CV
Jack Forinash™, Neighbor
Rural Office:
PO Box 29
New Cuyama, CA 93254
> Bio
> Attributes & Interests
> Superpowers
> Education
> Professional & Related Experience
> Built Projects of Record
> Articles, Reports, & Publications
> Presentations
> Recognition
Bio
As a rural dweller in his home community of the Cuyama Valley, California, Jack Forinash brings empathy and consideration to the practice of applied arts, architecture, community development, and good old-fashioned fun. He’s a cultural producer, community connector, builder, list-maker, spreadsheet artist, and amateur stargazer.
Attributes & Interests
ESFJ
Aquarian ○ Sag ☽ Virgo ↑
dinner conversations
list making
housing for all
astronomy
Superpowers
spreadsheets
on-site construction
sledding with friends
cooking, inc. for large groups
jukebox playlists of 90’s country music
letter writing
public speaking
data collection
boat provisioning
financial management
comprehensive emails
Professional & Related Experience
Executive Director (prev. Director of Finance & Creative Projects)
February 2018 - present
Blue Sky Center, New Cuyama, CA
Stargazer and Aspiring Astronomer
September 2016 - present
“The Stars Daily” - Nightly constellation identification at 47 degrees N, 88 degrees W (with Mary Welcome and Kelly Gregory)
“’Looking Up’ with Jack Forinash” - Stargazing performance with complementary 13-issue zine series
“Mary’s violet eyes makes Jack sit up nights pondering.” (informational postcard 15-part series of our neighbors in the sky)
“A Stellar Lookbook” - Zine for the Great Northern Festival
Founding Crew Member
June 2017 - 2021
Homeboat Collective
with Mary Welcome, Kelly Gregory, Corbin LaMont, and Zoe Minikes
Host
June 7-9, 2019
Beach Blanket Babylon (Green River, UT)
with Homeboat
Creative Design/Build Consultant
June 2018 - March 2019
Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership Creative Community Design Build:
- Yes! House (Granite Falls, MN)
- Polos Building (St. James, MN)
with Ashley Hanson, Mary Welcome, Kelly Gregory, Spence Kroll, Corbin LaMont, and Zoe Minikes
Program Designer
June - October 2018
Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership’s Healthy Housing Initiative, funded by ArtPlace
Part 2: Community Advocate Program Development
with Mary Welcome and Kelly Gregory
Cook
March 29-31, 2018
Space Space Space Conference (Cranbrook Academy for the Arts, Michigan)
with Zoe Minikes
Design/Builder and Workshop Host
March 2018
Westbrook Artists’ Site, Winterset, IA
with Mary Welcome, Corbin LaMont, and Spence Kroll
Desert Fellow
November - December 2017
Blue Sky Center, New Cuyama, CA
Selected Artist
March - September 2017
Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership’s Healthy Housing Initiative, funded by ArtPlace
with Mary Welcome and Kelly Gregory
Principal of Housing
2008-2017
Epicenter, Green River, UT
Founder, Principal of Housing, Financial Manager: manager of daily operations including grant acquisition and administration, staff and volunteer oversight, project management, strategic planning, case management, architectural design, construction management, partnership building
Selected Artist
September 2016
Rabbit Island Residency (Lake Superior, MI)
with Mary Welcome and Kelly Gregory
Delegate
2016
One of two delegates for the state Democratic convention (Green River, UT)
Selected Artist
November 2015
Central Utah Art Center’s residency (Birch Creek Ranch, UT)
with Mary Welcome
Visiting Instructor
July 2015
Remote Studio, Ennis, MT
with Lori Ryker
Board Member
2014-2017
Utah Housing Coalition
Rural Committee Co-chair
Program Manager
2009-2019
Habitat for Humanity of Castle Country, Price, UT
Board Member (2009-2014) / Program Manager [Employee] (2014-2017) / Technical Assistance Provider [Independent Contractor] (2017-2019): grant acquisition, financial management, project management, construction management, volunteer coordination
Resource Development Committee Chairman, Family Selection Committee Member
Director of Finance & Administration
2012-2015
Positive Action Community Team, Green River, UT
DFA: manage $300,000 in annual income/expenses and $700,000 in assets for community-based non-profit organization employing eleven staff members, report regularly to the Board and allied agencies, ensure organizational solvency
Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman
2011-2014
City of Green River Planning and Zoning Commission, Vice-chairman (2013), Chairman (2014)
Notable accomplishments:
- research and development of Green River’s first Housing Plan (rated by the State of Utah as a top 10 plan in the state ever rated)
- research, community survey, and completion of the 2014 General Plan update
- removal of affordable housing barriers including comprehensive revision to the city’s residential zoning code
Director
2012-2013
University of Utah’s DesignBuildBLUFF, Bluff, UT
Interim Director, Instructor
oversee staff and students, solicit funding, project management, vendor relations, design, and construction of houses on the Navajo Nation
Cook
June 2010
Project M (Greensboro, Ala.)
