As We Shall Return was created in collaboration with Fiske Planetarium and features a 14 x 24-foot mural depicting a stylized yet scientifically accurate scene of Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan walking across the surface of the Moon. The mural is paired with an inset 2 x 4 x 7-foot interactive sculpture, illuminated with animated lights and fiber optics to evoke the base of a rocket ship. Together, these works set the stage for the display of a genuine Apollo 14 spacesuit alongside an in-flight engineering jacket and hard hat, generously on loan from NASA.

Every celestial element—the Earth, the Milky Way, and each star—is positioned precisely as it appeared on December 14, 1972, the final day of the Apollo 17 mission. The title references Cernan’s last words before boarding the lunar module, which remain the final words spoken by a human on the Moon. The installation honors the legacy of lunar exploration while celebrating the promise of future journeys to our Moon and beyond.

On permanent display at the Fiske Planetarium in Boulder, Colorado

Completed October 2023