CV

View and Download as PDF: AlexBraidwood-CV-2021.pdf

Education

2011 MFA in Media Design from the Graduate Media Design Program

Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA

Awarded 2 major merit-based MFA Scholarships by the department faculty.

2001 BFA in Graphic Design with an Emphasis on Interaction and Motion Design, with Honors

College for Creative Studies, Detroit, MI

Selected as the top graduate from the Graphic Design department by the department faculty.

Teaching

2012-Present Iowa State University, Ames, IA

Associate Professor, Graphic Design undergraduate and graduate design programs

Associate Professor, Masters of Design in Sustainable Environments (through 2019 calendar year)

Faculty, Human Computer Interaction PhD program

2016-Present Faculty, Iowa Lakeside Lab Biological Field Research Station, Okoboji, IA 

Developed and taught a new 2 week immersive field study course on nature sound and acoustic ecology

2012 OTIS College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, CA

Adjunct Faculty, Communication Design

COMD 478 Web Design, developed and taught

2008-2009 College for Creative Studies, Detroit, MI

Full-time Visiting Assistant Professor of Graphic and Interaction Design.

2002-2008 College for Creative Studies, Detroit, MI  

Adjunct Faculty, Graphic Design Department. 

2007-2009 Graphic Design Department Advisory Board Member.

2002-2008 College for Creative Studies Adjunct Faculty, Graphic Design Department. 

2005-2009 Graphic Design Department Interactive & Motion Advisory Board Member.

Service

University Committees:

University Faculty Senate IT Committee

Center for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities 

Advisory Committee (for grant awards selection and visioning statement development)

College Committees:

College of Design Lectures & Exhibition Committee

College of Design Budget Committee

College of Design Operations Committee

Department Ad Hoc Committees

Graduate Curriculum Development Committee

Undergraduate Curriculum Development Committee

Graphic Design Department Computation Advisory Committee

Advisory Council Liaison Committee

Additional Service

2017-2020 Faculty Lead – ISUGD Senior Show

2015-2020 Department Advisory Council Liaison 

2015-2019 Department Program Night Coordinator

2019 College of Design Representative & Scholarship Judge

Illinois High School Art Exhibition 

National Portfolio Day (NPD), Iowa State University College of Design Representative

2019 Los Angeles, 2019 San Diego, 2018 Kansas City, 2018 St Louis, 2017 Chicago – Graduate NPD, 2017 Kansas City, 2017 St Louis

Undergraduate honors student mentor.

Bachelor of Design capstone mentor.

2021 AAF Northern Illinois American Advertising Awards

Interactive Media Judge

2016 Journal Reviewer

International Digital Media Arts Association (iDMAa)

2016 Graphic Design Department Annual Outside Assessor.  

Oklahoma State University. Stillwater, OK

Masters of Design in Sustainable Environments

Curriculum Development Committee

Faculty advisor for the following student clubs:

2014 – Present The Graphic Design Social Club 

Also the AIGA Student Chapter

Since club founding

2018 – Present UX Design Club

Since club founding

2018 – Present DIY Craft Club

2019 – Present College of Design Green Team

Other Positions

2016-Present Director, Iowa Lakeside Laboratory Artist-in-Residence Program 

The Iowa Lakeside Laboratory Artist-in-Residence (AIR) program invites artists, musicians, composers, and performers of all genres to apply for a two to four week residency. Lakeside Lab is a biological field station and nature preserve located in the northwest region of Iowa. 

Responsible for designing, developing and maintaining the visual branding, social media, website archive, application process, and promotion. Since taking over the program, I’ve grown it from a local/regional program to a national and now international residency. In 2021, we’ve launched the funded Art and Ecology Residency in addition to the traditional residency program.

2016-Present Faculty, Iowa Lakeside Laboratory Regents Resource Center

Responsible for developing and teaching an Acoustic Ecology  field study class at the Iowa Lakeside Lab Biological research station. This course brings art, design, and science students together to learn about and explore the role nature sound plays in issues related to ecology and sustainability. In 2020, this course was taught was an online experience and attended by students from around the country.

2020-Present Board of Directors, World Forum for Acoustic Ecology

“The World Forum for Acoustic Ecology, founded in 1993, is an international association of affiliated organizations and individuals who share a common concern for the state of the world’s soundscapes. Our members represent a multi-disciplinary spectrum of individuals engaged in the study of the social, aesthetic, cultural, and ecological aspects of the sonic environment.”  https://www.wfae.net

2018-Present Board of Directors, Midwest Society for Acoustic Ecology. Serving as Secretary

“The Midwest Society for Acoustic Ecology (MSAE), established in 2009, is a membership organization dedicated to exploring the role of sound in natural habitats and human societies, while promoting public dialogue concerning the identification, preservation, and restoration of natural and cultural sound environments.” https://mwsae.org

2017-2020 Board of Directors, AIGA Iowa. Serving as Education Director

AIGA is the professional organization of Graphic Designers. 

2016-2018 Board of Directors, Grin City Artist Collective. Founding board member 

Grin City was an grants funding organization focused on supporting artists working on community-focused  projects within a 50 mile radius of Grinnell Iowa.

