the creators
Mary Ivy Martin
Landscape Designer
Mary Ivy Martin received her MFA from SUNY Purchase, BFA from the University of Arizona, and is currently an MLA candidate at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. She created ecological art in New York City with a focus on the complex relationship between humans and the natural world through a personal lens and exhibited her work nationally and internationally. Living in a dense urban environment challenged her connection with nature, giving her first-hand experience of the effects of climate change, heat island effect, a lack of green space, and the desire to design landscapes that are more habitable for residents and wildlife as well as resilient to a changing climate.
Bobby McElver
Sound Artist-Engineer, Acoustic Expert
As an artist-engineer, McElver’s research focuses on developing new spatial audio technology — specifically Wave Field Synthesis and “sound holograms” — and applying the technology in context of an artistic work. In 2018 he fabricated a Wave Field Synthesis array with 372 loudspeakers based on research at The Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (EMPAC). One of the most extensive WFS arrays in the world, it allows him to place sound accurately in 3D space, creating “holophones,” or sounds that float and move in physical space.
In 2017 McElver became the first sound designer to use overhead Wave Field Synthesis in a theater context, for Andrew Schneider’s “After.” The sounds move throughout the audience, accurately localizing in front of the array, for specific seats. The audience hears sound traveling in impossible ways, whispering in their ears, and moving through them. He has presented internationally on the use of this technology. Subsequent installations in 2018 and 2019 included EMPAC, The Public Theater, the Prague Quadrennial, On The Boards and MASS MoCA.
Jordan Pagels
Digital Renderer/Developer
Jordan Pagels is a Software Engineer and New Media Artist specializing in Generative Art and Immersive Interactive Experiences. Jordan studied Theatrical Scenic and Lighting Design at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, WA. From there he proceeded to Lighting and Projection Design for the Anchorage Opera in Anchorage, AK. As a Software Engineer he has worked to create cross-platform streaming media experiences for Major League Baseball, NBC Sports, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and a variety of educational platforms.
Akmyrat Tuylilev
VR/AR Expert
Akmyrat Tuyliyev is a Turkmen new media artist and producer working in the intersection of storytelling, technology and culture. Akmyrat's work spans across various platforms, including VR/AR, web-based experiences and large-scale projection mapping. Currently, he produces interactive independent non-fiction projects and leads initiatives that aim to support interactive independent storytellers. Tuyliyev produced an AR app about 1968 for The History Channel, an interactive projection memorial for the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911 in NYC and a clinically tested Virtual Reality mindfulness experience for teenagers. He is a Master’s graduate from the Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) at NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
Jason Simms
Designer/Conceptualizer
Jason Simms is an award-winning scenographer for Theater, Opera, and Musicals and has designed over150 productions. Born and Raised in Carson City, NV, Simms started designing for theatre at the age of fifteen. He now resides in Ithaca, NY where he is an Assistant Professor of Design at Cornell University in the department of Performing & Media Arts. He designs scenery in New York City as well as at regional theaters all across the United States. In addition to designing, Jason has taught at such institutions as Montclair State University, Fordham University, and Williams College. He received his training at Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle (BFA) and NYU, Tisch School of the Arts (MFA).