Christopher Carter regularly uses reclaimed lumber, faded rope, tarnished metal and other found materials to create his large-scale sculptures. So when the Miami-based artist needed a new studio and began dreaming of building a live-work space, he knew it would involve many repurposed components. What he didn’t realize was that it would eventually be the subject of an exhibition, “The Carter Project,” which opens May 15 at NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale.

“I sketched out some ideas with a friend of mine, about what my ideal space would be,” said Mr. Carter, 54. “And it was kind of like converting a gas station into a loft living environment.”