Graduate Student Committees

Current

Liz Moyer. MFA, Graphic Design 

Major Professor 

Topic: Coping with Death

Kayla Brown. MFA, Graphic Design 

Major Professor 

Topic: Food & Community

Christopher Merchant. MID, Industrial Design

Outside Member

Brittany Eide. MS, Journalism and Mass Communication

Outside Member

Topic: Emotional responses to sound in immersive environments

Zach Stewart. MFA, Graphic Design

Major Professor

Topic: Alternative visual systems for music notation

Lingyuan Zeng. MFA, Graphic Design

Major Professor

Topic: Freedom of Speech, US vs China

Dan Bell. PhD

Human Computer Interaction

Topic: A User Interface for Federated Modeling

Manatsa Mazimbe, MFA

Art & Visual Culture

Topic: Character Animation

Graphic Design – Major Professor

Liny Yang. MFA Graphic Design

Major Professor

Topic: Empathy Through Design

Monica Pearson. MFA, Graphic Design

Topic: Intersection of Design and Science

Alix Collins. MFA, Graphic Design

Topic: Social Media and Behavior

Maggie Grundy. MFA, Graphic Design

Topic: Live music audience engagement through responsive visuals

Steve Kohtz. MFA, Graphic Design

Topic: The Luxury of Silence

David Carius. MA, Graphic Design

Topic: Water quality. Title: The Dose Makes the Poison

Julian Osorio. MFA, Graphic Design.

Topic: Sound and Sonification

Ryan Hubbard. MFA, Graphic Design.

Topic: Cocoa production and community engagement 

Meriesa Elliott. MFA, Graphic Design.

Topic: Iowa water, run off

Laura Husinga. MFA, Graphic Design.

Topic: Dyslexic Edge: Designing an awareness campaign to foster wider understanding of dyslexia

Whitley Kemble. MFA, Graphic Design

Topic: A Synthesized Model for Children’s Health-Focused Serious Games

Anna Douglas. MFA, Graphic Design

Topic: Digital Healthcare

Graphic Design – Committee Member

Yasmin Rodriguez. MFA, Graphic Design

Topic: immigration / Border

Calee Himes. MFA, Graphic Design

Topic: Tokens of Kindness

Heather Purdy. MFA, Graphic Design

Topic: Water Quality and Media Outreach

Qing Guo. MFA, Graphic Design

Topic: In search of simplicity in mobile icons

Ryan Wilson. MFA, Graphic Design

Topic: Preparing Students for Industry

Moriah Smith. MA, Graphic Design

Topic: Tablet publication: using interactivity in a print world

Human Computer Interaction program

Ezequiel Aleman. PhD

Topic: Latinx Community Focused Alternative Reality gaming

Karen Dotty. PhD, Co-Major Professor

Topic: VR interface gesture

Laura Husinga. PhD

Topic: Augmented Reality Reading Support In Higher Education

Ryan Wilson. PhD, Human Computer Interaction

Topic: Understanding the User in Online Education

Outside of Graphic Design – Committee Member

Courtney Barbour. MS, Apparel & Hospitality Management

Topic: Sustainable Issues of Material Use and Recycling 

John Osario – MID, Industrial Design

Topic: Music Ideation UI / UX

Judy Long. MFA, Art and Visual Culture

Topic: Relationships with death and loss

Joel Nathaniel. MFA, Creative Writing and the Environment

Topic: Poetry and Reactive Performance, Co-Major Professor

Cathleen Bascom. MFA, Creative Writing and the Environment

Topic: Prairies in Urban Spaces

Tom Bos. MID, Industrial Design

Topic: Interactive and Reactive Visual Performance Systems

Zhenru Zhang. MA, Interior Design

Topic: Lighting and Productivity

Alec Henderson. MCRP, Community and Regional Planning

Topic: Climate Change, Human Security: Human Narratives of Baton Rouge Floods

Narek Zakaryan. MCRP, Community and Regional Planning

Topic: Noise and Public Policy in Ames, IA

Mitchell Hinrichsen. MID, Industrial Design

Topic: The Connection between Color and Sound

Jeff Miller. MFA, Art and Visual Culture

Topic: Small town manufacturing job loss

Mat Greiner. MFA, Art and Visual Culture

Topic: Curation as arts practice

Fei Xue. MFA, Art and Visual Culture

Topic: English translation of Chinese folk lore

Xin Liu. MFA, Art and Visual Culture

Topic: Stop motion animation

Grant Funding Awards

2020 Public Art and Ecology Funded Residency at Iowa Lakeside Lab  Grant Funding

In Collaboration with Via Partners, funded by Imagine Iowa Great Lakes. Starting in the summer of 2021, one artist will be selected for an extended 8-12 week residency where they will have an immersive experience in the ecology, science and natural history of the Iowa Great Lakes region. As part of the residency, the selected artist will develop and execute a temporary public art project in the community that engages local residents and visitors in the natural systems that make up the Iowa Great Lakes region.

.

2019 College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Learning Across America Grant + US Forestry Service Funds

In collaboration with Dr Jennifer Schieltz from the Natural Resource Ecology and Management program, we proposed a science + design interdisciplinary field study course and were awarded a Learning Across America grant from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). For this class and the resulting project, we were also awarded funds from the US Forest Service.

2018 Fieldstead & Company Endowment for Community Enhancement, Regenerative Recovery Grant

In collaboration with Austin Stewart, Assistant Professor of Art and Visual Culture, and Mimi Wagner, Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture, and David Swenson, Associate Scientist Department of Economics, we were awarded a Regenerative Recovery grant from the Fieldstead & Company Endowment for Community Enhancement. For work with the Masters in Design of Sustainable Environments. 

2017-18 Center for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities (CEAH) Symposium Grant

For Coding Design / Designing Code in collaboration w/ Caroline Westort, Landscape Architecture

2014-2015 Iowa State University Foreign Travel Grant 

Awarded travel funds to support being the artist in residence at the Bogong Centre for Sound Culture in Australia.

