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    New Art for Texas A&M University
    • Jul 15, 2019

    New Art for Texas A&M University

    We recently began a public art commission for Texas A&M International University in Laredo, Texas. The sculpture will consist of a 15’ diameter globe composed of a triangular frame made from brushed stainless steel with hammer-formed metal cutouts of the 7 continents attached to it. The negative space of the frame will be fitted with perforated stainless steel panels — when mixed with our powerful LED lighting from within creates an interesting visual moire effect that change
    Shimmering Sea Installs in Tempe, AZ
    • Jun 14, 2019

    Shimmering Sea Installs in Tempe, AZ

    The first stage of assembly and installation for Shimmering Sea is underway! This installation is on a pedestrian bridge at The Watermark in Tempe, Arizona. The piece consists of hundreds of polished stainless steel discs that will gently move with the breeze, creating an ever-changing canvas of reflection of the spaces’ surroundings. Here are some behind-the-scenes photos of our team adhering hundreds of these polished discs to the railings of the bridge. Check out our last
    Camelback Commons Artwork Ships to Phoenix
    • Apr 20, 2019

    Camelback Commons Artwork Ships to Phoenix

    Artwork for Camelback Commons has made its way to Phoenix, AZ for installation. This sculpture is a large-scale suspended stainless steel mobile that will hang in the open-air atrium section of the building and gently rotate with the wind. Check out behind-the-scenes photos below of our team loading the sculptures onto not one, but two trucks! Check out past blog posts about the making of this artwork: New Art for Phoenix, Fabrication for Camelback Commons, Hanging Demo and C
    Camelback Commons Atrium Art Fabrication Update
    • Apr 5, 2019

    Camelback Commons Atrium Art Fabrication Update

    Our upcoming atrium artwork, The Breeze Is So Busy, for Camelback Commons in Phoenix, AZ has been painted in bright shades of blue, green, and yellow. The paint job turned out great and we can’t wait to get these gentle giants installed. Look back at past blog entries about the making of this monumental suspended sculpture: New Art for Camelback Commons, Camelback Commons Fabrication Update, Camelback Commons Hanging Demo. #joeoconnell #kineticsculpture #StainlessSteel #place
    Creative Machines Featured on AZ Weekend!
    • Mar 26, 2019

    Creative Machines Featured on AZ Weekend!

    We have been featured by KOLD News 13‘s Arizona Weekend blog! Thanks so much for coming down to the shop, learning about what we do, and sharing our story with the community. Here is the video they made after visiting our workshop in south Tucson and talking with Creative Machines Founder, President, and Artistic Director Joe O’Connell. ⭐️ See the full piece here → This inventive Tucson business is an engineer’s paradise #joeoconnell #community #kineticsculpture #feature #kin
    “All Systems Go!” Fabrication Continues
    • Mar 25, 2019

    “All Systems Go!” Fabrication Continues

    Over the last few weeks, All Systems Go has been taken apart, powder-coated in an array of bright colors, and put back together again with all its finishing touches. After the machine was reassembled we began the testing phase where the machine runs for 1,000 hours prior to leaving our shop. This process allows our team to notice any kinks that may arise and gives us an opportunity to fix any technical issues that may occur before we deliver the sculpture to our client. This
    New Art for Tempe, AZ
    • Mar 4, 2019

    New Art for Tempe, AZ

    Over the last several months we have been prototyping and testing materials for a new piece of public art titled Shimmering Sea for The Watermark, an upscale residential, shopping, and business center located in Tempe, Arizona. Shimmering Sea is a wind-activated kinetic sculpture composed of an array of polished stainless steel discs. Each of these discs is suspended from just above its center of mass so that it will move with the wind. Arranged in this faceted array, the pol
    Cayton Children’s Ball Machine Fabrication Update
    • Feb 20, 2019

    Cayton Children’s Ball Machine Fabrication Update

    All Systems Go is a brand new interactive ball machine going into Cayton Children’s Museum by Sharewell (formerly known as Zimmer Children’s Museum). This ball machine is loaded with an array of interactive devices and functions. It’s equipped with hand cranks, foot pedals, a bouncy seat, and special gears to twist and turn that will change the course of the circulating golf balls depending on how the user decides to interact with the machine. The machine is designed to illus
    Hanging Demo for Camelback Commons Art
    • Jan 31, 2019

    Hanging Demo for Camelback Commons Art

    Over the past few months, we have been working on a large-scale suspended sculpture for Camelback Commons in Phoenix, AZ. The sculpture will hang within the atriums of a new office building in the financial center of Phoenix. We held a hanging demonstration in our shop to see the 30ft tall, 1,100lb sculptures in action. Here are some photos of the demonstration! Look back at past blog posts about Camelback Commons: New Art For Camelback Commons, Camelback Commons Fabrication.
    Growing Home Featured in Modern Luxury San Diego
    • Jan 25, 2019

    Growing Home Featured in Modern Luxury San Diego

    Growing Home was recently featured in Modern Luxury San Diego. We are so proud of this piece and can already see it begin to make a lasting impression on the surrounding community. “I wish to express how impressed I am with your work, “Growing home!” You are indeed the special artist and craftsman we wanted to make Park/12 a unique setting for residents and public alike.” – Jerry Brand, Senior Managing Director, Greystar Check out the digital version of Modern Luxury San Dieg
    Wet Wheel Coming to Tucson, AZ
    • Jan 21, 2019

