Projects

The Dumke Arts Plaza represents the transformation of a blighted motel property into an innovative civic space that will bring the community together around art in Ogden’s dynamic Nine Rails Creative District. The plaza’s design, inspired by the region's dynamic landscape, has the flexibility to support many types of art and design, from large-scale installations to small performances, and includes an LED screen for displaying film and video art. An elevated platform known as the plinth provides more space for arts programming, as well as a new perspective on the plaza and its surroundings. The Dumke Arts Plaza is an engaging public space, with interactive play elements, unique lighting, benches, and water-wise landscaping. A major feature of the Dumke Arts Plaza is the Beacon, a new sculpture that extends over 25th Street, inviting visitors to explore the plaza.

The Matthew S. Browning Design Lab was a key partner on the planning, design, and development of the Dumke Arts Plaza. We continue to support ongoing programming and research at the plaza to ensure the space functions as a welcoming and inspiring space for Ogden residents and visitors.

Program Administrator Jake McIntire and Fellows Thi Nguyen, Isaac Vialpando, and Matthew Killebrew have worked in collaboration with several on and off campus partners to explore and strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Weber and Davis Counties. This project was initiated in 2021 when the Weber State University Economic Development Director and key local entrepreneurial stakeholders engaged Matthew S. Browning Design Lab to research the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem with an aim of uncovering key leverage points that could create a more robust, sustainable, and visible environment of entrepreneurship locally.

This project has worked through three primary phases and continues to be a key research initiative of our Lab. Throughout the phases, the research team has identified, explored, and prototyped solutions related to three areas of opportunity: strategic resources, communication channels, and visibility/culture.

Located within the Ethel Wattis Kimball Visual Arts Building, the Art, Computing, and Technology (ACT) Lab is dedicated to exploring innovation at the intersection of art and technology. They aim to cultivate an open lab environment of experimentation with cutting-edge digital fabrication and computing technology. The ACT Lab is a hub for students to implement new technologies in their creative practices, enhance course content, and make space for independent research.

The Matthew S. Browning Design Lab has supported the acquisition of key equipment housed within the ACT Lab, helping to ensure students and faculty have access to technology that can advance their creative practice and exploration.

This Was Water is a multimedia sculpture and sound installation that will debut on May 13, 2025, at the Dumke Arts Plaza. In 2023, Carey Campbell composed a requiem for the Great Salt Lake, This Was Water. It is a concert piece that imagines a “not-so-distant future in which we will look out over a dry lakebed and tell our children of the thriving habitat that once was, perhaps telling them, ‘This was water.’” Kellie connected with Carey in January 2024 and agreed to compose a video work to accompany the premiere performance. At the time, Kellie was also researching selenite crystals that emerge out of the Great Salt Lake beds. Influenced by Kellie’s research, Carey added elements to the work, incorporating the crystals, and they performed his composition on April 5, 2024, with four other musicians.

With support from the Weber State University Shaw Gallery and the Matthew S. Browning Design Lab, paid interns assisted in fabricating the sculptures. Each student took on specific leadership roles on the This Was Water project, allowing them to expand their skills and grow their professional experience. Max Richmond, a Geography major, modeled and mapped hundreds of facades for the crystals and directed their assembly. August Roth, a BFA Studio Art major, welded the internal structure of the piece. Xanthe Harris, also a BFA Studio Art major, led the research and development of materials and surfacing.  While much of the internships involved the labor of fabrication, we joined Great Salt Lake Institute researchers on a site visit to the Lake led by Dr. Bonnie Baxter. We learned firsthand about the unique conditions of the ecosystem that produce these crystals.

Run by Isaac Vialpando (Matthew S. Browning Design Lab Fellow and Ogden Civic Action Network Community Design Analyst), the Community Leaders Network is a transformative, paid internship program designed to equip residents of East Central Ogden with the skills, knowledge, and connections needed to become community leaders. Through hands-on training in civic engagement, community development, public advocacy, and design thinking, participants create and implement their community organizing projects, strengthening local assets and fostering lasting impact.

Interns engage in experiential learning, building social capital by connecting with neighbors, local organizations, and government entities. The program emphasizes asset-based community development (ABCD), ensuring that leadership emerges from within the community itself. Interns have launched initiatives like community art walks, literacy programs, composting efforts, and neighborhood revitalization projects, making tangible improvements in their neighborhoods. With the addition of a second-year leadership program and a Spanish-language cohort, the Community Leaders Network is growing its impact and ensuring that all residents have access to the tools they need to shape the future of their community.

Aslyum Song (2019) was a hands-on, intensive, professionalizing experience for theatre students.

Under the leadership of Jessica Greenberg, Professor of Theatre Design Weber State University, students had the unique opportunity to engage in an immersive, hands-on learning experience with support from the Matthew S. Browning Design Lab. This professionalizing initiative allowed students to travel to New York City to co-produce Asylum Song, a cutting-edge off-Broadway production. Each student played a vital role in the show, taking on assistant or leadership positions, gaining invaluable, high-impact experience in the fast-paced world of professional theatre. Beyond applying classroom knowledge, students forged critical industry connections, enhanced their resumes with a prestigious NYC credit, and honed their craft in a real-world setting — equipping them for future success in the competitive theatre industry.