with Zoe Minikes
AmeriCorps VISTA
2008-2009
AmeriCorps Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA), Green River, UT
Year of service in a small, rural community in southeastern Utah; co-founded Epicenter as new affordable housing and economic development division of the non-profit organization PACT, attracted and retained fellow young professionals
Intern Architect
Summer 2007
Stacy Norman Architects, Auburn, AL
campus-wide building analysis
Intern Architect
Summer 2007
David Whatley Hinson Architect, Auburn, AL
scale model building
Built Projects of Record
2020 Church Street Social Clubhouse, Palouse, WA - Architectural Designer, On-site Builder, Project Manager
2017 Frontier House, Green River, UT - Principal-in-Charge
2015 Epicenter Sunscreen, Green River, UT - Principal-in-Charge
2015 Epicenter Workshop, Green River, UT - Principal-in-Charge
2013 Rabbit Ear House, Mexican Water, Navajo Nation - Director, Instructor
2012 Mendoza House, Green River, UT - Architectural Designer, Grant Writer/Administrator, Project Manager, Construction Supervisor, On-site Builder
2010 Epicenter Office, Green River, UT - Co-designer, Construction Supervisor, On-site Builder, Grant Writer and Administrator
2009 A House for Bear, Green River, UT - Assistant Designer, Client Manager, Facilitator
USDA 502 Home Loan-funded house built for low-income homeowner
2008 DESIGNhabitat 2.1 House, Greensboro, AL - Co-designer, Team Leader
Habitat for Humanity design/build home incorporating systems-built and site-built components. Also served as project manager, on-site supervisor, and financial manager
2006 DESIGNhabitat 2 House, Greensboro, AL - Co-designer, Team Member
Habitat design/build home incorporating context-driven design with systems-built and site-built components
2005 A House for Willie Bell, Masons Bend, AL - Co-designer, Team Member
Rural Studio design/build house
2004 Habitat for Humanity of Lee County, Auburn, AL - Construction Intern
Constructed two stick-built homes; on-site construction
Authored Articles & Reports
and other Publications
“Cookbook” (Magenta)
Jack Forinash, Tracker and Compiler; 2024
“Looking Up” and “A Stellar Lookbook”
Jack Forinash, Creator, Illustrator, Printer; December 2023
for the Great Northern Festival
“Cookbook” (Periwinkle)
Jack Forinash, Tracker and Compiler; 2023
“Rules of Thumb” (zine)
Jack Forinash, Creator, Illustrator, Printer; August 2022
Cuyama Valley Event Feasibility Study
Jack Forinash, Lead Author; 2022
with Blue Sky Center and Quail Springs
Cuyama Valley Farmworker Housing Report
Jack Forinash, Lead Author; 2022
with Blue Sky Center and Rural Community Assistance Corporation
“Cookbook” (Yellow)
Jack Forinash, Tracker and Compiler; 2022
“___k___k Lookback Lookbook Cookbook” (Blue)
Jack Forinash, Tracker and Compiler; 2021
“Mary’s violet eyes makes Jack sit up nights pondering.” (15-part postcard series on the topic of our neighbors in the sky)
Jack Forinash, Researcher, Designer, Publisher; October 2020
“’Looking Up’ with Jack Forinash” - monthly guides to the night sky; 2020/21
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December, and special Moon edition
“The YES! House: Rural advocacy and the power of creative people” - Young Architects Forum quarterly journal (Connection, Vol. 18, Issue 02: “Citizen Architect”); 2020
with Homeboat and the Department of Public Transformation
“Artists Help a Housing Organization Adapt to Demographic Change” - Shelterforce Magazine, May 6, 2020 Issue
with Homeboat
“CAUTION” (zine, limited run of 31)
Jack Forinash, Creator, Printer; April 2020
“Baguette Cookbook” (zine, limited run of 27)
Jack Forinash, Co-creator, Printer; March 2020
with Heather Kai Smith
Cuyama Valley Community Action Plan
Jack Forinash, Lead Author; 2020
with Blue Sky Center, Rural Community Assistance Corporation, California Coalition for Rural Housing, and Joal Stein
“Cookbook” (Orange)
Jack Forinash, Tracker and Compiler; 2020
Yes! House Research Report (Phase 2)
Jack Forinash, Co-author; 2019
