fine arts Archives - 厙ぴ勛圖 /tag/fine-arts/ Washington State University | Tri-Cities Fri, 17 Dec 2021 23:58:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 Finding community on either side of the Columbia River /finding-community-on-either-side-of-the-columbia-river/ Mon, 24 May 2021 17:56:31 +0000 /?p=100189 The post Finding community on either side of the Columbia River appeared first on 厙ぴ勛圖.

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Student finds passion for multimedia arts as result of experiences at BMCC and 厙ぴ勛圖

By Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖

RICHLAND, Wash. When thinking about what college choice would be best for him, Hermiston native and future first-generation college student Kyle Kopta knew he wanted to stay close to home. It was a decision that would allow him to save money, but also gradually expand his network.

Kyle Kopta, 厙ぴ勛圖 digital technology and culture alumnus, works on a computer in the Mac lab at 厙ぴ勛圖

Kyle Kopta, 厙ぴ勛圖 digital technology and culture alumnus, works on a computer in the Mac lab at 厙ぴ勛圖.

As a student, he completed the first year of his associates degree through as part of the program, which helped him save a year on costs of tuition and provided him with gradual entry into the college setting.

It was a perfect fit for me, as it allowed me to meet my lower division general education requirements and quickly transfer as a junior to any institution of my choosing, he said.

While at BMCC, Kopta said he enjoyed being near family while still maintaining that hometown environment. The community aspect, he said, was one of his favorite parts.

It had a hometown feel where everyone knew each other, he said. It felt like an extension of the surrounding community, rather than being separate from it.

When deciding what four-year university he wanted to pursue, affordability and proximity to family remained primary factors, in addition to his career interest in the multimedia arts. He discovered that Washington State University Tri-Cities, located just 40 minutes from Hermiston in Richland, Washington, had a digital technology and culture program. The program would allow him to apply his passion for photography, video, graphic design and fine arts as part of a well-rounded degree that had eventual outlets for a variety of career paths.

Seamless transfer to 厙ぴ勛圖

The transfer process between the two institutions, Kopta said, was seamless. He said with his AAOT degree, everything transferred to 厙ぴ勛圖 without any problems.

My experiences at BMCC laid the groundwork for helping me navigate higher education, in general, he said. As I moved to Washington and began my 厙ぴ勛圖 journey, I felt well-equipped to tackle anything that came my way.

Preparing for future career in multimedia arts

Kyle Kopta, 厙ぴ勛圖 digital technology and culture alumnus, takes a photo along the river at the 厙ぴ勛圖 campus

Kyle Kopta, 厙ぴ勛圖 digital technology and culture alumnus, takes a photo along the river at the 厙ぴ勛圖 campus.

Through digital technology and culture courses at 厙ぴ勛圖, Kopta learned the fundamentals of a wide variety of multimedia skills, ranging from graphic design, to video production, to sound editing, to photography, to typography and more. He said he enjoyed that the program didnt put his passions into a single box.

The digital technology and culture program here at 厙ぴ勛圖 ended up being the next logical step for me in my career, he said. I was attracted to the multidisciplinary nature of the program because I knew it would allow me to explore all the things that interested me, simultaneously. Other programs were rigid in their approach, but the digital technology and culture program would allow me to explore all my options as an artist, designer and working professional in the field.

At 厙ぴ勛圖, Kopta became involved with a wide variety of hands-on experiences and student organizations. He helped curate student exhibits and display his own work through a variety of art shows and symposiums on-campus. He served as part of the Associated Students of 厙ぴ勛圖 as its graphic designer. He lent his skills in the multimedia arts as a teachers assistant and tutor for the campus digital technology and culture program, in addition to serving on the Washington State Arts Commission. He also currently serves as an intern through the 厙ぴ勛圖 marketing and communication office.

This spring, Kopta also had the opportunity to create and curate a that allowed users to virtually walk through a digital gallery space to view student art, just as one would during non-COVID-19 times. It is those sorts of experiences, he said, that proved to be true highlights of his college career.

Being able to see and experience all of the work our Coug community is doing is always my favorite, he said. The people I am surrounded by are constantly engaging in such important and innovative work. I never know what to expect from my peers, and thats the best part.

Saving on costs

Throughout his college journey, Kopta received several scholarships, including the 厙ぴ勛圖 Douglas P. Gast Scholarship in memory of his late digital technology and culture professor. Kopta said he was honored to receive such a significant award that honored his late professor.

This past year as part of his senior year, 厙ぴ勛圖 also launched the I-82 Advantage program, which now allows students from Umatilla County to attend 厙ぴ勛圖 for in-state tuition rates. Kopta was able to save even more on tuition.

Looking toward the future

After graduating this past spring, Kyle is staying on as a student intern through the summer in the 厙ぴ勛圖 marketing and communication office.

His experience both at BMCC and 厙ぴ勛圖, he said, helped him not only navigate the college setting successfully, but also find his future career. As a result of his experience, he hopes to pursue a career in marketing, specifically working in higher education, where he can help other students find their future interests and careers.

Marketing allows me to work in design, photography and video, simultaneously, he said. I would also love to continue working in a higher education setting. Collaborating with different groups of people on all different sorts of projects is important to me. Working at a college allows me to do just that.

Applications open at BMCC and 厙ぴ勛圖

Applications are open for summer and fall 2021 at both BMCC and 厙ぴ勛圖.

To apply to BMCC, visit . To apply and/or transfer to 厙ぴ勛圖, visit .

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厙ぴ勛圖 multimedia arts course a natural fit for hands-on, virtual learning /wsu-tri-cities-multimedia-arts-course-a-natural-fit-for-hands-on-virtual-learning/ Wed, 23 Dec 2020 02:14:31 +0000 /?p=96432 The post 厙ぴ勛圖 multimedia arts course a natural fit for hands-on, virtual learning appeared first on 厙ぴ勛圖.

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Course creates complex machines that were shared through digital film projects

By Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖

RICHLAND, Wash. For an Art, Science and Technology course at Washington State University Tri-Cities, the transition to virtual learning proved not only to be a natural transition. It played to the courses sweet spot.

As the title of the course suggests, students bring together what some may consider two sides of a coin art, and science and technology. But for Peter Christenson, an associate professor of fine arts, the blending of the two fields is natural.

Through the course, Christenson has students create devices that are not only visually appealing, but bridge the gap between physical art and what can be presented digitally online. The sharing of these projects online, he said, provides a perfect fit for virtual learning.

The transition to virtual has been beneficial in some ways, especially in more digitally-focused classes, he said. It is essentially a natural extension to everyones practice. Our students are brilliant and very adaptable. They are the creative class of the campus. I have been impressed with their work ethic and diligence With the social context we are going through, I have been impressed with the work that students are putting out.

Rube Goldberg machines

Many people have probably witnessed Rube Goldberg machines on YouTube, Facebook or Instagram Stories – they just didnt know what they were called. A ball or other device drops down an increasingly complex matrix of movements, devices and contraptions, all for one goal to perform a simple task.

The machines, named after the American cartoonist Rube Goldberg, who coined the contraptions through his cartoons, serve as a demonstration of what can occur when art is blended with physics and engineering, Christenson said. It proved to be the perfect project at-home amid the pandemic, he said.

While many are stuck at home, students took objects that are commonly found in their house to devise a complex layout. The students filmed the moving device as it traversed its matrix. The video was then shared virtually as a class, as well as with peers and friends. It compelled students to think critically, all while creating art and entertainment that helps maintain connections among students, virtually, Christenson said.

The Rube Goldberg project is a fun opportunity to arrive at engineering and scientific production via art and creative play, he said. It explores the historical relationship between art, science and technology and how these have generally been intertwined.

The best of both worlds

For the Rube Goldberg project, the class studied up on the complex devices, each choosing a particular style that was most suited for their idea or task. After creating the devices by hand, the students recorded the machines in action, with the intent of sharing them digitally with one another as a class. They used their creativity to create both a physical art piece, as well as a video work of art through filmmaking.

Kyle Kopta, a senior digital technology and culture major, came up with the idea for what he calls The Photo Machine for his project, where the machine automates the process of taking a photo of oneself. The user turns a handle, which activates a gear mechanism, drops a marble into a tube and triggers the shutter on a camera.

In doing this, I want the operator to ask themselves, Are the actual mechanisms that resulted in the physical taking of the photo the photo machine? Or could I, myself, more accurately be described as the actual photo-taking machine in this process?

Kopta built the contraption in his apartment, where he also filmed and uploaded the video showcasing how his machine worked. The project also allowed him to explore partnership opportunities with students from other disciplines.