2013 Center for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities (CEAH) Research Grant 

Recipient of a CEAH grant to begin work on “Listening in the Megacity,” a new series of projects that begins by recording noise and observing interactions in some of the most densely populated cities on the planet: Seoul, South Korea; Delhi, India and Shanghai, China.

2013 Computation Advisory Committee Grant – Sound Recorders for the College of Design 

Awarded a grant to purchase 15 portable sound recorders to be made available for student check out. The recorders have been used by thousands of students throughout the College of Design  in the creation of motion graphics work, podcasts, interviews and a variety  of other applications.

2011 Center for Cultural Innovation Investing in Artists Grant for Artistic Innovation 

Recipient of a Round VIII Investing in Artists Grant in order to continue work on the Listening Instruments project.

2010 Art Center College of Design Graduate Media Design Program Thesis Scholarship

Recipient of a generous departmental scholarship, awarded by the department faculty in recognition of work completed during the first year of study.

Honors

2019, 2018, 2017, 2014 Iowa State Graphic Design Department Commencement Speaker

Selected by the Iowa State Graphic Design Graduating Seniors to be their department speaker at the College of Design commencement

2018 Tenured.

2018 Iowa State Day at the Capitol

Selected by the Dean of the College of Design to represent the College with my work engaging art+science at Iowa Lakeside Lab

2017 Juror, Des Moines Arts Festival

Invited to be on the three member section panel of this highly prestigious National arts festival. The panel was responsible for accepting 150 of the 900+ applicants into the festival, awarding individual selection awards, and awarding best-in-show.

Art Residencies

International – Juried

2022 La Wayaka Current Desert 23°S Residency (Accepted & postponed from 2021 due to COVID-19)

“Desert 23°S (Atacama, Chile) presents a rare opportunity to research and develop new artistic & creative practices in one of the driest environments on our planet within an indigenous community inside a national nature reserve of diverse flora and fauna.” 

www.lawayakacurrent.com/desert

2020 World of Co.

This four week s international digital residency brings together 4 artists each month to work in a shared virtual space. It included workshops, critique, an exhibition, and an artist talk / performance.

2019 Isle Royale National Park

I have been selected to be an artist-in-residence on Isle Royal National Park in August of 2019. During my stay on the island, I spent most of my time in the backcountry collecting nature sounds from this pristine biosphere reserve to utilize in various sound art projects.

https://www.nps.gov/isro/getinvolved/air-braidwood.htm

2014-2015 Bogong Centre for Sound Culture – Artist in Residence. Bogong Village, Australia

This two week supported residency in Australia Alpine National Park was  devoted to creating my project “Listening at the Intersection of Nature and Community.” I was the first non-Australian accepted into this residency.

National  – Juried

2015 Iowa Lakeside Laboratory. West Lake Okoboji, IA (Now International)

This artist residency involved spending two weeks embedded in the biological field research station on West Lake Okoboji in Northwest Iowa working along side research scientists and students.

2013 Guesthaus Artist Residency. Los Angeles, CA

Spent 1 week in residence in association with a Listening Instruments Invention Workshop at Side Street Projects.

2013 Grin City Collective – Artist in Residence. Grinnell, IA

Spent 2 weeks living, working and making art on a small farm outside of Grinnell, IA with 10 other artists from around the world. This included working in the CSA garden and participating in community art outreach programs.

Exhibitions 

Exhibitions – International – Juried – Group

2017 SUBMERGED, SciArt Center, New York, NY

Buoy Music was included in this international SciArt Center group exhibition focusing on projects connected to water.

2013 Cinema Rest / New Orleans Film Festival 

Video collaboration work. New Orleans, LA.

2012 Music, Mind & Invention 

Demonstrated Noisolation Headphones. The College of New Jersey. Ewing, NJ.

2011 ArtBots 

One of eight artists invited to Ghent to present Noisolation Headphones. Ghent, Belgium.

2011 You First @ Orange County Center for Contemporary Art 

Noisolation Headphones + Synesthetic Din. Santa Ana, CA

2011-2012 Noises in the Void 

Noisolation Headphones & See Also Noise featured in this online curatorial experiment by Pedro Torres

2011 Little Tokyo Design Week 

Noisolation Headphones display and demonstrations. Los Angeles, CA

2005 Noise: Seen and Unseen Sound Art Festival 

Richard Foreman‘s Ontological-Hysteric Theater. New York, NY

2004 RE/VIEW: A New Media Art Exhibition 

RX Gallery. San Francisco, CA

Exhibitions – International – Invited – Solo

2016 Live Lake Date Audio Performance. Gaming, Austria

Worked with 3 other musicians to develop a live performance of Lake Lunz data, performed at the lake as part of the GLEON18 meeting

2001 Exhibit A: Evidence of Pleasure 

International Juried Design Exhibition. CCS Center Galleries. Detroit, MI

Exhibitions – National – Juried – Group

2020 SoundPedro (selected, postponed due to COVID-19). San Pedro, CA.

Alert Fatigue sound art installation. Long Beach, CA

2018 Curator & Artist: At the Intersection of Art + Science, Public Space One, Iowa City, IA

Lakeside Lab Alumni Group Show

2016 Maximum Ames Music Festival. Ames, IA

Performed a live Iowa soundscape listening experience during a 4 hour gallery installation as part of this city-wide music festival 

2016 MO – New Works in Media and Publication. Moberg Wallnut St Gallery. Des Moines, IA

A small group exhibition featuring a new work Parts per Million.

2013 SoundWalk. Long Beach, CA

Alert Fatigue sound art installation. 

2012 Kansas City SoundWalk. Kansas City, MO.

Flourish live collaborative performance. 