with Mary Welcome, Kelly Gregory, Corbin LaMont, Zoe Minikes, and Spence Kroll (Homeboat), SW MN Housing Partnership, and the Department of Public Transformation
“Cookbook” (Purple)
Jack Forinash, Tracker and Compiler; 2019
Yes! House Research Report (Phase 1)
Jack Forinash, Co-author; 2018
with Mary Welcome, Kelly Gregory, Corbin LaMont, Zoe Minikes, and Spence Kroll (Homeboat), SW MN Housing Partnership, and the Department of Public Transformation
Community Advocate Pilot Program Road Map
Jack Forinash, Co-author; 2018
with Mary Welcome and Kelly Gregory (Homeboat), SW MN Housing Partnership, and the City of St. James (MN)
Piney Wood Atlas Volume II
Jack Forinash, Contributor; 2018
New Cuyama Home Value Report
Jack Forinash, Director of Creative Projects; 2018
with Blue Sky Center
Healthy Housing Handbook
Jack Forinash, Co-author; 2018
with Mary Welcome and Kelly Gregory (Homeboat), SW MN Housing Partnership, and the City of St. James (MN)
New Cuyama Housing Assessment
Jack Forinash, Consultant; 2017
with Blue Sky Center
Interview with Philip Jankoski, Executive Director of Blue Sky Center Transcript
“Rural Voices” - Rural Community Assistance Corporation’s 2016 Annual Report
Interview of Jack Forinash regarding Epicenter
“Housing security and affordability” - blog post for Epicenter
By Jack Forinash; 2016
Rural Coalition Report, in support of the Enterprise Zone tax credit
By Jack Forinash; 2016
Green River Vernacular Housing Study
Jack Forinash, Principal-in-Charge; 2016
Green River Mobile Home Survey Report
Jack Forinash, Principal-in-Charge; 2016
Case Study: Epicenter - Recruiting and Retaining Young Professionals
By Jack Forinash with Epicenter; 2015
“My rural is not your rural.” - blog post for Epicenter on the non-homogenous nature of Rural America
By Jack Forinash; 2015
City of Green River Housing Plan
Jack Forinash, Planning & Zoning Commission Member, featuring research by Jack Forinash with Epicenter; 2013
Green River Town Assessment
Featuring graphics and research by Jack Forinash with Epicenter; 2013
Designed for Habitat: Collaborations with Habitat for Humanity
D. Hinson and J. Miller; Routledge; 2013
Featuring DESIGNhabitat 2 and DESIGNhabitat 2.1 houses
CRIT69: Architects Without Architecture - “An Account of the Epicenter” (p. 18-21)
Journal of the American Institute of Architecture Students; 2010 Featured article on the impetus for (and original manifesto of) Epicenter and it as an alternative model of professional practice
Rural Studio at Twenty
Andrew Freear, Elena Barthel, Andrea Oppenheimer Dean, Timothy Hursley; Princeton Architectural Press; 2014
Willie Bell’s House project profiled
USDA Capital Markets and Community Building report, “RBEG Grant Funds Business Service Center”; 2011
profile of Epicenter Office project
“Hand Made: Portraits of Emergent New Community Culture”; Editor: Tessy Britton, UK; 2010
Epicenter featured
Collaborative Writing Project™
with Young Professionals LLC; 2009
© 1972
CRIT 65: “Greenwash”
editorial on the use of green technologies in new urbanism communities
“AIA’s 2007 Honor Awards”
Architectural Record, July 2007 Issue
DESIGNhabitat 2 house featured
“Keeping the Spirit Alive”
Architectural Record, March 2006 Issue
Willie Bell’s House project featured
Presentations
September 2023
“Creative Approaches to Measuring and Sharing Impact“
Presentation for the Rural Placemaking Community of Practice with Springboard for the Arts
October 2022
“Blue Sky Center”
Presentation on Blue Sky’s creative projects for the Creative Economy Working Group
at the California Economic Summit (CA FWD)
August 2021
“Main Street Upper Floor Housing”
Presentation on Homeboat’s creative community engagement projects
with the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission (Kansas Department of Commerce)
November 2020
“From the Field: Imagining the future of artists as economic developers”
Interviewee for Episode 1
with Springboard for the Arts and Em Johnson (Blue Sky Center)
“Data is sovereignty.”
