Jace Laakso

Artist, Brainstormer, Environmentalist, Event planner, Foodie, Performer, Project manager, Writer/Editor

A.A. Radio/TV - Grahm Jr. College, 1968 BFA - University of Montana, 1982 Project Manager- IT, University of Montana, 2003- present Radio host, producer- Montana Public Radio, Missoula, MT 1997- 2003 Proprietor/manager- art house Crystal Theatre & Video, 1986 - 1997 News Director - Montana Public Radio, 1984-1986 Production Director - KEMC Public Radio, Billings MT 1983-1984 Organizor TEDxUMontana, Sept 2013 & Feb 2015 Organized annual TechFair at University of Montana, 2010- 2013 Front Porch Journal Gallery show, February 2015, University Center Gallery: A year long series of daily self portraits on my front porch using an iPhone and stylus. As an artist with a day job in IT, I am passionate about finding solutions using geeky technology and old school ideas. I create hollow spherical sculptures out of found metal such as copper, brass and steel. I write children’s literature about pirates and duck roundups. I occasionally host a children’s radio show on our NPR station. I love to cook and am re-learning Finnish so that I can speak and understand in complete sentences when next I go to my parents’ homeland. I have a BFA in visual arts. I have been a public radio news reporter, producer, writer, music host and actor. I was owner of the local “art house” movie theatre/video store for over 15 years. I am married to a wonderful, passionate woman who is my best friend and my best critic. I have one son and two rambunctious grandchildren who live too far away for my taste. My disability, which somewhat limits my mobility, has taught me to find other ways of doing things that for me would otherwise be difficult. For as long as I can remember I have manipulated shapes and forms in my mind and with my eyes until they are balanced and seem “right” visually. I garden organically each summer in my postage stamp sized back yard in Montana. Definitely looking forward to retirement in this coming year so that I can make art on a more full time basis.

Digital painting, art in natural locations using natural materials, creating art "flash-mobs" re-purposing obsolete technology, writing fiction and children's stories.

Sustainability. There is so much waste created every single day in packaging, manufacturing, food production, etc. We need to find creative uses for single use objects and items that have a programmed obsolescence. Computer monitors, hard drives, keyboards become useless after a short life.We need to rethink how these kinds of objects with short shelf lives are created so that they may be re-used and recycled. We throw away incredible amounts of materials because the items manufactured are not made to be repaired but are made to be replaced. This thinking needs to change. We are running out of resources and our planet, our home, is getting warmer faster than anyone ever predicted because of so much wasteful production using ever increasing amounts of fossil fuels.

Information Technology, Project Management

I'm good at solving puzzles. Crosswords, Sudoku, Cryptoquote. I love finding solutions to problems that may not be "inside the box"