In working on this project, I was really excited with the high-level of collaboration we were able to maintain in a virtual class format, he said. As a class, we would take time to bounce ideas off each other and look at other artists who created similar machines. For my project, I was able to recruit the help of a friend in the engineering program for a few tips and materials. That interdisciplinary approach was key for me.

Kopta also relished the opportunity to engage with his classmates in virtual critique sessions, where the students have the opportunity to provide feedback, assess the different projects and what makes them most effective.

These critique days are always my favorite days of class, and this remains true in our virtual learning environment now, he said. Everyone takes a radically different approach to these projects, and Im always surprised by what my classmates are able to put together.

 

Media contacts:

Peter Christenson, 厙ぴ勛圖 associate professor of fine arts, peter.christenson@wsu.edu

Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖 assistant director of marketing and communication, 619-403-3617, maegan_murray@wsu.edu

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In memory of 厙ぴ勛圖 fine arts professor Douglas Gast /in-memory-of-wsu-tri-cities-fine-arts-professor-douglas-gast/ Tue, 04 Aug 2020 01:45:17 +0000 /?p=85809 By Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖 RICHLAND, Wash. Washington State University Tri-Cities mourns the loss of fine arts professor and artist Douglas Gast after a hard-fought battle with cancer. Gast was an award-winning artist whose work had impacts across the Tri-Cities and regional mid-Columbia community....

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By Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖

RICHLAND, Wash. Washington State University Tri-Cities mourns the loss of fine arts professor and artist Douglas Gast after a hard-fought battle with cancer.

Douglas Gast, 厙ぴ勛圖 fine arts professor and director of the digital technology and culture program

Douglas Gast, 厙ぴ勛圖 fine arts professor and director of the digital technology and culture program.

Gast was an award-winning artist whose work had impacts across the Tri-Cities and regional mid-Columbia community. He specialized in a range of multimedia art, including video, photography, web/net art, sound and more. He had a dual purpose to his work: striving to clarify the very definition of art while concurrently utilizing the fundamental properties of the media to construct idea systems.

His work has been exhibited and screened nationally and internationally, in cities such as Chicago, Seattle, Philadelphia, New Orleans, and New York City, and in countries such as England, Germany, and Australia. He is the recipient of the Edward R. Meyer Project Award, a nominee for the James W. Ray Distinguished Artist Award, and received honorable mention for the 20x20x20 Compact Competition.

In addition to his award-winning work, Gast was a beloved professor and mentor at 厙ぴ勛圖. He taught and mentored hundreds of students since his beginnings at 厙ぴ勛圖 in 2005. He was also influential in growing the 厙ぴ勛圖 digital technology and culture and fine arts programs to where they are today.

Beloved professor and mentor

Gast taught a range of courses at 厙ぴ勛圖, ranging from those focusing on using multimedia tools and mediums to convey important messages and platforms, to those that were specific to fine art and using that art to communicate and represent concepts, ideas and social realities. He worked with students to refine their skills in art and design, helped connect them with internships and career opportunities and helped inspire students to dream big with their art and its capabilities.

When you look back on your own life and think about those who open doors and lead you to your path in life, I think of Doug Gast, said former student and graphic designer Monique Van Sant. He is someone that made you want to be a better communicator, a better designer, a better person. Doug wasnt just a professor he was an artist, a mentor, a visionary, an activist and a friend. I owe my career as a multimedia designer to Doug.

He did a great job growing the program [at 厙ぴ勛圖] and he was proud of that work, said Kimberly Christen, professor and director of the digital technology and culture program at WSU Pullman.

Squeak Meisel, associate professor of fine arts at WSU Pullman and fine arts chair for WSU, described Gast as a generous and loving rebel.

He liked to challenge the status quo and really cared deeply for his students, he said. This started the day he decided to move to Tri-Cities as a lone fine arts faculty member. It was a brave and noble act. He will be dearly missed.

A champion for the arts and his students

厙ぴ勛圖 Chancellor Sandra Haynes said in the few years she has been at 厙ぴ勛圖, she came to know Gast as a champion for bettering the arts experience for 厙ぴ勛圖 students, whether they were pursuing a fine arts or digital technology and culture degree or not.

We will miss Doug and all he did for the 厙ぴ勛圖 and regional Tri-Cities community, she said. He was admired by students, his colleagues, those in the arts community, and all those who knew him.

