Sky Chapel: From Paper to Steel

I create wonders with pen and knife and pretty much do things on my own. But in February 2022, I navigated a steep learning curve to translate paper pop-up into a 13-panel steel sculpture for Riverfront Park in North Charleston, SC. I needed help to make it happen.

I wander and drew to fill my sketchbooks with the beauty and character places close to home and faraway. I compile imagery into layers of cut paper and built them into carousel books that could collapse right back into my carry-on suitcase for the journey home.

My first carousel book: “Alone (You’re Never Alone), Sofia, Bulgaria, 2018

I had been thinking about scaling up my papercut works, so I engineered a little paper maquette based on accordion folds like the carousel books, photoshopped in into a park scene, and applied to the National Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition in Riverfront Park in North Charleston, SC.

My concept for “Sky Chapel” is a series of tall pointed windows with natural and architectural forms: clouds and sea, honeycomb, flora, birds, and gothic arches. My vision for this sculpture was to look UPON it as well as view the riverside landscape THROUGH it.

“Sky Chapel” sculpture mockup

Well, lo and behold, “Sky Chapel” was one of just 14 sculptures selected in this national competition. I just got back from three weeks in Argentina and had less than a month to figure out how to fabricate and install a steel sculpture in real life- YIKES!

From scanning my papercut model, designing templates in Photoshop, converting them to CAD, and finding a local fabricator to lasercut 13 unique steel panels, plus I woule have to refresh my welding know-how from undergrad more than 20 years ago to assemble it onsite. Who’s got a welder- MIG or TIG? And how to keep this thing from falling on somebody in a storm? It all had to come together for installation within a month.

Sky Chapel Templates 2A 2B 2C

Through trial and error peppered with tears and freak-outs, I learned that photoshop files don’t simply convert to CAD files, the kind they need to lasercut steel. I tried an online converter, sent the files to the fabricator, and they’d call me and say, “This drawing says it’s 5 million inches tall.” Eventually I found a draftsman in Pakistan on Fiverr (international freelance site) to redraw all my files in just a weekend, and the fabricator said they would actually work. Hallelujah!

Thankfully, Master Sheet Metal in Hanahan, SC cut my panels with a week’s turnaround time. I also learned that steel is not cheap; it cost me a couple thousand dollars over budget. And I had no idea what color it would be. I had used white paper but okay, the steel is black. Cool. It will likely rust. That’s cool too, I like patina.

Merrick and me assembling/ installing “Sky Chapel” at Riverfront Park

My dear friend and welder Merrick Earle stepped in to save the day with her expertise and equipment to put these panels together. She welded the spines so it would stand like a book, she brought the hammer drill, and she fabricated the anchors to secure it to its concrete pedestal for the year and not fall off and kill somebody in a storm. She is my hero. I love my badass friends.

“Sky Chapel” lasercut steel sculpture, Riverfront Park, North Charleston, SC

“Sky Chapel” reigned beautifully for its yearlong stay at Riverfront Park; itd silver kryon-painted interior panels sure held up great too. It was deinstalled in March 2023 (again, thanks to badass buddy Merrick) and exhibited indoors in “Jennifer York: Homeward” at the Park Circle Gallery in North Charleston the following month. It is available for sale directly from me, it is in three separate z-fold panels that fit together for regional transport in my SUV to your courtyard or garden.