2012 Sound Through Barriers: Listening in Continuous Spaces Fort Collins, CO.

Noisolation Headphones was accepted into this international group sound art show curated by C. Reider.

2011 SoundWalk 

Noisolation Headphones demonstrations, Synesthetic Din installation plus a live performance with painter Meredith Lynn Morrison. Long Beach, CA

Exhibitions – National – Invited – Solo

2015 Listen Right Here. Solo Exhibition. Grandview University Prairie Meadows Gallery. Des Moines, IA

A six week solo exhibition featuring sound art projects based on recordings made around the world.

Exhibitions – National – Invited – Group

2020 Superior Wilderness @ Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts. Houghton, MI

Presenting “Listening Beyond the Edge,” the first finished work to come from my time on Isle Royale Nat’l Park as 2019 Artist-in-Resident.

Exhibitions – Regional – Juried – Solo

2018 Water Quality Xylophone – Interactive Public Art, West Des Moines, IA

An interactive sound sculpture that sonifies and visualizes water quality data from the nearby Jordan Creek

2016 Iowa Artsits. Des Moines Art Center. Des Moines, IA

Installed Listen Right Here DSM in the Des Moines Art Center as part of Iowa Artists 2016.

2016 Listening Machines Bus Tour. Des Moines, IA

After installing solar powered sound recorders around the city of Des Moines, I lead a bus tour of 3 locations to discuss sound related issues throughout the city.

2013 Tiger Strikes Asteroid 

Sonic Booms installation. In collaboration with Ezra Masch. Philadelphia, PA

Exhibitions – Regional – Juried – Group

2019 Terrain Biennial, Iowa City, IA

Presented Listen Right Here: Jefferson Street, a reactive archive development project responding to audio levels and the visual activity at the installation location

2017 The Places We Go

Presented a generative drawing built from my FaceBook data as part of this exhibition during Des Moines’ Art Night

Exhibitions – Regional – Invited – Solo

2018 Based on a True Story – Octagon Art Center, Ames, IA

A multichannel installation utilizing Iowa water quality and naturesound recordings

2016 Heritage Listening. Interactive Installation. Black Contemporary Ames, IA

A site-specific interactive installation performing sounds of a restored prairie into a dormant seed drying facility turned art space

2013 Relish 

Live modified listening noise-scape performance. Grinnell, IA.

Exhibitions – Regional – Invited – Group

2020 Greater Des Moines Partnership – Pop-up Public Art Engagement

To bring more people safely to downtown Des Moines during the 2020 Covid pandemic, the Greater Des Moines Partnership invited 10 regional artists to holiday ornaments and install them around town. Each artist was assigned to specific day and are of downtown.

2019 Listening Bus Tour – Ames, IA

Led an afternoon listening bus tour as part of the Festival of Personal Geographies at the Design on Main gallery in Ames, IA

2016 Rurally Good – Eldercore Live Performance. Grinnell, IA

Performed live with my band Eldercore at this art, music and food festival in Grinnell, IA

2016 Rurally Good – Parts Per Million Reactive Lighting Display Grinnell, IA

Installed an audio reactive sculpture in the farm field surrounding this art, music and food festival in Grinnell, IA

2015 Art Vacancy – River Vacancy

Installed a sound art piece that performs activity in the Skunk River live for a floating audience. Ames, IA

2015 Rurally Good

Performed live with my band Eldercore at this art, music and food festival in Grinnell, IA

2014 DUST 

Noise performance as Eldercore w/ artist Ben Gardner & writer JJ Butts. Des Moines, IA.

2014 Journey to the Sun 

Performed From Memory as part of Grin City Culture Lab’s theatrical event. Grinnel, IA.

2014 Art Vacancy 

Performed & presented the Bureau of Infrastructure Tourism. Ames, IA.

2013 Des Moines Social Club NYE BASH 

Modified headphone & DSM soundscape installation. Des Moines, IA.

2013 Rurally Good 

Performed a live archery / sound art exhibition. Grinnell, IA

2013 Grin City Collective pop-up gallery 

Modified listening installation. Grinnell, IA.

2011 4 Hours Solid 

Interactive Sound Installation: Listening Instruments. ACCD Wind Tunnel Gallery. Pasadena, CA

2010 The 🙂 🙂 😐 🙂 Quartet 

Experimental noise orchestra. ACCD Wind Tunnel Gallery. Pasadena, CA

In collaboration with Haejin Lee. 

2010 Beat No. 2; Send 

Networked participatory noise performance. ACCD South Campus Rooftop. Pasadena, CA

In collaboration with Haejin Lee, Jiha Hwang and Mikey “Mikey T” Tnasuttimonkol.

2005 College for Creative Studies Faculty Exhibition 

CCS Center Galleries. Detroit, MI

2003 VERT @ ©POP & 2003 Underground People Movers @ DAM 

Reactive video performance. Detroit, MI

2002 – 2003 Element Art Salon 

Game Boy music performances. Motor Lounge. Detroit, MI

2001 Action Basic 

Game Boy music performance. Detroit Contemporary, Detroit, MI

In collaboration with Justin VanSlembrouck.

2001 Selections III 

Physical Interaction Installation. CCS Center Galleries. Detroit, MI

2001 14 Pieces : An Exhibition of Leftover Material, Design Methods, & Process

Tangible interface installation. Opening night live audio performance. CCS Center Galleries. Detroit, MI

Presentations

Presentations – International – Juried

2020 Teaching Place. Minneapolis College of Art and Design. 

Presented “Teaching Soundscape, Acoustic Ecology, and Sustainability”

2020 College Art Association of America (CAA). Chicago, IL 

Presented on the panel “Advances in Eco-sensing and the Soundscape” with an international group od acoustic ecologists and sound artists.

