NICHOLE F CROSS
Composite LLC
SAY IT LOUD - SOUTH DAKOTA Exhibitor
South Dakota Based Designer
Who or what inspires you professionally?
I nerd out on fabrication processes and innovative material applications, just ask the algorithm that populates my social media feed. Specifically, I found attending Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven continues to inspire my approach to work and process.
NICHOLE F CROSS
Bio:
Nichole Cross is an industrial designer turned public artist in Sioux Falls, South Dakota with a strong foundation in design principles and technical expertise. With notable achievements in custom inflatables for renowned events as well as co-owning her business Composite LLC, she's driven by innovation and creativity to create custom art that transforms institutional spaces.
How did you first learn about architecture and when did you decide that built environment profession was an area of interest for you?
My mother introduced me to power tools at a young age and she set an example by building worlds for me and my siblings with little more than her jigsaw, wood, and paint. I've always loved the problem solving involved with designing physical objects.
What do you do?
I work with clients or architectural/interior design firms to create custom artwork for institutions such as universities, hospitals, businesses, non-profits, and credit unions that visually demonstrates their values in the built environment.
What excites you in the work you do?
Applying what I've learned about fabrication and human-centered design to the process of making large-scale public art excites me. I like learning about my clients and synthesizing their values into an aesthetically pleasing physical manifestation.
Who or what inspires you professionally?
I nerd out on fabrication processes and innovative material applications, just ask the algorithm that populates my social media feed. Specifically, I found attending Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven continues to inspire my approach to work and process.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment or achievement?
I've done a lot of cool things, but accomplishments and achievements easily lose their luster for me once they are done. If anything, my proudest professional accomplishment is creating a career that allows me to continually apply my design skills.
Featured Project Name:
Bauman Hall Mural
Featured Project Location:
Jasper, Minnesota
Featured Project Completion Date:
May 2025
Role in Featured Project:
Mural designer and core team member of Reclaim Community's Bauman Hall Project as part of the Activate Rural Cohort sponsored by The Department of Transportation (https://www.publictransformation.org/activate-rural)
Featured Project Description:
In 2018, Reclaim Community purchased Bauman Hall in rural Jasper, MN, aiming to renovate it into a community hub. Exterior repairs ended in Nov 2022. Interior work awaits funds. Reclaim Community has received a grant to activate the space with art programming. The mural features custom shapes that will be used as canvases by residents to decorate during art classes. Assembling the shapes creates a street map of Jasper from the negative space. Pieces will be digitized and sold as a fundraiser.
