Jessica Alpern Brown – Artist, Concept design, Fabrication

Thomas Brown – Installation

 

Viewing Lenses

Hand cut paper, machine cut vinyl, laser cut acrylic, non-toxic resin

2020

 

This project was conceptualized and fabricated by Jessica Alpern Brown and installed by Thomas Brown in just three months. The machine cut vinyl work was subcontracted to a woman owned local business.

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Created for the Facebook Artist in Residence program, this work is made up of 20 individual pieces installed over 4 floors in the Pittsburgh Oculus office. 

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Ranging in size from 18 inches to 6 feet the work is comprised of laser cut acrylic, vinyl and hand cut paper, resin coated onto acrylic disks. Each Viewing Lens acts as a portal allowing the viewer to see a small part of one large, continuous object. 

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Curated by Kilolo Luckett. A video of the process can be viewed here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4EkoX3XyjY

Jessica Alpern Brown – Artist, Concept design

 

Overview Effect Sunset

Wallcovering

2026

 

Working closely with a panel of medical professionals selected from hospital staff, this design was conceived from their detailed list of wants and needs regarding the space and its uses.

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Jessica's practice is multidisciplinary, with many aspects leading in to one another. This allows her process to be very flexible and quick to pivot when plans change within organizations. For example, the designs she uses as templates for laser and hand cut works start as high resolution photographs taken (for this series) of veils to create the illusion of surreal landscapes. 

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Jessica was able to create sized, ready to send to the printers, files at the same time as she created the mock ups for these wall coverings and their color options.  

Jessica Alpern Brown – Artist, Concept design, Fabrication, Installation

 

Overview Effect Flow

Color-Shift Vinyl, non-toxic resin, acrylic

2026

 

For this upcoming project Jessica was asked to create a work that brought a human touch to the sterile environment of a medical center.

 

While Jessica uses a laser cutter for heavy duty materials like acrylic and wood, she often cuts lighter materials by hand like the paper in the top center and vinyl in the upper left corner images.

 

For this proposed work she will be using a color-shifting vinyl in Ultra-Marine which will change from purple to a blue green as you walk around it and bring a liveliness to the space. At the request of the client the entire piece will be cut by hand. 

Thomas Brown - Project Manager

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August Wilson: A Writer’s Landscape (Permanent Exhibition)

2023

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Oversaw the complete installation of this landmark exhibition featuring all of Wilson’s American Century Cycle plays. 

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Responsibilities included managing all aspects of construction, painting, rigging, lighting, audio systems, furniture, and prop placement. Also led the training and coordination of exhibition attendants, docents, and maintenance teams.

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Flying Girls by Peju Alatise (Exhibition Installation)

2018/2025

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Designed, rebuilt, and installed the full exhibition infrastructure, including rigging structures, sculptural elements, lighting, and audio systems to bring this immersive piece to life.

Thomas Brown - Project Manager

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The Warhol Pop District (Temporary & Permanent Site Activation)

2023

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Served as project manager for both temporary and permanent site activations. Scope included securing permits, producing engineering documentation, overseeing union and non-union labor teams, scheduling inspections, and executing lighting design. Acted as the liaison between architects, curators, and artists to ensure alignment of vision and execution.

Jessica Alpern Brown – Artist, Concept design, Fabrication, Installation

 

Nebula

Laser cut acrylic

2023

 

Created during the Distillery Residence program, this work is made up of over 100 individual pieces installed in the Brewhouse Association building in Pittsburgh, PA. 

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Ranging in size from 3 inches to 3 feet the work is made of layered opaque, transparent, translucent, mirrored and iridescent acrylic.

 

This concept was further developed through a collaboration with Momade and Casey Droege Cultural Productions and has been used in several cultural and business institutions of note in a variety of scales.

Jessica Alpern Brown – Artist, Concept design

Thomas Brown – Installation

 

Snowflake Lace

Machine cut vinyl, hand cut vinyl

2022

 

Asked to make a holiday window display for a downtown business, Jessica layered snowflakes to create this unique pattern as a vector file. She then worked with a local woman owned sign shop to fabricate the design. After Thomas Brown installed the vinyl, Jessica layered individual, hand cut, iridescent snowflake details to catch the light.

Jessica Alpern Brown – Artist, Concept design, Fabrication

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The Candy Dish

Piano, paint, polymer clay, glass, non-toxic resin, paper

2023

 

As part of the Free the Music project Jessica was asked to create a design for a piano to be displayed and used by guests in the Pittsburgh International Airport. She chose to focus on memories of traveling to see her Grandmother.

 

A full candy dish, a cross-stitched flower, butterflies and crossword puzzles; memorials made real and brought together onto a Wedgewood canvas. Her design endeavors to share the comfort of those memories with other travelers and hopes that each detail evokes a familiar feeling in an unfamiliar place.