STORY: Turning Together: a New Art Installation by Junior Maya McKone-Sweet

March 23, 2025

“I am a mechanical engineer and an artist.”

Maya McKone-Sweet ’26 leaned on her dual passions for art and engineering this year as she brought to life an art installation to add joy and color to the Olin community.

Recent visitors to the Shop have caught glimpses of Maya and a collection of giant handmade wooden gears. Stored on the first floor of the Miller Academic Center, the gears have drawn curiosity and speculation over the past couple of months. Now, the community has an answer, in the form of a large-scale art installation for the Dining Hall.

Last spring, Maya was inspired to create this art installation after a conversation with a friend who urged her to think of ways to add joy and color to campus in the two years remaining of her undergraduate career.

Now, after almost a year of planning, coordinating with community members, and creating, Maya is ready to unveil her art to the community. The installation will be hung by Olin’s facilities team and ready to welcome students back to campus after spring break.

According to Maya’s artist statement, “In mechanical systems, gears are highly specified and designed for maximum efficiency. They take on a homogeneous and purely functional task. As a mechanical engineer and an artist, I challenge this idea… Every day, hundreds of our community members gather here in the dining hall to sit, eat, and connect. Yet, despite this, many of us feel alone and invisible. Everyone who walks into this space deserves to feel seen and appreciated, as an integral part of Olin. Only when we all feel worthy and valued in our community can we truly power our collective gear train.”

Maya received funding from CORe after getting approval from Facilities and Student Life to move forward with the project. She sought help with her artist’s statement from Helen Donis-Keller, Michael E. Moody Professor and professor of biology and art, and from the Shop staff, including Dyllan Nguyen, fabrication specialist and instructor.

“Maya put a great deal of thought and passion into this piece,” said Chris Hayden, director of campus operations. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with her and be part of the process of bringing it to life for both Maya and the Olin community to enjoy. I hope that Maya's art installation will inspire the Olin community to create more artwork and sculptures, contributing to the beautification and enhancement of the campus and the student experience.”

“Getting to work on projects like this with students like Maya is why I work at Olin,” said Nguyen. “Maya’s determination and care for the work she engages in are remarkable. I’ve seen her apply these qualities to class projects and assignments, her duties as a shop assistant, and now to this installation. While Oliners possess many qualities, I feel that these are some of the most valuable to the campus community and to the work they’ll go out into the world to do.”

Maya is looking forward to seeing her months of hard work finally come to fruition. “I did this with my hands and my head,” she said.

The process of creating a large-scale artwork for the first time did not come without challenges, but Maya emphasized the role her community played in this project—over 10 fellow students lent a hand. “One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned at Olin is, don’t be afraid to ask for help,” said Maya. “I was asking for help at every single step of this project. It was impossible for me to do alone. Olin, from the start, told me to ask for help and not be ashamed."

At the end of the day, “I didn’t want to do this for course credit,” said Maya. “This is art. This is how I take care of myself—making something for my community and also for myself."