James Carpenter brings over 40 years of experience and a rare synthesis of skills to the intersection of art, engineering, and the built environment. Born in Washington D.C. and raised in New England, Carpenter graduated with a degree from Rhode Island School of Design in 1972. He was also a Loeb Fellow at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. He planned to study architecture at RISD but discovered the sculpture studio and the work of glass artist Dale Chihuly, then a teacher there. Chihuly and Carpenter collaborated on a series of neon-light sculptures, and Carpenter also went on to teach at RISD. Carpenter continued making light-based installations while also serving as a consultant at Corning Glass, where he developed new glass materials including photo-responsive glasses and glass ceramics for architectural applications. Carpenter’s art installations drew the attention of architect Edward Larrabee Barnes, who later commissioned him to create a foundational work for the Christian Theological Seminary chapel. In 1979, Carpenter established James Carpenter Design Associates (JCDA), as cross-disciplinary firm working on large-scale art, architecture, and engineering projects.

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