Flight Risk (formerly known as Aerial Phenomenon but I liked the title Flight Risk better!) is a collaboration between myself and choreographer Kimberleigh Holman (Human Movement Project ). On May 2 at the Distillery Gallery in South Boston , three professional dancers will activate my suspended sculptural installation in a site-specific 10-minute performance.

This isn't just a performance. It's a return to the core of why I make art.

For many years, I've created suspended installations - large-scale works that transform spaces and invite viewers to move through forests of floating forms. My approach to making sculpture has always been physical and choreographed - I cut organic forms from lightweight plastic directly on the studio floor, moving around the material in ways that echo dance. But during the pandemic, when live collaboration became impossible, I shifted toward mechanical solutions for movement in my work.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Live performance is ephemeral. You create something that exists fully only in one moment, then it's gone except in memory and documentation. That's both the challenge and the beauty of it. As a sculptor, I'm used to making things that persist - works that hang in lobbies and museums for years. But this project returns me to the temporary, the fleeting, the live encounter between bodies and objects in space.

In addition, I'm creating some very special wearable art as costumes and props for the dancers. This is an exciting and challenging new area for me, and I am loving it.

HOW TO HELP

Any amount helps make this happen. If you can contribute $10, $15, or $25, that matters. If you can share this campaign with someone who might be interested, that matters too. No raffles, sweepstakes, giveaways, or promotions are offered in exchange for any donations made to this GoFundMe

In a moment when so much of our experience is mediated through screens, there's something essential about creating work that can only be experienced by being physically present. That's what Flight Risk offers - a live event where viewers witness dancers negotiating sculptural space in real time.

I've spent decades making work that invites people to move through transformed spaces. This time, professional dancers will show what's possible when movement becomes intentional, choreographed, fully committed.

THANK YOU

If you've followed my work over the years, attended openings, visited my studio, or engaged with my installations at the Brattleboro Art Museum or Fitchburg Art Museum - thank you. Your attention and engagement has sustained this practice. Now I'm asking for something more direct: help me make this performance happen. If you can't contribute financially, I understand completely. Sharing this campaign with friends who might be interested, or planning to attend the May 2 performance - that also matters enormously.

— Adria

QUESTIONS

When exactly is the performance?

Saturday evening May 2, 2026 at Distillery Gallery

Can I attend if I don't donate?

Yes! The opening reception will be free and open to the public. Your support makes the performance possible, but everyone is welcome to attend.

What if you don't reach my goal?

GoFundMe lets me keep whatever is raised. If we fall short, I'll figure out how to make a scaled version work - maybe fewer rehearsals or simplified documentation. But hitting the full $4,000 means we can do this right.

Will this be recorded?

Yes - professional video and photography are built into the budget. Digital supporters will receive access to the documentation.

What happens to the sculptures after the show?

The installation may travel to other venues. Individual elements return to my studio and are available for acquisition.

SHARE THIS CAMPAIGN

Know someone who loves dance? Contemporary art? Boston's art scene? Please share this campaign - word of mouth from people who know my work is the most powerful way to reach potential supporters.

Social media handles:

@adriaarch

Campaign link:

https://www.gofundme.com/create/fundraiser/review/support-aerial-phenomena-dance-meets-sculpture

ONE MORE THING

Creating art is largely solitary work - hours alone in the studio cutting, assembling, problem-solving. Collaborative projects like this remind me why I'm drawn to art that exists in social space, that brings people together, that creates shared experiences.

Your support makes that possible. Thank you for considering this project. Whether you contribute $10 or $1,000, share the campaign or plan to attend in May - it all matters.

Let's make Aerial Phenomena happen together.