User:Matt
Hello, I'm Matt Kelly!
I graduated from the University of Oregon's Historic Preservation program in 2024. During my time at UO, I became interested in the use of digital tools as one of the many ways preservationists can document and care for the built environment. Below are some work samples from my time as a student.
Storymaps: The Washington Talking Book and Braille Library (2021)
Storymaps: Denny Regrade Multimedia Tour (2022)
Storymaps: Quonset Huts in Oregon (2024)
For the National Register nomination class I took during my first year at UO, I was assigned the Covey (Volvo) Building in Portland, which you can read here: File:MattKelly CoveyMotorCarCompany.pdf. Beyond the experience of research and writing a National Register nomination, this class planted a seed of asking not just what is significant about a building, but also what digital research and interpretive tools are used in our field. This curiosity was explored in the following two years as I worked on my terminal project about open data and the National Register.
In addition from my core courses in Historic Preservation, I was able to take classes from other departments such as Architecture (Building for Revit, History and Theory of Urban Design II), Landscape Architecture (3D Mapping with LiDAR, Introduction to GIS for Landscape Architecture), and Geography at Portland State University (Map Design & Production, Professionalism in GIS, 3D Terrain Analysis & Visualization). The courses I took from the Oregon Reality Lab in the Journalism department included 3D modeling and Photogrammetry and were particularly instrumental in sparking my interest in creating digital twins of buildings which I incorporated into assignments and presentations whenever possible.
You can see some of my 3D models hosted on my SketchFab site. Several of these buildings, including the Yamaguchi Hotel and the commercial building at the corner of Northeast Alberta Street and 28th Avenue have since been demolished.
As an independent consultant, I surveyed three sites and created 3D models that were featured in Hidden Landmarks of Albina’s Black Community, an online exhibit by Oregon Black Pioneers. I’m currently wrapping up a HABS drawing set for the Transfiguration of Our Lord Church in Ninilchik, Alaska (excerpts from a draft are here: File:MattKelly NinilchikChurch HABS DRAFT.pdf).
I regularly volunteer at CETI (A Creative and Emergent Technology Institute), where I work with artists, technology enthusiasts, and community members on projects involving digital documentation and interpretive storytelling.
My abstract interactive projection installations have been featured at the Portland Winter Light Festival and other regional events. Please see more of my art at my Instagram account.