Members of the Daughters of Hanford team (Douglas Gast second from right).

Members of the Daughters of Hanford team (Douglas Gast second from right). Photo by Kai-Huei Yau.

In addition to his role as a professor, Gast curated, led and hosted many art and multimedia shows through the 厙ぴ勛圖 Art Center. These shows welcomed hundreds of visitors throughout his years in the Tri-Cities to view a wide range of work from a variety of artists including students, faculty and professional artists from outside the campus.

Gast continued to contribute to the 厙ぴ勛圖 and arts communities up until his passing. He was actively working on a track for the DTC degree so that students could incorporate fine arts into their curriculum. He also recently collaborated with the Spectra Art Gallery in Kennewick for the Pandemic 插泭Novel Art Show, which featured current faculty and several former students art work.

Arts in the community

Gast was active in projects known to bring light to issues of social and historical significance. He was one of a core group of individuals who produced the Daughters of Hanford, a multimedia project in partnership with Northwest Public Broadcasting, which tells the stories of female individuals who worked at, have a connection to, or were family members of those with ties to the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. The project went on to win the David Douglas Award in 2016 from the Washington State Historical Society and recognizes the significant contribution of an individual or organization through projects that expand appreciation of any field of Washington state history during the previous year.

Doug Gast stood up for art and what he believed in, said Anna King, correspondent with the Northwest News Network and founder of the Daughters of Hanford. As a partner on the Daughters of Hanford project, Doug pushed me to expand my vision and not to neglect the details Ill miss his tenacity, his great care for making things beautiful and his gentle chuckle.

Additionally, Gast served as a commissioner for the Kennewick Arts Commission and as a member at large for the City of Richland Arts Commission. He also served as a judge and panel member on numerous arts panels and contests.

Doug made everything better as an artist, collaborator and friend, said Kai-Huei Yau, photographer for the Daughters of Hanford and senior multimedia manager with PitchBook Data. His work to elevate the arts within the Tri-Cities impacted so many lives and having him on the Daughters of Hanford team helped us elevate the project. Ill forever count myself lucky as one of the people who came into his orbit and he will be sorely missed.

For more information about Gast and his memory, visit his website at .

Individuals can make a scholarship donation in honor of Gast by visiting and search “Douglas P. Gast Scholarship & Travel Fund.”

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Dec. 9, 11-13: Students to present research, course projects as part of symposium and art exhibition /dec-9-11-13-students-to-present-research-course-projects-as-part-of-symposium-and-art-exhibition/ Thu, 05 Dec 2019 21:28:13 +0000 /?p=75252 The post Dec. 9, 11-13: Students to present research, course projects as part of symposium and art exhibition appeared first on 厙ぴ勛圖.

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RICHLAND, Wash. Washington State University Tri-Cities students will present semester and course research and art projects as part of the Undergraduate Research Symposium and Art Exhibition Dec. 9 and Dec. 11-13.

Students present during the 厙ぴ勛圖 Undergraduate Research Symposium and Art Exhibition

Students present during the 厙ぴ勛圖 Undergraduate Research Symposium and Art Exhibition.

Sessions will take place from noon 1 p.m. each day in Consolidated Information Center (CIC) 120, with the exception of Wednesdays session, which takes place from noon 1 p.m. in the CIC Art Gallery.

Students have the opportunity to publicly present course and research projects that not only provide hands-on opportunities to explore topics within their field, but also projects that bridge into community partnerships to solve real-world problems, said Allison Matthews, clinical associate professor of psychology and coordinator for the symposium.

Some of the academic areas highlighted during the symposium include: the sciences, digital technology and culture, fine arts, history, mathematics and psychology.

Some of the projects featured during the symposium include:

  • The exploration of American roots, including topics such as immigration, migration and ethnic identity
  • Nutrient limitation of microbial and algal biofilms in Cascade streams
  • Drawing and paintings that depict a variety of themes, including topics of expressing the evolution of humanity, nostalgia for the past or hope and/or fear for the future; and spirituality, mythology, or emotional state

For more information, contact Matthews at 509-372-7146 oralmatthews@wsu.edu.