2016 International Digital Media Arts Association (iDMAa). Winona, MN 

Juried presentation on the importance of code & media in Design education

2014 International Digital Media Arts Association (iDMAa), Orem, UT

Presented “The Web is full of Eff’d Up Stuff” on a panel about design pedagogy.

2013 International Digital Media Arts Association (iDMAa) – LCAD, Laguna Beach, CA

Presented Listening Instruments workshops as critical design investigations

2013 Media in Transition 8: Public Media, Private Media – MIT, Cambridge, MA

Presented “Personal Performance Machines: Listening Interventions in the Public Soundscape”

2011 Critical Information: Mapping The Intersection of Art & Technology at SVA – New York, NY

Presented Listening Instruments on the panel Visualizing the Invisible: The Art of Sound.

2011 Media in Transition 7 – MIT, Cambridge, MA

Presented Listening Instruments as a method for Negotiating Noise as a Condition of Urbanization on a panel titled Urban Media.

2009 Interfaces ‘09 Conference – Royal Oak, MI

Co-presented the importance of design research to a student’s process using examples from our own classes with CCS teaching colleague, Meredith Morrison.

2007 Schools of Thoughts 3 – AIGA Design Educators Conference – Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA

Co-presented the College for Creative Studies Graphic Design department’s collaborative teaching model at the AIGA Schools of Thoughts 3 conference with Doug Kisor, CCS Chair of Graphic Design.

Presentations – International – Invited

2020 ISU Natural Resources and Environmental Management Graduate Speaker Series

Invited to present my work at the intersection of art and science to graduate students and faculty in the sciences. 

2019 Isle Royale National Park – Artist-in-Residence public program

Invited to give a talk as part of the National Park’s public program series on the Island during my time as Artist-in-Residence

2019 Space Saloon’s FIELDWORKS Design + Build Festival, Morongo Valley, CA

Delivered the opening presentation at FIELDWORKS about my work and the student workshops led in Joshua Tree Nat’l Park.

2018 Coding Design / Designing Code, Iowa State University, Ames, IA

Presented on my process & projects connected to code and design

2016 GLEON – Code for Designers. Gaming, Austria 

Demonstrated Code for Designers using Buoy Data at the annual GLEON 18 meeting

2015 International Design Congress. Gwangju, South Korea

Presented the updated Iowa State Graphic curriculum as part of the educational panel.

2015 GLEON – Buoy Listening. Chuncheon, South Korea 

Demonstrated Buoy Listening to a group of limnologists at their annual GLEON 17 meeting

Presentations – National – Invited

2016 Des Moines Art Center – Iowa Artist 2016 Gallery Talk. Des Moines, IA

Presented the process, theory and implementation of my Iowa Artist sound collection, installation, and composition

2016 Oklahoma State University. Stillwater, OK

Presented work and process as part of being selected as their Graphic Design Program’s annual outside assessor.

2015 Listen Right Here Artist Gallery Talk. Des Moines, IA 

The gallery talk for my solo exhibition at Grandview University’s Prairie Meadow Gallery.

2012 Graduate Media Design Colloquium at Art Center College of Design – Pasadena, CA

Invited to present Listening Instruments research, process & projects to media design graduate students.

2011 Institute for Media Literacy Digital Studies Symposium at USC – Los Angeles, CA

Invited to present Listening Instruments research, process & projects to research students from various majors.

2011 World Listening Day at Machine Project – Los Angeles, CA

Presented Noisolation Headphones as part of the World Listening Day events at the gallery.

Presentations – Regional – Juried

2016 Des Moines MAKER Fair, Science Center of Iowa – Des Moines, IA

Presented Buoy Music and an interactive capacitive sensor based demonstration for kids of all ages

2013 Ignite Ames Talk – Ames, IA

Voted to present my Listening Instruments process and experiments.

Presentations – Regional – Invited

2020 Sanford Museum & Planetarium. Meet the Scientists Day. Cherokee, IA

Invited to display and present my work as a “Sound Scientist” to a group of mostly middle-school aged children

2020 ArtIS 399 – Social Media and Artists Presentation

Presented on the value of using social media as an artist to an undergraduate seminar for artists.

2020 Iowa Water Center – Water Scholars Program

Invited to give a talk about “Art & the Environment” based on my work as an artist and as Director of the Iowa Lakeside Lab Artist-in-Residence program 

2019 Nerd Night – A sermon on Sound, Art, & Acoustic Ecology

Invited to be the headline speaker for this event organized by scientists from Iowa State’s Natural Resource and Ecological Management [NREM] program

2019 Summer Program for Interdisciplinary Research and Education – Emerging Interface Technologies (SPIRE-EIT) 

Invited by the HCI director to present to NSF funded REU internship students about my work at the intersection or design, art, and science.

2019 Iowa State University Research Day

Presented “Acoustic Ecology, Sonification and the Intersection of Art and Science”

2017 KeyNote Speaker – Touched by Science at the Iowa Lakeside Lab 

Presented on my process for recording sound, making sound art, and turning data into music

2017 Cafe Scientfique with the Science Center of Iowa. Des Moines, IA 

Presented my work at the intersection data, sound, nature, and science

2017 REU 

Invited by the HCI director to present to NSF funded REU internship students about my work at the intersection or design, art, and science.

2016 AIGA Iowa Inspiration Hour. Des Moines, IA

Invited to presented things that inspire me and new projects I’ve been working on

2016 Iowa Lakeside Lab – Faculty Lecture Series

Invited to present my work at the intersection of art, science, and nature.

