The Process

Artist / Project Statement:
Carnival Corn is a conceptual food-stand for the Minnesota State Fair that treats signage as architecture and architecture as joy. The form pairs a cylindrical “cob” with a striped, tent-like spire so the whole kiosk reads as an object you can spot from across the midway—a little tower of corn, celebration, and heat.

The yellow kernel pattern wraps a drum-shaped body (branding you can read at walking speed), while a corn-shaped blade sign calls to you laterally at eye level. Slender vertical posts act like stalks, lifting an open ring for ordering and pickup; this keeps sightlines clear, shortens queues, and allows 360° service on crowded fair days. The conical canopy shades guests and doubles as a thermal chimney for grills or fryers beneath—hot air rises through the apex while the perimeter stays breezy. At night, the “kernels” become a marquee: edge-lit dots could glow like buttered corn, turning the kiosk into a beacon.

Built from cardboard, chipboard, dowels, tape, and marker, the model explores a kit-of-parts that can flat-pack, bolt together quickly, and be re-skinned each season. The playful graphic language is intentional: it collapses brand, wayfinding, and shelter into one legible figure, echoing the vernacular of fairgrounds where buildings are characters in the street.

Designing Carnival Corn helped me test how a small structure can choreograph movement, comfort, and memory—how a simple pavilion becomes a place when it speaks the same language as the food it serves.

Supporting Media: Detail photos or close-ups. Process shots, sketches, or 3D renderings, Video, Site plan / floor plans / sections. Elevations and diagrams.

Exhibition / Competition: (Gallery, Show, Dates)

Awards / Recognition:

Team Recognition: