Abruptly interrupted by an ice storm, Shamsy Roomiani ('07) and Poppy Xander ('09) didn't let this deter their drive to finish putting together their new exhibition, Luminous Frequencies.

As soon as they could, Roomiani and Xander returned to work day and night crafting a unique experience at the Mesquite Arts Center. Their exhibit transports attendees into a world of wonder through a fusion of sculptures, installation art and 2-D works paired with original soundscapes.

"I had this idea of my visual artwork being paired with Poppy's musical pieces that give them their own little voice and language," Roomiani says. "The title came from a tie between my crystals, Shamstones, their luminous qualities and the frequencies of her work."

Following years of friendship and collaborating on other projects, Roomiani, a design studio owner, teacher and full-time visual artist, and Xander, a teacher, performer, writer, musician, sound artist and composer, have finally brought their creative visions to life.

It took a year of planning and despite being slightly off schedule, the dynamic duo opened Luminous Frequencies to positive reception, which will remain on display through March 21.

"Last January, we were brainstorming, but we didn't hit the ground running until Poppy and I took a trip in October," Roomiani says. "We spent three days out in the woods with botanicals and Shamstone crystals. Poppy brought props and costumes, and we built this whole world."

Consisting of roughly 30 nature influenced art pieces paired with about 30 minutes of music, this exhibit is only one of many interesting works Roomiani and Xander have created in their careers.

Helium Queens

North Texas natives, Roomiani and Xander both grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and tapped into their artistic passions at young ages. Holding onto those talents, they both wanted to attend UNT.

Roomiani graduated from the College of Visual Arts and Design and the G. Brint Ryan College of Business in 2007 with degrees in printmaking and marketing. Around the same time, Xander was earning her education-focused degree from the College of Music.

They never crossed paths on campus and eventually went down different roads, but they both stuck around and made waves across North Texas. Fast forward approximately a decade after both graduating, Roomiani and Xander connected through mutual friends on social media.

Instantly they bonded with a shared love for nature, sci-fi and luminescent things. In no time, the new friends began collaborating on work with Xander's band, Helium Queens.

"Helium Queens is like a power trio from the moon with science fiction lore and psychedelic elements," Xander says. "I read about interdimensional movement via fractals and crystals and thought about incorporating Shamsy's Shamstones -- sort of like a trademark."

"Shamstones are glowing crystal sculptures," Roomiani says. "They're actually trademarked."

The Helium Queens perform across DFW and create vibrant music videos to coincide with their experimental electronic sound. Last fall, they played a show at the University of Texas at Arlington Planetarium and recently held a "Glow Fest" celebration on Valentine's Day at their exhibit.

For this exhibition, the artists installed black lights in the gallery, creating an ethereal glow and expanding their visuals to provide visitors with an even more immersive experience.

Before they can even start thinking of what's next to come, Xander and Roomiani want to take in this moment and hope to impact as many people with Luminous Frequencies as they can.

"I'm a big believer in the freedom of expression," Xander says. "The exhibit could be a moment of tranquility or peace, engagement, imagination or having an experience with nature even while indoors. My goal is to inspire people to create and give them a space to recharge."

"This isn't a one-time exhibition, it's the beginning of a larger journey," Roomiani says. "We're actively looking at opportunities to travel Luminous Frequencies to other galleries and cities expanding the installation to build the world we've created. It feels like a living project."