2016 Chicken Tractor Micro-grant Dinner – by nomination only. Des Moines, IA

Nominated by Jeff Fleming, Director of the Des Moines Art Center, to be one of 5 artists to present at this year’s event.

*While I did not win the popular vote, my project was generously funded by 2 large organizations in the city and several individual benefactors*

2016 Sonification. Ames, IA 

Presented my work and performances built using data to an information design graduate course at Iowa State

2016 Artist Talk. Ames, IA 

Presented my process and creative scholarship to students in the Design Core at Iowa State

2016 Art and Design as a Profession. Eastland High School. Eastland, TX 

Presented my career as a designer and work as an artist to art students in this small rural town

2014 Guest Critique and Presentation. Grinnell College. Grinnell, IA 

Invited to a sound art class of renowned sound artist Abby Aresty to present my work and critique student projects.

2012 Research Through Making

Invited to present my process and working methodology to graduate industrial design students.

2012 Friday Talks in the College of Design

Invited to present Listening Instruments research, process & projects to faculty and students.

2011 Design Strategic Projects Studio at Nokia Design – Los Angeles, CA

Invited to present Listening Instruments & spend the afternoon in conversation with researchers from the studio.

2011 Dorkbot SoCal 44 – Los Angeles, CA

Invited to present and demonstrate Noisolation Headphones at the June 2011 Dorkbot meeting.

Workshops

2020 Hear Below Sound Walk – College Art Association of America (CAA) w/ Midwest Society for Acoustic Ecology. Chicago, IL 

Co-lead a modified listening sound walk with Eric Leonardson as part of the 2019 CAA conference in association with the Midwest Society for Acoustic Ecology (MWSAE) and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)

2019 Listening Instruments Workshop in Joshua Tree National Park

Spent the day with a group of architecture students from Bangkok making listening maps, going on a listening hike, and exploring the Listening Instruments Modified Headphones in various locations of Joshua Tree National Park. These two days were the kick-off of FIELDWORKS, a design-build festival in California’s Mornogo Valley desert. 

2018 International Artists Day Workshop @ Gilmore City Schools. 

Invited to develop and hold a 1/2 day workshop for a rural community that has had all of their arts and music program cut as a result of a declining population.

2018 Listening Instruments Invention Workshop @ Iowa Art Summit 

Spent the day at the Iowa Arts Council’s Iowa Arts Summit demonstrated the Listening Instruments Invention workshop for summit attendees from all over the Midwest.

2018 Listening Instruments Invention Workshop – Octagon Center for the Arts 

A workshop for art camp elementary school children. 

2018 Listening Instruments Invention Workshop & Sound Walk 

A half-day sound art workshop at the College of Design at Iowa State University as part of the summer Extension and Outreach Program.

2017 Listening Instruments Invention Workshop 

A half-day sound art workshop at the 4H camp in Madrid, IA.

Participants explore ideas of active listening, audio ecology and work as a family to create new inventions for listening around the 4H Camp grounds.

2017 Listening Instruments Invention Workshop 4H students at Iowa State – Ames, IA

Students learn about audio ecology and work in groups to make new inventions for listening around the university.

2016 Sonic Fiction at the Des Moines Art Center 

A multi-day workshop at the Des Moines Art Center. Des Moines, IA.

High school students from around the city are taught how to record and edit sound, build sound compositions, create sculptural forms based on these compositions, and wire up their sculptures as interactive controllers for their composed sound.

2016 Listening Instruments Invention Workshop 

A half-day family sound art workshop at the Des Moines Art Center. Des Moines, IA.

Participants explore ideas of active listening, audio ecology and work as a family to create new inventions for listening around the Art Center grounds.

2016 Code for Designers 

A multi-day workshop at Drake University. Des Moines, IA.

Graphic Design students are exposed to basic programming concepts through the development of systems that result in generative visuals.

2015 Listening Walk. Mt Beauty. Victoria,Australia.

Developed and led a modified headphones listening walk in Mt Beauty, Victoria, Australia as part of the proposal to be Artists-in-Residence at the Bogong Centre for Sound Culture.

2014 Noise is Fiction 

A week-long sound art workshop for high school students. Ames, IA.

Students explore the noises of Iowa State University by learning how to collect field recordings and composing those noises into expressive pieces based on basic design principles.

2014 Sonic Fiction / Sonic Forms 

Interactive sound workshop for middle & high school students. Ames, IA.

Young artists learn to use portable sound recorders, collect field recordings, develop expressive compositions, and build interactive 3D sculptures to perform their audio compositions. 

2013 Listening Instruments Invention Workshop at Gilbert Middle School – Gilbert, IA

Students learn about audio ecology and work in groups to make new inventions for listening in their school.

2013 Listening Instruments Invention Workshop at Side Street Projects – Pasadena, CA

Artists and members of the surrounding community gather to invent new listening devices and explore active listening within the neighborhood.

2011 Listening Instruments Workshop for World Listening Day at Machine Project – Los Angeles, CA

Co-organizer with David Eng of Machine Project.

2009 Web Basics for Art & Design Instructors – Faculty Workshop – College for Creative Studies, Detroit, MI

Sponsored by the Graphic Design department and the Continuing Education program.

2008 Code for Designers – Student Workshop – Detroit, MI

Sponsored by the Detroit Student AIGA chapter.

2002-2008 Various in-class & ad hock hardware & software demos for design students – College for Creative Studies, Detroit, MI

Press

Work Featured in the Following Books

2021. There is no Soundtrack 

by Ming-yuen S. Ma | Manchester University Press. 

