Meet the Non-Profit: CymaSpace

Quinn Thomas is proud to partner with local non-profits as part of our community outreach program. We’re thrilled to introduce the Quinn Thomas community to CymaSpace, a non-profit arts and technology incubator based in Portland, Oregon.

Since its founding by Myles de Bastion, CymaSpace has been an advocate for accessibility in the performing arts. Its mission is focused on making cultural events more accessible and inclusive for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) through technology, education and outreach.

De Bastion felt called to create CymaSpace, because as a musician and visual interaction designer who also happens to be Deaf, he experienced firsthand the challenges of creating music. Progressive hearing loss had left him unable to hear notes or lyrics. Falling back on his technical training, de Bastion connected with the Portland maker community to create interactive light sculptures, enhancing the experience of music with visual representations of sound frequencies and dynamics.

As a member of the Deaf community, de Bastion became aware of barriers for DHH people who enjoyed performance art. Many budget-strapped arts and cultural organizations struggle to provide accessibility accommodations such as sign language interpreters. Therefore, de Bastion founded CymaSpace in 2013 with the mission to facilitate arts and cultural events that are inclusive of the DHH community.

CymaSpace develops art and performances that feature the synergy of sound, light and vibration through the use of Cymatic technology. Cymatic technology works to translate sound waves into experiences that can be seen and felt. Not only does this make art more inclusive, but each piece also becomes more engaging, interactive and exciting.

CymaSpace is run entirely by a community of volunteers, consisting of engineers, artists and partnering organizations. Each day, the company strives to develop custom technologies and interactive installations that bring together artists and communities of different backgrounds. Most recently, CymaSpace hosted the first annual Northwest Deaf Arts Festival. Some of its installations have been featured on the Jimmy Kimmel Live! Show, in the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) and the Portland Winter Light Festival.

Quinn Thomas helped CymaSpace create a communications plan to build awareness for their brand as a leader in accessible technology and entertainment. We are honored to help support their mission. You can learn more about CymaSpace and how to get involved here.