Artist Spotlight with Craig Colorusso
For Liminal Spaces, Craig Colorusso transforms MIXD Gallery into an environment of sound, light, and shadow—inviting visitors to slow down, listen, and experience the subtle rhythms that often go unnoticed. Best known for his immersive installations Sun Boxes and CUBEMUSIC, Colorusso’s practice blends sculpture, music, and the natural world to create works that are felt as much as they are seen.
Ahead of the exhibition, we sat down with Craig to discuss growing up in Connecticut, the influence of punk rock, finding beauty in industrial remnants, and why creating spaces for reflection matters more than ever.
Tell us a little about where you grew up.
CRAIG COLORUSSO: I grew up in the suburbs of Connecticut, and we listened to all the heavy hitters—Black Sabbath, Van Halen, bands like that. But I think the biggest lessons I learned came from punk rock. It taught me that you can conduct yourself honestly, make good work, and stay true to who you are.
What is Sun Boxes?
CC: Sun Boxes is an installation of twenty speakers, each powered entirely by its own solar panel. Inside every box is a printed circuit board with a sampler, and each recording is a different length. As they continuously repeat, the compositions align in new ways over time. By my calculations, it would take about 3.12 months before the entire piece returns to its original arrangement.
I think of Sun Boxes as a place where people can simply come and be who they are. You don’t have to understand it right away. Just spend some time with it and let the music take you wherever it goes.
Where does your inspiration come from?
CC: There was a Porsche factory that made cell phone holders. They would cut all the parts from large aluminum sheets, and what remained was called the skeleton.
I remember watching sunlight pour through those leftover forms and seeing the incredible shadows they cast. I thought they were some of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen. Even the grind marks on the metal had a rhythm to them. I could stare at those pieces and almost hear the music inside.
What role do you hope your work plays in people’s lives?
CC: I think adulthood can be a lonely place. Nobody really tells you that when you’re young.
I meet people all the time who are searching for something they can’t quite name. I don’t think art necessarily solves that, but maybe it can offer a moment of peace. Maybe it can make you feel okay for a little while. Sometimes that’s enough.
Paul Cézanne
Light creates depth; shadows define it.
Has creating this work changed you?
CC: It reminds me that you don’t always get what you want when you want it.
This work has taught me patience. At the end of the day, all I can do is show up. The sun is either going to shine, or it isn’t.
What is your ultimate goal as an artist?
CC: My goal is to leave this place a little better than I found it.
One way I can do that is by making beautiful objects and creating experiences where people can slow down, breathe, and reconnect—with themselves, with each other, and with the world around them.
Liminal Spaces is on view at MIXD Gallery from July 9 – August 6, 2026. Featuring Sun Boxes, CUBEMUSIC, and a new body of shadow-and-light works, the exhibition invites visitors to experience the quiet intersections between sound, light, time, and place. Throughout the exhibition, Sun Boxes will also activate Uptown Pinnacle every Saturday with free community programs, performances, and workshops. See a full list of the exhibition’s programming here.