ISBN: 9781526142122

2020. Piney Wood Atlas Volume III: The Midwest 

by Alicia Toldi + Carolina Porras | Blurb Books. 

ISBN: 9781714313150

2013. The Unreality of UFORA / Nerealnost’ UFORY: Notes on Contemporary Art 

by Mintz, Rob, et al. Edited by Olga Ruppeldtova and Kelly Acquistapace, 1 edition, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

ISBN: 1500473472

2012. New Art/Science Affinities 

by Grover, Andrea. Miller Gallery at Carnegie Mellon University + CMU STUDIO for Creative Inquiry.

ISBN: 0977205347

Television

2020 WOI-TV local 5 news – Featured for Public Art Pop-up

I was interviewed about my project as part of the Greater Des Moines Partnership’s Pop-up Public Art Initiative.

2018 Iowa Public Television – Featured on Iowa Outdoors

A feature piece on my Acoustic Ecology field study class at the Iowa Lakeside Lab aired on Episode of Iowa Outdoors

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaM7_qWgp-w

2018 WHOTV Channel 13 News – Water Quality Xylophone

Interviewed about my interactive public sound art piece that also visualized and sniffed water quality data

https://whotv.com/2018/05/11/new-public-art-brings-music-water-quality-awareness-to-west-des-moines/

2018 KCCI Iowa Channel 8 News – Water Quality Xylophone

Interviewed about my interactive public sound art piece that also visualized and sniffed water quality data

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN75RGI1RpA

2012 KTLA Los Angeles – Evening Television News Technology Segment Link

Interviewed using the Noisolation Headphones in Downtown LA for a news story about Listening Instruments.

The story aired on February 29, 2012.

Radio

2020 Okoboji Broadcast Radio

Featured on Okoboji Radio to talk about the new funded Public Art Residency at Iowa Lakeside Lab

2018 Iowa Public Radio Iowa – Lakeside Lab AIR Interview

Interviewed by John Pemble about my work as Director of the Iowa Lakeside Lab Artist-In-Residence program

2017 KUOO – Lakeside Lab AIR Interview

Interviewed about the Residency program at Iowa Lakeside Lab and promoted the open studio events

2016 Iowa Public Radio

Interviewed by John Pemble for a radio piece about Listen Right Here DSM and being a 2016 Iowa Artist

http://iowapublicradio.org/post/portrait-city-through-sonic-fiction

2015 Iowa Public Radio – Talk of Iowa

Interviewed by Charity Nebbe about the Buoy Listening Project. The program is available online here: 

http://iowapublicradio.org/post/iowa-artist-makes-music-lake-okoboji-water-data

2015 KHOI Radio

Interviewed on the 1 hour show Heart of Iowa

2015 Alpine Radio, Mt Beauty, Victory, Australia

Interviewed by Bill Sutton about my work and to promote the Mt Beauty listening walk.

2014 3CR – Melbourne Community Radio

Interviewed by Michael Smith about my work and my time as the Bogong Centre for Sound Culture artist in residence.

Online – International

2018 HOW Magazine – 2019 Design Resolutions from design leaders

Included as one of eight design leaders in this article

2018 Interviewed for the Museum of Non-visible Art on Yale Radio 

https://museumofnonvisibleart.com/interviews/alex-braidwood/

2013 The Art Blog – Sonic Booms review Link

Online review of a collaborative installation project created w/ Ezra Masch

2012 Neural Media Art Magazine – Issue 43 / Autumn 2012 (Italy) Link

Noisolation Headphones reviewed in the print and online versions.

2012 Science & Vie découvertes No 161 – MAI 2012 (A French science magazine for children)

2012 Boing Boing : “Tuning in to ambient urban sound: Alex Braidwood’s Listening Instruments” Link

A piece about the Listening Instruments project and the Noisolation Headphones documentary made by KPCC

2011 Boing Boing, October 07 

Noisolation Headphones posted on this influential tech blog via we-make-money-not-art.com interview

2011 We Make Money Not Art, October 06 Link

Interviewed about Noisolation Headphones project & process for the popular art blog we-make-money-not-art.com

Online – National

2012 National AIGA Design Envy Blog Link

Features the NPR documentary made with SoCal NPR’s Mae Ryan about the Noislation Headphones

2012 KPCC 89.3 – Southern California NPR Station Link

Mae Ryan of KPCC created “Sonic City,” a radio & video documentary of the Noisolation Headphones. 

The story aired during “Morning Edition” on February 7, 2012.

Online – Regional

2021 Ames Tribune – Graphic Design Social Club – Public Mural Honoring Historic Black Residents

”The mural was a collaboration between the Ames History Museum and the Graphic Design Social Club at Iowa State University. The organization is under the leadership of advisor Alex Braidwood, with students Helen Barton, Barsha Poudel, John Marquis, Darbi Shaw and Oni Wright involved in the project.”

https://www.amestrib.com/story/news/2021/03/30/new-mural-downtown-ames-honors-historic-black-residents-jack-trice-george-washington-carver/6988792002/

2020 Featured HCI faculty member

Interviewed for the Iowa State University Human Computer Interaction program’s newsletter, selected as a featured faculty member. 

