travis Brisini at tbrisini@lsu.edu, or visit the theatre website for information and seat reservations.

Read more about the project: Malcolm McClay Leads Interdisciplinary Team to Address ADHD Through Art | COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN