KRISTEN NERIA WELCOMES YOU

ABOUT

A maker at heart…
The trajectory of my career has been slow and steady. The path to this moment has been one of determination, contentment, excitement, joy, fear, work, play. Rinse and repeat. I have made so many interesting, useful, mundane, important, fanciful, sturdy, transient, wonderful things. I can scarcely find photos of most of them anymore. Lost in the files of hard drives and memory sticks, I often make something and only after being almost finished, does it dawn on me that “I’ve made this before! Or something very similar. Hmm. This one might be better though!” I just chuckle and carry on. It never gets old and there is always more to learn.
The joy of it…
In the earlier years of exhibit making, it was all about the process. I wanted to find the best route to the most successful finished product. I toiled over material selections, explored new tools and methods. I tossed out so many almost-good-enough objects, it’s dizzying. I continued to seek concrete answers and a way to prove my worth as an artist/fabricator. I found joy in looking at what I made and deciding whether it was “good” or whether it fit the immediate need. I was a small part of the big picture, and that made me happy.
As I moved into a management role, I shifted my focus to not just the best route to the finished product, but the fastest and least expensive! My worth was tied up in checking things off lists and hitting my budget, and making sure other people did the same. It worked this way for a good while.
These days however, I find myself thinking differently about success. Now I see the other makers, fabricators, designers and the like, doing their thing; creating awesome experiences for their audiences. I see some artists striving for mastery, others checking tasks off lists and that’s ok. But now I want to share in the mystery of making and foster creativity and innovation. 
You won’t find an “Awards and Honors” section on my resume or website. It’s not that I haven’t received or shared in accolades here and there, rather, I find the most satisfaction in collaboration and co-creation. I love seeing a diversity of thoughts and ideas come to life in the work of the team. Our team, your team, the whole team. I want to know that someone had a good day at work, made progress, and felt appreciated. I want to encourage and empower people to take risks and try new things without fear of failure. I want them to enjoy the looks on the faces of people experiencing what we created. Whether it’s a group of school kids racing to the window to see their first stingray, laughing at the antics of a penguin, or seeing a puppet come to life along with the music, it’s all part of the joy and that’s success.