In this episode of The State of Inquiry, host Yael Ksander speaks with Angela Caldwell and Lucas Brown about the ways artists and designers shape our relationship to objects, materials, and the built environment. From contemporary jewelry that reflects personal history and place to adaptive reuse projects like The Kiln in Bloomington’s Trades District, the conversation explores how thoughtful design can connect past and present while creating more sustainable futures.
Angela Caldwell is a lecturer in Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design in the Eskenazi School’s Studio Art program. Her work considers her personal history, and her connections to place and time through familiar objects, shapes, and materials. By examining these connections through a contemporary lens, Caldwell positions her work with a modern voice. Her work has been exhibited internationally at Galerie Marze in The Netherlands, New York City Jewelry Week, and been included in many traveling exhibitions.
Lucas Brown is a Senior Lecturer in Architecture and Director of Design-Build at the J. Irwin Miller Architecture Program at IU’s Eskenazi School. His career has spanned the scale from furniture design to brownfield redevelopment. Sustainable design has been a central thread throughout his work. A licensed architect and founding principal of Brownsmith Studios, Brown integrates sustainable design strategies into his professional work. The Kiln, in the Bloomington Trades District, is one of Brownsmith’s recent adaptive reuse projects.
Yaël Ksander is director of communications and marketing for the Indiana University Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design. Previously, she served as director of communications and the mayor's spokesperson for the City of Bloomington, Indiana. Yaël is a regular host, producer, and narrator at Indiana Public Media and serves on the board of the Lotus Education and Arts Foundation.