Zoetrope Showcase with Ed Elser

CCM Resident Artist Ed Elser (Unfettered Canvas) unveils his CCM Resident Artist project: a zoetrope. This community talk back will be about the zoetropes creation, how members of the community can create their own zoetrope panels, and Ed's process as the Q3 Resident Artist.

Currently based in Arvada, Edward "Ed" Elser is a multidisciplinary artisan whose work blends craftsmanship, storytelling, and community engagement.

Ed is also the founder and resident artist at Unfettered Canvas, a website where he shares images of, and the inspirations behind, his evolving collections and hands-on projects. Ed's artistic practice spans a wide array of mediums, but especially reclaimed materials such as wood, copper, aluminum, glass, and stone, reflecting his appreciation for natural elements and industrial processes, while celebrating the provenance and history of the materials he uses.

His recent works include the "Coat Racks of 2025" group project and "A Cross2", a collection that fuses organic forms with handcrafted precision. His blog posts often explore the intersection of memory and meaning, offering insights into both his creative process and personal reflections. Beyond his studio practice, Ed was a co-founder of The Clubhouse, a collaborative innovation space launched in 2012 that supports makers, entrepreneurs, and technologists. Several years ago he delivered a prescient TEDx talk in Augusta, Ga. titled "Our Future is Awesome," where he discussed how technology advancements (touching on AI) is enhancing productivity and why we should embrace it.

Ed Elser's work embodies a spirit of curiosity, artistry, and local influences—a perfect fit for the collaborative ethos of Clear Creek Makerspace.