 

Media contacts:

Allison Matthews, clinical associate professor of psychology and symposium coordinator, 509-372-7146, almatthews@wsu.edu

Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖 public relations specialist, 509-372-7333, maegan_murray@wsu.edu

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Jan. 12-Feb. 8: Emotionally powerful exhibit focuses on child loss /jan-12-feb-8-emotionally-powerful-exhibit-focuses-on-child-loss/ Tue, 09 Jan 2018 18:50:07 +0000 /?p=50557 The post Jan. 12-Feb. 8: Emotionally powerful exhibit focuses on child loss appeared first on 厙ぴ勛圖.

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By Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖

Susana Butterworth
Butterworth

RICHLAND, Wash. The emotionally powerful, poignant Empty Photo Project, created by Washington State University Tri-Cities student Susana Butterworth, that details the tragic and emotional experience of what it is like to lose a child, will be on display from Jan. 12-Feb. 8 in the 厙ぴ勛圖 Art Gallery.

The exhibition, which Butterworth began in a fine arts course at 厙ぴ勛圖 after losing her own son in utero, tells the story of 25 parents who have lost a child, and the physical and emotional impact it has had on their lives and their relationships with family, friends and even strangers. In addition to the written stories of each parent featured, each features a photo of the parent taken by Butterworth, which represents both the physical and mental hole left in the parents lives after the childs passing.

The Empty Photo Project offers insights into the emotional stories of 25 parents, like Miriam, who have lost a child.
The Empty Photo Project offers insights into the emotional stories of 25 parents, like Miriam, who have lost a child.

An opening reception for the exhibition will be held 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 12, in the 厙ぴ勛圖 Art Gallery.

Butterworth lost her son Walter in March 2017. Butterworths son suffered from a rare condition known as Trisomy 18 where the baby develops with an extra chromosome. The condition disrupts the normal pattern of development in significant ways and leads to death in approximately 50 percent of cases. Butterworths son passed away at 36 weeks in utero.

After losing Walter, I was experiencing a lot of grief, but there was also this disconnection with people that I was feeling, she said. I wanted to explore this realm of capturing emotions that people go through, but I also wanted to make it relevant to what I was going through. Coming out of the hospital, I want to show that losing a baby is a big deal. Some people dont realize that or know what to say.

TheEmpty Photo Projecthas now been viewed by thousands after being featured by a variety of platforms, some of which include Babble (a parenting website operated by Disney), the Huffington Post and Pop Sugar. Butterworth said she plans to continue the project as long as there are people who want to contribute their stories to the project.

Child loss is not going to stop, Butterworth said. One out of four women experience miscarriage and approximately 26,000 pregnancies result in stillbirth. I think that so often as child death happens, there is always going to be a need to talk about it. As long as people want to share their story, there is always going to be a need for this project.

For more information on Butterworths project, visit her泭硃紳餃泭泭梯硃眶梗莽.

 

Contact:

  • Susana Butterworth, 厙ぴ勛圖 student, susana.vidrio@tricity.wsu.edu
  • Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖 public relations specialist, 509-372-7333,maegan_murray@wsu.edu

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Students create 3-D virtual reality environments for fine arts course /wsu-tri-cities-students-create-vivid-three-dimensional-virtual-reality-environments-for-fine-arts-course/ Tue, 19 Dec 2017 14:00:36 +0000 /?p=49931 The post Students create 3-D virtual reality environments for fine arts course appeared first on 厙ぴ勛圖.

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By Maegan Murray

RICHLAND, Wash. Neon rainbow pathways, smoldering ember-lit caves, eerie forests and bridges that lead to mystical lands, are just some of what individuals experience in virtual reality environments created by students as part of a fine arts sculpture course at Washington State University Tri-Cities this semester.

Student experiments with sculpting in virtual reality

厙ぴ勛圖 student Alana Ahquin sculpts an environment in virtual reality.

Jonah Firestone, assistant professor of education and director of the Simulation and Integrated Media for Instruction Assessment and Neurocognition (SIMIAN) Lab, first approached Sena Clara Creston, clinical assistant professor of fine arts and digital technology and culture, this semester about using the virtual reality technology in the lab as a means for student course work in the arts.

Creston decided to have her students explore the medium to create 3-D settings that can then be enjoyed and explored by others.

She said typically with art, students are limited in what they can create, as it has physical and monetary limitations. Using Googles Tilt Brush program in virtual reality, however, students can create 3-D masterful creations that extend beyond what is physically available in the traditional art sphere.

Students created three environments using virtual reality software

Students created three different, but detailed, environments using virtual reality software as part of a sculpting class at 厙ぴ勛圖.

