“Hemes has evolved into a sculptor of diaphanous containers to be measured in part, by their ability to manipulate incandescent light. The projections can be striped, layered, feathery, filamented or diffuse. Whatever the case, the piece becomes transcendent.” Philip M. Isaacson “Metal cloth, gypsum board tape and truck brake lines are just a few of the contemporary industrial materials Joe Hemes uses to construct his charismatic sculptural light titled Star Mosque. This list of rather mundane materials is deceptive. When artfully combined and manipulated by Hemes, they create a form and effect that is both pleasing and functional. …Our attraction to Star Mosque is more spiritual than primal. The benevolent yet regal, biomorphic form, the light emanating through the materials and the star of light casting upward, combine to create a mystical effect.” Gregory J. Williams Colby College Museum of Art