Lecturer for DES 470: Design Thesis I at Portland State University School of Art+Design
October 2020
“Jack Forinash”
Lecturer for ART 100 at the University of Idaho College of Art and Architecture
“We are MAJIK: Artists as Researchers”
Lecturer for DES 470: Design Thesis I at Portland State University School of Art+Design
with Mary Welcome and Kelly Gregory
October 2019
“The After Hours Hours (or, why my bar tab is a reimbursable expense)” - Rural Arts & Culture Summit (Grand Rapids, MN)
with the Homeboat crew
September 2019
“Blue Sky Center” - Enterprise Community Partners Grantee Convening (Boston, MA)
April 2019
“Breaking Down Biases Affecting Rural California” - Housing California’s 40th Annual Conference (Sacramento, CA)
with Rural Community Assistance Corporation, California Coalition for Rural Housing, California Housing Partnership, California Rural Legal Assistance, and Enterprise Community Partners
Led a panel of rural experts on the effects of urban-normativity on rural places and case studies of redefining rural
March 2019
“Night School: The Sun Room” - Blue Sky Center (New Cuyama, CA)
A round of presentations from each person on self-selected interests and histories
November 2018
“Night School: Runway L88”
for the 2nd Annual 29th Birthday and Cuyama Campout (New Cuyama, CA)
Intro to Scorpio season astrology, constellation identifications and orientations for Polaris, Cassiopeia, the Swan, and the Dolphin
October 2018
Conversation with Environmental Design Students and College-wide Lecture - Auburn University, College of Architecture, Design, & Construction (Auburn, AL)
Q&A session with students and lecture on professional practice of a decade of rural development work
June 2018
“Night School: Runway L88” - Blue Sky Center (New Cuyama, CA)
for the The Long Weekend
Constellation identifications and orientations for Polaris, the Great Bear, Cassiopeia, the Swan, and the Dolphin
March 2018
“Homeboat” - (d) Symposium at the College of Design, Iowa State University (Ames, IA)
with Corbin LaMont and Mary Welcome
November 2017
“Night School: The Design Room” - Blue Sky Center (New Cuyama, CA)
with Ryan Flanagan, Philip Jankoski, Corbin LaMont, Matthew Simeone, Joal Stein, and Julia Warner
Two rounds+ of presentations from each person on self-selected interests and histories
“Night School: Runway L88” - Blue Sky Center (New Cuyama, CA)
with Philip Jankoski, Corbin LaMont, and Joal Stein
Constellation identifications and orientations for Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Seven Sisters, and the Swan
“Food - Water - Shelter” - Common Field Convening (Los Angeles, CA)
with Homeboat crew members Kelly Gregory and Spence Kroll
Presentation on the importance of an affordable and available housing focus within public interest design/civic art practices
August 2017
“Night School (During the Day on an Air Mattress in a Living Room)” - Lorane Beach Club (Lorane, OR)
with Corbin LaMont, Nicole Lavelle, Sara Leimbach, Joal Stein, and Adrien Young
Presentations from each person on current work and interests
July 2017
“We are MAJIK” - Outpost (Winona, MN)
with Mary Welcome and Kelly Gregory
Presentation on recent collaborative work in rural places
June 2017
“Reflections on Engaging Arts & Culture in Housing” - Rural Arts & Culture Summit (Morris, MN)
Session with Jose Galarza of DesignBuildBLUFF and Chelsea Alger of Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership
May 2017
“Refining the Role of the Architect (or, Designer, more broadly): A Case Study in Alternative Professional Practice“ - to visiting Iowa State University students (Green River, UT)
“I’m not alone in this work. We’re not alone in these communities.” - Rural Summit, Blue Sky Center (New Cuyama, CA)
“Case Study in Economic Diversification: Epicenter“ - Northern Arizona Economic Outlook Conference (Page, AZ)
April 2017
“Case Study in Economic Diversification: Epicenter“ - National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) (Denver, CO) Strengthening Economies in the West: A Regional Forum for Coal-reliant Communities
March 2017
“Refining the Role of the Architect: A Case Study in Alternative Professional Practice” - LIKEWISE (Portland, OR)
