Airigami Update: Where We’ve Been, What We’re Doing, and What’s Going on in the Studio
It’s been over a year since I last sent an Airigami update. We haven’t disappeared; we’ve just been busy in ways you might not expect. So if you’ve been wondering what’s happening behind the scenes, here’s the scoop.
TL;DR:
Airigami is still here and still making magic. We’ve narrowed our focus (to explore new avenues). Kelly is running for local office. I’m managing a growing nonprofit for teaching artists while digging through decades of stories. And we’re cleaning out the studio to make room for what’s next.
If you want the longer version, read on.
What Have We Been Doing?
Let’s start with the obvious question: what’s been keeping us from sharing updates?
The short answer is life. The longer answer is community, advocacy, art, and—well, a lot of boxes.
Many of you have followed our adventures for years, from epic balloon builds around the world to local installations in schools, libraries, museums, and shopping centers. During the pandemic, like many artists, we pivoted. We did lawn installations. We launched a podcast. We got more involved with local causes. Some of those new directions stuck.
The result is that we had to start saying “no” to a few things in order to say yes to others.
Don’t worry, Airigami isn’t going anywhere. But we realized we can’t do everything and we’re returning to the core of what we’ve always loved: meaningful, community-driven work.
Kelly: From Balloon Builds to the Ballot Box
If you’ve followed us for a while, you know Kelly has always been deeply invested in community building and “using her powers for good.” That passion grew during the early days of the pandemic when she helped organize mutual aid efforts, supported community campaigns, and spoke up for the things that matter. Now she is running for Rochester City Council.
Yes, seriously. She’s on the ballot this year. The Democratic primary is June 24, and you can learn more and support her campaign at voteforkelly.com, and follow her on instagram @kellycheatle. (If you live in Rochester, we hope you’ll check it out and vote!)
One upcoming event that sprang from Kelly’s community work that may interest you (even those of you that aren’t local to us since it’s on Zoom) is An Evening with Tom Tresser: Why Creatives and Caregivers Belong in Government on Monday, June 2, 7 – 8pm EDT.
Larry: Teaching Artists ROC and Rediscovering Stories
On my end, I’ve been focusing more on Teaching Artists ROC, a nonprofit I helped launch just before COVID. We connect schools with teaching artists who bring curriculum-aligned, creative programming into classrooms. That means music, dance, visual art, storytelling, and more. Essentially, we help schools bring experiences that make learning come alive.
A huge Airigami sculpture of a samurai and demon. One of Airigami's first large scale installations.
I’ve also been revisiting stories from years of Airigami adventures. Encouraged by many of you, I started collecting, editing, and expanding those stories on a new personal blog: LarryCMoss.com. What began as an archive has become a mix of memoir, storytelling experiments, and whatever falls out of my brain each week.
Here are a couple of balloon-based stories to get you started:
Then take a look through the other stories. I’d love to hear what you think.
What’s Airigami Doing Now?
While we’ve scaled back on the number of events we take on personally, Airigami is still very much alive.
Nicole and Riley have been keeping the studio humming—handling balloon deliveries, decor installs, and keeping our gear in shape. Kelly and I focus on the projects that feel most like Airigami:
Team-building experiences
Installations at Maker Faires and creative festivals
Large-scale public art that invites participation
These are the kinds of projects that inspired us to start Airigami—where we can dream big and invite the community to build with us.
If you want to book something truly out of the ordinary, you know where to find us.
The Studio Clean-Out: Clearing Space for What’s Next
Over the years, we’ve collected quite a lot. Some of it has been sitting quietly in corners of the studio, waiting to be rediscovered. We decided it’s time to clear the decks.
Here’s the deal:
In order to reduce inventory and make space, we’re offering deep discounts on select items in our online store through the end of the month—or until supplies run out.
In addition to what you’ll see in the store, we have signed limited edition prints (the same artwork in our open edition) that are framed. We only have one of each of those and they’re all different so I haven’t taken the time to get them onto the site. If you’re interested in those, let us know.
More to read
Thanks for sticking with us through all the twists and turns. Whether you’re here for the balloon builds, the stories, the art, or just the general weirdness, we’re glad to have you in the Airigami family.
If you want to follow the more personal side of things, check out LarryCMoss.com. To see how art is transforming education in Rochester, visit TeachingArtistsROC.org. And if you want to help shape our community’s future, please Vote for Kelly.
More updates soon, or at least eventually.
—Larry