COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH
CNC Wax Printer
An ongoing research project geared towards mechanically adapting a CNC router to carry a heated syringe extruding hot wax. This project involves adapting existing parts, repurposing and transforming a 3D printer’s extruder head, and creating a mechanical valve to be compatible with RhinoCAM tool paths.
Collaborators: Alan Grover
April 2025 - Present
Coral Defense Project - Bailey Dome
The Coral Defense Project is an initiative led by Dr. Elizabeth North and funded by the Bailey Wildlife Foundation, with collaborating partners at Horn Point and University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) sister labs in Baltimore and Solomons and Salisbury University and the Maryland Institute College of Art.
The Bailey Dome is the first prototype of its kind, developed to increase coral populations using parametric design informed by various collected data streams reflecting environmental conditions. Rusk played an integral part in the fabrication of the mold and final casting of the prototype, working directly with the Principal Investigator to see the project through to completion. Ultimately, the final iteration of this project aims to be fabricated using biocement derived from carbon sequestoring practices.
Collaborators directly involved in Fabrication: Ryan Hoover(PI), Nadia Nazar, Liam Davis, Allen Grover, Kate Boyer, Finn Yencken
The initial mold and prototype were finished 2 - 17 - 2024.
Indigo Pigment Extraction - Blue Light Junction
Over the course of three years, Rusk managed the cultivation, fermentation, pigment extraction, and collection processes for Persicaria tinctoria and Polygonum tinctorium at Blue Light Junction. This work was made possible under the guidance of Rosa Sung Ji Chang, Director of Indigo Shade Map, and Kenya Miles, Director of Blue Light Junction.
From 2020 to 2021, Rusk apprenticed under Chang, who has studied traditional and regionally specific indigo methods extensively in Korea and Japan. This collaboration provided the foundation for Rusk to continue this research independently. During this period, Rusk explored global traditions and engaged with knowledge bearers of craft and natural dye practices, focusing on the cultivation, processing, and preservation of indigo across its many histories, traditions, and innovations.
In 2021 and 2022, Rusk processed pigment from eight urban farms across Baltimore, completing 32 harvests during the summer months with the support of volunteers and interns. Rusk compiled data and conducted background research on both wet and dry pigment extraction methods, later traveling to Bali with studio members to study under Indigo Master Aboubakar Fofana. There, Rusk learned dyeing, fermentation, and vat production techniques rooted in Malian traditions. This trip also provided the opportunity to study Balinese indican extraction methods from Asam indigo (Strobilanthes cusia) and to participate in the construction and use of tamarind-based indigo vats. These experiences deepened Rusk’s understanding of vat chemistry and use, while contributing to the refinement of the studio’s pigment extraction methods.
Collaborators: Rosa Sung Ji Chang, Blue Light Junction, Threads of Life
May 2020 - February 2023
Nature’s Colors - Blue Light Junction
Through collaboration with the Studio Director of Blue Light Junction, Kenya Miles, Rusk created guides to train Baltimore-based urban farmers of color how to successfully grow, cultivate, and harvest natural dye crops with the goal of creating a “raw material to consumer” supply chain for natural dyes. Rusk collected, weighed, recorded, processed, and dried harvests from 7 different urban farms throughout Baltimore city, amassing over 400 pounds of harvested material. Rusk collected, weighed, recorded, and processed seeds from all 7 farms, overseeing interns and volunteers throughout.
2020 - 2023
Collaborators: Kenya Miles, Blue Light Junction, Innovation Works, Baltimore Urban Farms
Kerasynth
Kerasynth is a speculative synthetically grown biological material that could replace all keratin-based animal fibers. The goal of Kerasynth is to eliminate the direct use of animals in the textile industry, while still utilizing keratin based animal fibers. This is made possible through the implementation of tissue engineering to grow Hair Follicle Germ (HFG) cells on microfluidic devices designed to provide the cells with nutrients and remove waste, maintaining the integrity of the fiber without the animal’s direct involvement. Made through collaboration with Erin Kirchner, Sydney Seih-Takata, Grace Kwon and Diana Eusebio.Baltimore, MD USA. May 2018. Presented at the MoMA July 2018, for the 2018 Biodesign Summit. Mentioned in Forbes, Smithsonian.com, Medium, along with other publications.
http://biodesignchallenge.org/mica-2018