Runaway

Various Temporary Installation Locations | 2017

City of Santa Barbara County of Santa Barbara Temporary Installations

Two toddlers in matching blue dresses and red shoes touch a large pink wire sculpture as several adults, some holding papers, look on. Yellow wire structures are visible in the background at this Santa Barbara County event.

Colorful pyramid-shaped wire sculptures in blue, yellow, and pink stand in a garden with shrubs and purple flowers at the Morro Bay Botanical Garden. Buildings and trees rise in the background, showcasing Santa Barbara County charm under a clear sky.

A sunny view of a plaza in Santa Barbara County with palm trees, colorful triangular tents, and a white building with a red tile roof. Railroad tracks run in the foreground, set against mountains and a clear blue sky.

Three large geometric sculptures made of colored metal grids—blue, yellow, and pink—stand on a concrete surface by a lake in Santa Barbara County, with mountains and clear skies in the background.

A group of people stands near colorful geometric metal sculptures arranged in a row by a body of water in Santa Barbara County, with mountains visible in the background under a clear sky.

Four dancers in traditional Mexican attire perform outside on a patterned walkway in Santa Barbara County, surrounded by palm trees. Two women wear colorful dresses, while two men wear black charro outfits and hats as onlookers watch in the background.

Four dancers in traditional Mexican attire perform outdoors on a tiled courtyard in Santa Barbara County, vibrant dresses and sombreros swirling energetically amid lush foliage and a striking blue geometric sculpture in the background.

Project Overview

Runaway is a striking, modular pavilion created by Greg Corso and Molly Hunker of the award-winning architecture and design collaborative SPORTS. Commissioned by and gifted to the community by the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (MCASB), Runaway explores the intersection of form, color, and place through contemporary design.

Constructed of three bold, geometric components that can be arranged in multiple configurations, Runaway reflects the vivid light, dynamic sky, and layered landscapes of Santa Barbara County. Its playful design invites curiosity, interaction, and community connection—encouraging visitors to experience their environment from new perspectives.

This temporary installation traveled extensively throughout Santa Barbara County as part of the Take Part | Make Art: Arte Para Todos public art initiative.

Now permanently installed at Blue Sky Center in Cuyama, Runaway continues to inspire through its bold design and dynamic presence. It stands as both a sculptural landmark and a gathering place—supporting local arts engagement in one of the County’s most rural regions.

This project was made possible through a collaboration between the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission, the Isla Vista Recreation & Park District, the Office of Arts & Culture, and MCASB, with special thanks to The Big Red Crane Company for their support in transporting the work throughout the region.

Santa Barbara County Installation Locations: Downtown Santa Barbara, Stearns Wharf, Pardall Gardens in Isla Vista, Buellton’s Avenue of Flags, Lake Cachuma, Elings Park, Storke Placita, Harding Elementary School, and Waller Park.

About the Artist(s)

SPORTS

SPORTS is the award-winning multidisciplinary architecture and design collaborative of Molly Hunker and Greg Corso, based in Syracuse, NY. Their work focuses on creating compelling spaces that are catalysts for social activities. They approach design in a playful way, by balancing rigor and research with amusement and curiosity, with the ambition to generate fresh and unexpected experiences of the built environment. Much of their work has been public interventions that leverage the possibility for simple, high-economy design gestures to have significant urban and community impacts.

SPORTS has been highlighted as a “Firm to Watch” by Architectural Record and as “Next Progressives” by Architect Magazine. SPORTS is the recipient of multiple “Best of Design” Awards from Architect’s Newspaper and a League Prize from the Architectural League of New York.

Greg Corso is a designer from California. Greg received both his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Architecture from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He has worked in art and architecture studios in the United States and Europe including Studio Gang, JDS Architects, and Cliff Garten Studio and has been a fellow at the MacDowell Colony. Greg has taught architecture and design at Woodbury University, The University of Illinois at Chicago, and is currently an Associate Professor at Syracuse University, School of Architecture.

Molly Hunker is a Wyoming-raised designer and educator. Molly received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College and her Master of Architecture degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She has worked for architecture studios and art workshops along the west coast including Doug Aitken Workshop, Talbot McLanahan Architecture, Weinstein A|U and The LADG. Molly has taught at UCLA, Woodbury University, The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) where she served as the inaugural 2013–2014 Douglas A. Garofalo Fellow, and is currently an Assistant Professor at Syracuse University, School of Architecture.

Website