McKEESPORT, Pa. — Integrative Arts professor Lori Hepner accomplished much in November with the debut of two major public art commissions in Pittsburgh, including large-scale installations at Pittsburgh International Airport’s new terminal and on the Davis Avenue pedestrian and bike bridge.
At the airport, Hepner’s “Something About the Sky” series opened with the terminal launch on Nov. 19. The Apron Level restrooms in the north and south wings each feature two 9-by-18.5-foot installations, split between the men’s and women’s spaces.
“These 'Sky Drawings' are abstracted photographic skyscapes created through a unique movement-based process. I capture skies during significant life moments: my father's heart transplant, pandemic isolation, alpine meadows,” Hepner explained on her website. “These photographs are then programmed into custom-built wearable LED devices that display images one pixel column at a time. As I dance in my studio, long-exposure photography (12-20 seconds) captures the light traces, transforming emotional memory into visible form.”
The movement-centered method emerged after Hepner learned she was neurodivergent in 2019, recognizing that what had long been an artistic process was also a neurological need. The final installations transform private emotional landscapes into large-scale public spaces for reflection.