Fly By Night Team
Kristen Becker, Architect
Kristen Becker is an associate architect with Olson Kundig Architects. Becker worked on past Creative Time on projects with Paul Ramirez Jonas, Pae White and Stephen Vitiello. For Fly By Night, Becker worked closely with Duke Riley to design the custom-built coops.
Samantha Citrin, Assistant Loft Manager
Detroit Born, Montana and Brooklyn bred, Samantha Citrin is a freelance tradesperson currently in awe of how the sky smells on pigeon wings. Likes bubble baths, monster truck shows, and live bait.
Preston Jahn, Loft Manager
Joining the project from Charlotte NC, Preston’s heritage with pigeons goes back to his great grandfather and great uncle, who raised racing pigeons in Buffalo, NY. Preston helps keep the birds healthy and ready to fly.
Maddy Joyce, Pigeon Keeper
Maddy started working with pigeons in 2012 during Duke Riley’s Trading with the Enemy project. Maddy is plotting a feminine infiltration of the Brooklyn pigeon scene.
Tianna Kennedy, Loft Manager
Tianna is new to pigeon-wrangling, but she’s been wrangling artists and other animals in various capacities for many years. Currently, she co-owns Star Route Farm and The 607 CSA in the Catskills. Come visit!
Mikey Rollers, Pigeon Handler
Mikey, a member of the Brooklyn Pigeon Crew, has been keeping pigeons in Sunset Park since he was eight years old. He has kept all types of pigeons, but his passion and current stock consists of Rollers; pigeons that do rolls and flips in the sky.
Kitty-Joe Sainte-Marie, Studio Manager
Kitty-Joe Sainte-Marie keeps everything and everyone under control for Duke Riley’s studio as well as his tattoo parlor. Hailing from the cow pastures and redwood forests of Northern California’s Sonoma County and abducted two decades ago by New York City, she currently works and lives in Brooklyn. A second-generation pigeon fancier, both of her parents grew up raising pigeons.
Eduardo Sanabria, Coop Assistant
Eduardo Sanabria joined the team to support the pigeon’s health and maintain their environment. He has raised pigeons his entire life. Having lived between Puerto Rico and Brooklyn, he plans to one day return to Toabaja, PR and build a massive aviary, where he can raise and care for a large flock of pigeons.
Aaron Suggs, Lead Fabricator
Aaron Suggs is the lead fabricator behind construction and installation for Fly By Night. He is an experienced project manager, fabricator and sculptor based in Brooklyn who has worked on installations across New York City, including past Creative Time projects Drifting in Daylight and Kara Walker’s A Subtley…
Alexandra Wilson, DVM
Dr. Wilson has over 10 years of experience working exclusively with wildlife and exotic pets. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience from Oberlin College and her veterinary degree from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. Currently at the Center for Avian and Exotic Medicine, Dr. Wilson has established expertise in the medical and surgical care of birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and small mammals.
We are also grateful for assistance from:
Olson Kundig
Duke Riley’s pigeon lofts were designed in collaboration with Kristen Becker, an associate architect at Olson Kundig. Based in Seattle, the design practice is founded on the ideas that buildings can serve as a bridge between nature, culture and people, and that inspiring surroundings have a positive effect on people’s lives.
The Baylander
The Fly By Night pigeon lofts were built atop The Baylander IX-514, a Vietnam-era US Naval vessel, which was used as a helicopter landing trainer for the Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard and National Guard. Baylander IX-514, now owned by the Trenk Family Foundation, is captained by Scott Koen.
10xBETA
The special LED avian legbands were designed and sourced by Marcel Botha and his team at 10xBeta, an product innovation firm based in New Lab, the interdisciplinary design and technology center at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Site Staff
Charlie Crowell, Chelsea Harrison.
Fabrication Crew:
Aaron Suggs, Andrew Barrett, Devin Becker, Cullen Camic, Micah Chartrand, Daniel Colby, Hayden Cummings, Art Domantay, Robin Frohardt, George Graham, Greg Henderson, Brett Land, Julian Osti, Dan Quinn, James Vecchione, and Jaime Villaneda.
Supporters and Consultants
Marc Agger, David Belt, Joe Buddha, Blinkinlabs, Ranjit Bhatnagar, Judith Church, Andrew Franze and the United Pigeon Association, Frank Galeano, Bob Henry, Jose Ingles, Jim Jenner, Jason Krugman, David Lombino, Heather Lord, Dave Malone, Owen McGarry, Rita McMahon and Wild Bird Fund, Vida Mulec, Protolabs, Nick Schneider, Steeldeck, and Chris Szwaba.
Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation
David Ehrenberg, Aileen Chumard, John Coburn, Elliot Matz, Marie Naschin, Clare Newman, and Suki Paciorek.
Brooklyn Navy Yard Tenants
Agger Fish, BLDG 92, Duggal, GMD Shipyard, Harley Marine, and Kings County Distillery.
Coop Recordings
Stephen Vitiello and Michael Raphael.
A special thank you to our Exhibition Volunteers and Pigeon Flight Attendants.
(Photos: Will Star/Shooting Stars Pro, RJ Rushmore, and Sara Fox)
