Once She Dries is an experimental opera/installation that tells the story of coral reefs and climate change. The piece unfolds as a looped recording, featuring projected text, vocals, piano, violin, and video projections that cycle every half hour inside of a panoramic handmade paper sculpture.
Once She Dries’ narrative stems from a scientific love story: when corals begin overheating, they release a pheromone-like bio-chemical that triggers cooling cloud formations. In a way that feels nearly romantic, corals are able to attract a cloud overhead. Once She Dries tracks the perilous journey of Coral, who must navigate the volatility of her ocean and sky in an unstable climate that disrupts her ability to communicate with clouds.
Once She Dries is the recipient of:
2023 Selection into the International Biennial for Handmade Paper & Fibre Art Earth Speak: Giving Voice to Paper at both the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, Taiwan and the NTCRI Museum of Craft Design in Caotun Township, Taiwan
2022 Program Grant from the Jersey City Arts + Culture Fund
2022 Puffin Foundation Artist Grant
2022 Denbo Fellowship from Pyramid Atlantic Art Center in Hyattsville, MD
2020 Residency from The School for the Contemporary Arts at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, CA
