In 2015, Kris and his brother Josh Swick drove cross-country to gather best practices in independent art space management and programming. They interviewed curators and owners of galleries, venues, cooperative workspaces, and other arts spaces. A conclusion was reached: art spaces needed to diversify their revenue streams and programming to sustain themselves while keeping their resources accessible to their creative community. Having found Highland Park’s local art scene to be particularly supportive of experimental arts production, they found an investment property for their employer, GEI Development, to redevelop into an arts compound. Kris spent 2 years designing and managing the renovation of the multi-building property, which included complete reconfiguration of rooms and new finishes almost everywhere. He collaborated with his founding partner to develop a business plan and manage business concerns.

The Collective Arts Incubator (‘CAI’) features a gallery and performance space, library, commercial-grade kitchen and dining patio, private workspaces and living spaces, and a shared coworking space. Local creative can access these amenities as single-time users, collective members, or permanent residents. As the Art Director, Kris works with curators and artists to develop and produce gallery installations and programming for spaces throughout the project. He also designed CAI’s entire graphic identity and manages its online presence and catalogues, which document past gallery installations. 

In October 2016, Kris produced his own programming series called the ‘Garden Party,’ which inhabited a gallery installation of artwork responding to ora in nature. He designed a graphic identity and logo for the show’s promotion, and curated its installation. Artists from LA and abroad contributed pieces that invited viewer interaction. Included in the show were two different interactive audio installations: one that ampli ed the acoustics inside a cactus when its thorns are icked (by Adrienne Adar) and another that used the plants as physical sensors that controlled sounds (by Martin Velez). Other artists contributed sculptures, drawings, video, and performances. Outside curators and artists are invited to propose two-month long gallery installations and events series. Kris works with them to design and install these shows at CAI and produce associated programming.