“Being and Circumstance: practice conditioned/determined on the premise that people and place matter” - Portland State University Social Practice MFA Show & Tell (Portland, OR)
(video)
February 2017
“Refining the Role of the Architect: A Case Study in Alternative Professional Practice “ - University of Idaho College of Art & Architecture
October 2016
“The Frontier House” - Utah Housing Matters Annual Conference (Salt Lake City, UT)
“Epicenter” - University of Utah College of Architecture + Planning, Public Interest Design course (Salt Lake City, UT)
May 2016
“State of the Frontier Report” - Governor’s Office of Economic Development (Salt Lake City, UT)
with Utah Nonprofits Association, for “Nonprofit 101” training for state government officials
September 2015
“Case Study in Honest and Entrenched Community Engagement“ - Utah Nonprofits Association Annual Conference (West Valley, UT)
October 2015
“Check Your ID at the Door” - Utah Housing Matters Annual Conference (Park City, UT)
Discussion with housing and social services professionals under age 35 on the future of nonprofit housing advocacy and how to recruit and retain young professionals
Follow up report: Recruiting and Retaining Young Professionals
“Epicenter” - University of Utah College of Architecture + Planning, Public Interest Design course (Salt Lake City, UT)
October 2014
“Case Study and Presentation of Methodology: Green River Housing Assessment” - Utah Housing Matters Annual Conference (Park City, UT)
April 2014
“Epicenter” - Structures for Inclusion annual conference (New York City, NY)
with Charlotte XC Sullivan
Recognition
Individual Artist Fellow (Established Artist), California Arts Council (2023)
Selected Artist (with Mary Welcome and Kelly Gregory) for Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership’s Healthy Housing Initiative, funded by ArtPlace (2017)
Design Arts ‘15 Juror’s Prize for This is Green River and The Green River Magazine (Epicenter, 2015)
Emery County Business Chamber’s Nonprofit Business of the Year (Epicenter, 2015)
Governor’s Leadership in the Arts Award for a Local Arts Agency (Epicenter, 2015)
Feature on Epicenter in StudioAPLA (Auburn University School of Architecture’s semiannual magazine) (2015)
Epicenter’s “Fix It First” program named Project of the Year (Rural) by the Utah Housing Coalition (2014)
Curbed Young Guns Finalist (Community Builder) (2014)
Epicenter Featured in the Nonprofits Edition of the Utah Business Magazine (2014)
Nominated for Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year (Utah Region) (2014)
Luncha Kucha Presenter at Structures for Inclusion 14 (New York, NY) (Epicenter, 2014)
Panelist for the AIA Utah’s Young Architect’s Forum “NO ONE SITE” discussion (Salt Lake City, UT) (2014)
“Emerging Leader” as named by the Design Futures Council (2013)
Feature on Epicenter in High Country News, issue 44.19 (2012)
National AIAS Design Review Competition, first place overall: “Within the context of Hudson Farm...” (2007)
National AIAS FORUM Design Charette Competition, second place (2007)
AIAS Chapter President Award (Auburn, 2007)
Auburn University Center for Urban Studies, Rome, Italy - Studio X Foreign Studies Program (2007)
AIA National Housing Design Award for DESIGNhabitat 2 House (2007)
Collaborative Practice Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture for DESIGNhabitat 2 House (2006)
Alabama Council of the AIA Honor Award for DESIGNhabitat 2 House (2006)
Collaborative Practice Award from the ACSA for “A House for Willie Bell” project (2004)
AIA Education Honor Award for “Drawing Machine” - Prof. Rusty Smith’s Foundation Studio
Education
2014 SEED Certification, Public Interest Design Institute (Design Corps)
2008 Bachelor of Architecture, Auburn University, Auburn, AL
with honors
2007 Center for Urban Studies, Auburn University, Rome, Italy
Studio X Foreign Studies Program
2006 Trenholm State Technical College, Montgomery, AL
industrial welding program
2004 Rural Studio, Auburn University School of Architecture
Willie Bell’s House
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