Heliocentric

Hello, my name is Megan Morgan, and I'm thrilled to share my sculpture Heliocentric, which is featured in the 2025 Art of the State exhibition at the Arvada Center for the Arts.

Many of my ideas for artworks, including Heliocentric, come to me during long walks or runs. These moments allow me to step away from the confines of my desk, free my mind, and simply feel. There’s something transformative about being immersed in the complexity of natural fields and open, airy environments. They help me shift my perspective away from the noise of social media and technology, offering a lens that feels grounded and expansive.

Heliocentric is a mixed-media sculpture made from repurposed paint, a vehicle suspension coil, and burlap. The sculpture’s name was derived from the heliocentric model which, like climate change today, faces skepticism. I created this artwork as an invitation to feel, to see, and to explore your own thoughts about transformation and our shared environment.

At the core of my practice is the belief in giving new life to discarded materials. By repurposing burlap and leftover latex paint, I aim to reduce waste and highlight the beauty of transformation. Every drop of paint I save from ending up in a landfill contributes, however small, to a healthier planet. In Heliocentric, burlap’s coarse, resilient texture becomes both a literal and metaphorical foundation. It symbolizes struggle, adaptability, and the potential for renewal.

As a multidisciplinary artist, I blend printmaking, drawing, and sculpture, often using techniques that emphasize movement, introspection, and experience. My process with burlap involves deconstruction and reconstruction—cutting, shaping, and layering fibers to bring out their expressive potential. Similarly, the vehicle suspension coil in Heliocentric acts as structural and thematic element, representing the tension and interconnectedness in our relationship with the planet.

Through Heliocentric, I hope viewers will experience their own emotions, insights, and reflections. This piece isn’t about my perspective alone; it’s a space for your thoughts, your feelings, and your imagination. Thank you for taking the time to engage with my work and for being part of this vital conversation about art and our world.