    Wet Wheel Coming to Tucson, AZ

    The City of Tucson (where we are based) has commissioned a piece titled Wet Wheel, a 20-foot wide and 14-ft tall bike wheel that will straddle a portion of a mixed-use biking/pedestrian path like a gateway. The spokes would be absent except when a cyclist rides through the center, water jets appear in the place of spokes and give the rider an approximately one-second spray of water— a much needed and refreshing way to cool off in the intense, Arizona sun! Wet Wheel will strad
    New Ball Machine for Cayton Children’s Museum
    • Jan 15, 2019

    New Ball Machine for Cayton Children’s Museum

    Fabrication has begun on a brand new, state-of-the-art ball machine for Zimmer Children’s Museum by Sharewell, which is reopening as The Cayton Children’s Museum in late spring 2019! (#TheCaytonIsComing)! This highly specialized and interactive ball machine titled All Systems Go illustrates and promotes healthy living through exercise, rest, and healthy eating. The interactive components follow the idea that if you exercise and treat your body well, good things happen. Here a
    City of Lenexa feature on Body Politic!
    • Jan 5, 2019

    City of Lenexa feature on Body Politic!

    Check out this video interview with Creative Machines President Joe O’Connell on our recently installed sculpture set Body Politic. #joeoconnell #community #StainlessSteel #feature #LNX #bodypolitic #interactiveart #Sculpture #PublicArt #lenexa #CreativeMachines
    Growing Home Installed in San Diego’s Park 12
    • Jan 4, 2019

    Growing Home Installed in San Diego’s Park 12

    Growing Home has made it to Park 12 in San Diego, CA, and was successfully installed by our great team of installers and fabricators. This monumental seashell sculpture celebrates all things San Diego, with the rich history of the city laser-cut into the beach-inspired stainless steel sculpture. Here are some photos from the installation! Check out past blog posts about the making of Growing Home: Growing Home Fabrication Begins, Fabrication Progress, Fabrication Progress 2,
    Year in Review — A Look Back at 2018
    • Dec 31, 2018

    Year in Review — A Look Back at 2018

    2018 has been a great year for Creative Machines! We have installed our public art pieces in extraordinary cities around the country, begun sculpture and exhibit projects for awesome new clients from all over, and have strived to create fresh pieces that push the boundaries of what we have done in the past. Here are some photographic highlights from our projects that dominated 2018! PUBLIC ART Camaraderie is a series of three monumental sculptures nestled outside a veteran’s
    Community Engagement at Creative Machines
    • Dec 20, 2018

    Community Engagement at Creative Machines

    Many of our projects involve extensive community engagement that goes beyond discussions and surveys. We recognize that people think with their hands as well as their minds and that when communities come together to help plan projects they experience a sense of camaraderie and investment in the final product. We also learn valuable lessons that we couldn’t otherwise. We have developed a kit of parts and a process for working with groups of all ages and helping people express
    Growing Home Ships to Park 12 in San Diego
    • Dec 11, 2018

    Growing Home Ships to Park 12 in San Diego

    Growing Home was packed up and loaded onto the truck and headed towards San Diego, California! This week we have a great team of Creative Machines installers working to get the piece put into place. Stay tuned for more on the installation and to see the finished sculpture in its completed form. Want to see more on Growing Home? Check out our past blog posts: Fabrication Begins, Fabrication Update 2, Fabrication Update 3, Fabrication Update 4. #joeoconnell #community #Stainles
    Perpetual Nephron Machine Debuts at Kidney Week 2018
    • Nov 30, 2018

    Perpetual Nephron Machine Debuts at Kidney Week 2018

    Here are some photos of the Perpetual Nephron Machine at Kidney Week 2018 in San Diego! The rolling ball sculpture measures 14ft high, towering over visitors and creating a memorable booth at the event. Ball machines are great tools for illustrating abstract concepts, such as how a drug works in the human body or other bodily processes. Look back at past updates about Perpetual Nephron Machine: Fabrication Part 1, Fabrication Part 2, Fabrication Part 3, Fabrication Part 4. #c
    Fall Field Trip to Creative Machines!
    • Nov 26, 2018

    Fall Field Trip to Creative Machines!

    We had some great kids visit the shop last week from Vail School District! Here are some photos from their trip to Creative Machines. They got to play with Lissajous, Building with Light, Watercolor Wall, Ball Machines and a Tennis Ball Launcher! #fieldtrip #joeoconnell #community #communityengagement #Exhibits #interactiveart #ballmachines #vailaz #Sculpture #InteractiveExhibits #Events #vailschooldistrict #tucson #ballmachine #Arizona #CreativeMachines
    Atrium Artwork Fabrication for Camelback Commons
    • Nov 15, 2018

    Atrium Artwork Fabrication for Camelback Commons

    Fabrication is ongoing for the new suspended artwork commissioned for Camelback Commons, a set of office buildings located in Phoenix, Arizona. The monumental hanging sculpture will hang in the center of two atriums and will gently rotate in the space. The leaves will be painted in shades of yellow, green, and blue. Here are some photos of its progress. Look back at our first post about this project: New Art For Camelback Commons. #joeoconnell #kineticsculpture #StainlessStee
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