Reckless Ideas is a speaker series hosted by Generator where we invite thought leaders from across the state to lead conversations about topics such as artificial intelligence, data privacy, and the tension between entrepreneurial creativity and profit. Questions, comments, and community discussion are encouraged at these FREE, public events.

The Making Of Fluffy

A conversation with Duane Peterson, Amey Radcliffe, John Cohn, Marie Davis, and Aaron Grossman

In preparation for the 2023 edition of the Burning Man event held annually in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, over 100 Vermont artists and makers came together to create Fluffy, a majestic art-car that would erupt into a symphony of light, sound, and flame every evening when the sun hit the horizon!

More importantly than the sheer spectacle of the finished creation, the maker and artist community that emerged through the creation process is a shining example of art’s ability to unite people through the pursuit of joy and beauty. Designers, fabricators, welders, carpenters, painters, sewists, and engineers all came together to contribute their skills – and, to this day, most of them still talk to each other despite the project’s challenges!

Come join us on April 5th at Generator to hear firsthand how they successfully pulled the whole thing off, what was learned through the process, and how this project could expose a pathway for future endeavors. Afterwards, we’ll tour Fluffy and celebrate the community behind the completion of this 36,000-pound mobile masterpiece with music, dancing, and fire.

Artist Showcase

From 6-9pm we will also be showcasing Generator’s two most recent Artists-In-Residence. During this time you will have the opportunity to meet the artists, speak with them, and experience their work.

Juli Badics

Juli is a Hungarian American oil painter, printmaker, and mixed media artist in the early stages of her career. With an intense curiosity about the passage of time, Juli’s work sets out to foster new understandings of self and place in the broader context of a changing world. Dynamics of gender and domesticity, along with generational trauma and the persistence of female gender roles through maternal lines, are compelling subjects that define the undertones of her current work.

Beyond oil painting, Juli ventures into woodcut and monotype printmaking and experiments with incorporating detailed embroidery into some of her pieces. Eager to continue thoughtfully engaging with color and material relationships, Juli has a particular interest in the dying art of Hungarian folk culture embroidery. Incorporating this material in a contemporary way allows her to explore the past in the present, questioning how the contemporary application of a disappearing cultural art form reflects the nature of change in the modern era.

Jackie Bishop

Jackie is a fused glass artist and illustrator who enjoys playing with suspended sculptures and light. She is Generator’s current Artist-In-Residence, and is using her time to build large, hanging installations using custom base structures and glass pieces that incorporate lighting and project interesting shadows.

Need To Know

What: Reckless Ideas Speaker Event & Artist Showcase
When: Friday, April 5th from 6:00-9:00pm
Where: 40 Sears Ln, Burlington, VT (map)
Cost: FREE

Event Schedule

6:00pm – Doors Open. Refreshments from Zero Gravity!
6-9:00pm – Artist Showcase: Juli Badics & Jackie Bishop
7:00pm – Presentation: The Making Of Fluffy
8:00pm – Fluffy Tour & Dance Party!

With Support From:

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