2019 Iowa State University News

Helping Marshalltown recover from tornado through research, outreach

https://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2019/07/10/marshalltown-tornado

2018 Iowa State University News

Forging art, science at Iowa Lakeside Lab artist residency program

https://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2018/06/06/lakeside-lab-artists

2016 DSM Shows

Interviewed about my process, work, Maximum Ames album release and Iowa Soundscape performance and installation as part of the Maximum Ames city-wide music festival. 

http://dsmshows.com/2016/09/15/interview-with-sound-artist-alex-braidwood/

2016 Iowa State Daily

Interviewed by Jacob Beals about my Iowa Soundscape performance and installation as part of the Maximum Ames city-wide music festival

http://www.iowastatedaily.com/limelight/article_d1ed1648-7d2c-11e6-9a81-27886d3ab325.html

2015 Ames Tribune

ISU professor uses sound to help show research data

https://www.amestrib.com/news/isu-professor-uses-sound-help-show-research-data

2014 The Ames Tribune – Sonic Fiction / Sonic Forms youth workshop story Link

Online story and documentary video in which students where interviewed about their projects and learning experience.

2012 LAist : “Meet the Man Who is Listening to Los Angeles” Link

A piece about my work with noise around the city from this popular site all about Los Angeles.

2011 Rafu Shimpo LA Daily Japanese News, Saturday July 16 

Noisolation Headphones featured in a story about Little Tokyo Design Week

2011 The Orange Dot, Art Center College of Design’s online publication

Synesthetic Din featured in a piece about helping to define the future of mobile devices.

In Print

2020 Greenstone. Isle Royale Nat’l Park’s Annual Newspaper 

Featured my writing about the experience of being artist-in-resident and finding unique listening places on the island

https://www.nps.gov/isro/planyourvisit/upload/ISRO_Web_Accessible_Greenstone_Newspaper_2020.pdf

2019 Okoboji Magazine 

Featured in “Art, Science and Nature,” a story about the artist-in-residence program I am director of at Iowa Lakeside Lab. by Rylan Howe

https://www.nwestiowa.com/okoboji_magazine/art-science-and-nature/article_ce813dba-b224-11e9-921d-4799a82087c0.html

2012 Neural Media Art Magazine – Issue 43 / Autumn 2012 (Italy) Link

Noisolation Headphones reviewed in the print and online versions.

2011 Brand X Magazine, Week of 6/22/2011 Vol 3, No. 10. 

Featured on the cover and in the cover story “Digital artists add whimsy to mobile gaming.”

2011 Los Angeles Times, Sunday June 05 Print Edition. New Media section, D10.

Featured in the story “Apps Evolution: A new wave of digital artists is adding whimsy to mobile gaming.”

Professional Design Practice

2012-Present – Independant Practitioner: Central Iowa

Partial Client List

Alluvial Brewing

Lockwood Cafe

Moto Pascale Custom Motorcycles

Reliable St Art Collective

Healthcare Systems Inc (HSI)

Chicken Tractor

Iowa State College of Design

Graphic Design Department at Iowa State University

Highlights

Developed the branding and all materials including signage, website, trade show booth, event posters, and merchandise for Alluvial Brewing. I continue to be the lead graphic designer for all aspects of Alluvial Brewing.

Designed a dynamic identity package for Chicken Tractor, a new and exciting arts organization in central Iowa.

Developed and built an interactive lighting installation for the 2016 SXSW festival in Austin Texas working STRUCK in Portland, OR

2010 Friends of Friends of Friends – Design Research Intern : Pasadena, CA

A design research project by Media Design Program artists in residence Ben Hooker and Shona Kitchen with support from the Intel People and Practices Research Group and the Graduate Media Design Program at Art Center College of Design.

2006 – 2012 Formalplay LLC : Ferndale, MI / Los Angeles, CA

Principle and Founder

Partial Client List

University of Southern California’s Institute for Media Literacy

College for Creative Studies

Art Center College of Design Broadcast Cinema Dept

Elevator Access

Defrost Design

Fuse Communications (Audi)

Campbell-Ewald (Chevy, XM Radio, Alltel, USPS)

Organic, Inc (Jeep, Chrysler)

Y&R Brands (Mercury)

Team Detroit (Ford)

Studio Highlights

2007 Elevator and Formalplay receive Best in Show – Interactive at the 2007 Detroit AIGA Design RE:View for the design and development of Mottoform.com. Designed by Elevator and Developed by Formalplay.

2007 Formalplay and Fuse Communications receive honorable mention for the design and development of Audi USA’s North American International Auto Show interactive tour at the 2007 Detroit AIGA Design RE:View. Interface Design, Motion Design and Development by Formalplay.

2007 Organic, Inc and Formalplay awarded the Adobe Site of the Day for the Chrysler “Another Day” website.

2006 Campbell-Ewald and Formalplay created the online experience for the Chevy Tahoe / The Apprentice online promotion. As a result of the user experience provided by this website, it was featured in the New York Times, discussed on NPR’s All Things Considered, and featured as part of the cover story of Wired Magazine, Dec 2006.

2007 College for Creative Studies Interactive media consultant – Graphic Design Practicum course..

2004 – 2006 Organic, Inc : Bloomfield Hills, MI

Senior Experience Architect

Responsible for motion design and development of online experiences created for the main brand websites of Chrysler; Chrysler, Jeep & Dodge.

Highlights during the position

Received many local, national and international awards including multiple Caddies, 7 Webby Awards, 6 Web Marketing Association (WMA) Awards, 4 Adobe Site of the Day Awards, 2 Favorite Website Awards and 2 GLIMA Awards

2001 – 2004 Freelance and Contract Design

Partial Client List

Defrost Design – Royal Oak, MI 

Elevator – Windsor, ON 

AIGA Detroit Chapter – Detroit, MI

Pluto Post – Birmingham, MI

Detroit Public Television – Detroit, MI

Organic, Inc – Bloomfield Hills, MI

VectorForm – Detroit, MI

WDIV Channel 4 – Detroit, MI

     – Collaborative Typeface Creation with James Houff

CLEAR Magazine – Royal Oak, MI