This spring, Thinkery wrapped up its first-ever Artist in Residency program, an initiative aiming to bring local, interactive art into our museum and deepen community engagement through creative exploration in Thinkery ‐ Meredith Learning Lab.
The program invited artist Jasna Boudard to explore, create, and collaborate over several months using workshops, demonstrations, and open exploration to connect with museum visitors and inspire the new installation now floating above the Group Entry space: Ocean Overhead, a canopy of interactive jellyfish that glow and respond to movement below.
I think the program has brought some novelty to the museum. It is not every day that a kid gets to interact with an artist let alone influence the work in a drop-in style program. I think it encourages autonomy in what our guests want to see in the museum and reminds kids they can be creative while problem solving.” – Alexa, Learning Experience Manager
Read more to learn about Jasna’s experience, what inspired the luminous interactive art installation, and how it all came together:
What drew you to this residency, and how did the environment influence your work?
Upon learning about this opportunity at Thinkery, I was excited to create interactive art in a space designed for curiosity and play. The museum’s focus on community and engaging young minds gave me permission to lean into wonder, something that often gets abstracted in adult art spaces. Being surrounded by the everyday joy and spontaneity of children deeply influenced how I thought about movement, responsiveness, and the emotional tone of the work. It reminded me that magic can be simple, surprising, and shared.
How did your project evolve during your time here?
After exploring a few art installation ideas, I hosted workshops with the Thinkery team to invite community input. We provided a variety of materials to play with and centered our activities around two open-ended themes: “what’s in the sky” and “what’s in the sea.” Both questions evoke mystery, and it was inspiring to see kids naturally gravitate toward creating clouds and jellyfish. That led to the idea of a “rain-cloud jellyfish,” and from there I developed several installation proposals. We ultimately chose to suspend interactive, light-up jellyfish in the museum’s Group Entry space. By simplifying their form and emphasizing light and movement, the final piece became a floating, glowing, and responsive welcome to the museum’s visitors.
Can you walk us through the art piece? What inspired it and how you made it?
The piece is a canopy of custom jellyfish sculptures that light up in response to movement below, creating a dynamic conversation between body and environment. I was inspired by the poetic overlap between the ocean and outer space and wanted to create an “ocean overhead”. It took months of prototyping to refine the design, which combines acrylic domes, fiber optics, LEDs, motion sensors, and Arduino programming to achieve a lifelike glow. I’m grateful for the support network I received from Thinkery’s Exhibit Team, tech advisors, and Thinkery volunteers to bring the final version to life and make the experience truly interactive.
What challenges did you face during and how did you work through them?
One of the biggest challenges was balancing technical precision with the organic aesthetic process I envisioned. Making materials and tech feel fluid and magical takes more effort than just making them function. There were also logistical constraints, schedule conflicts, space limitations, sensor interference, and durability for public interaction. I worked through these by prototyping frequently, staying adaptable, and learning to let go of certain complexities in favor of safety, clarity, and impact.
How has this experience shaped your creative practice going forward?
This residency expanded how I think about the audience, not just as viewers but as collaborators in meaning-making. It reaffirmed the power of interactivity and play, and how much can be communicated through light, motion, and space without relying on language. Going forward, I have a deeper interest in integrating sensory feedback into my work and creating installations that invite presence and participation (especially across different age groups and ways of experiencing the world).
Ocean Overhead now welcomes guests as they arrive at Thinkery. Come experience it for yourself, and stay tuned for future creative collaborations at the Meredith Learning Lab.
See more of her work visit www.jasna-boudard.com
Special thanks to Riki Rushing and Allen Glimer for their generous support of Thinkery’s Artist in Residence Program.
This project has been financed in part by the City of Austin Elevate Grant Program