Its an opportunity for students to create within the parameters of their imagination, rather than within their physical parameters, she said.

Using imagination to explore beyond physical limits

Students worked in three teams, each group intricately designing and planning for what they would include in their environments. Using basic tools, much similar in scope and style of the Paint program on the Microsoft operating system, the students created complex worlds, each with their own flare and style that encompassed 360-degree views of colorful landscapes.

Student Athena Marquez said even though the parameters of the program were simple in concept, it forced them to use their imaginations to bring scenes and objects to life.

Its really freeing, she said. You had to use your imagination to create a whole environment.

One of the teams created a world featuring neon and bright pulsating lights, rainbow paths, banana peels and monsters, inspired by that of Nintendo Mario Karts rainbow road. Another group created an enigmatic world that featured a dark and mysterious cloud-like environment featuring archways of trees that led to a cave that showcased flickering golden embers. The last group created an extravagantly detailed dual environment that first welcomes the viewer into a cloud-like nebula that then encourages the viewer to enter into a fantastical forest featuring rich trees, waterfalls, pools and other features.

The students were required to spend a minimum of 20 hours in the lab, but many ended up spending more than 30 hours working on their environments.

A hands-on, enriching experience

I didnt know what to think about it, at first, fine arts student Audrey Danielson said. But as soon as you started doing it, you become crazy about it. It definitely gave me a great perspective on what is possible with art. There is so much space and youre free to create these large environments that other people can then explore.

Experimenting with virtual reality environments

厙ぴ勛圖 student Adam Whittier logs into a virtual reality environment that he created with a group of students in a sculpture course at 厙ぴ勛圖 before putting on the VR headset to immerse himself into that environment.

Student Adriana Iturbe said what she enjoyed most about the project was the fact that it blends elements of art with elements of technology and engineering.

I think this is something that many more students should experience, she said. As an engineering major, what I like is seeing and exploring the connections between disciplines and using those different disciplines to bring a project to life. This project really does open your mind to other experiences.

Student Adam Whittier said he hopes the opportunity is extended to students from a variety of different backgrounds, as it provides a learning experience like no-other that is useful to the students diverse academic tenure.

There are so many capabilities, he said.

Creston is now partnering with Bob Lewis, associate professor of computer science, and his graduate student Antonio Ledesma, on an interactive virtual reality art environment. Lewis is planning on teaching a course to program interactive environments. Creston plans to partner with him and his students to conceptualize, design and program these interactive environments.

We want to make these environments interactive, instead of just static, she said.

For more information on the SIMIAN Lab at 厙ぴ勛圖, contact Firestone at jonah.firestone@wsu.edu. For more information on the digital technology and culture program at 厙ぴ勛圖, visit /cas/undergraduate/fine-arts/.

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WSU fine arts professor named states young arts leader /wsu-fine-arts-professor-named-states-young-arts-leader/ Mon, 18 Sep 2017 15:47:07 +0000 /?p=46156 The post WSU fine arts professor named states young arts leader appeared first on 厙ぴ勛圖.

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By Adriana Aumen, College of Arts and Sciences

Christenson-Peter
Christenson

RICHLAND, Wash. Peter Christenson, assistant professor of fine arts at Washington State University Tri-Cities, has received theGovernors Arts & HeritageYoung Arts Leader Award from the Washington State Arts Commission.

is a multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker. He co-founded Left of Centre, an artist collective and guerrilla-marketing firm, and has been the catalyst behind Null Set, a locally produced interventionist magazine and collaborative organization in the Tri-Cities.

He also initiated the Guest House Cultural Capital Residency, a short-term residency program that invites scholars and creatives from across the globe to Richland.

At WSU, Christenson teaches in support of the fine arts and digital technology and culture programs with a pedagogy and research agenda focused on multidisciplinary, new media and social art practices.

Peter Christenson, 厙ぴ勛圖 assistant professor of fine arts, helps artist Joe Batt set up his art exhibition in the 厙ぴ勛圖 Art Center.

Peter Christenson, 厙ぴ勛圖 assistant professor of fine arts, helps artist Joe Batt set up his art exhibition in the 厙ぴ勛圖 Art Center.

This award is particularly meaningful for me as an artist and scholar committed to culture-building and community-based development across the state, Christenson said. Im very honored and grateful to the Arts Commission and Governor Inslee, and feel so indebted to the communities whom Ive had the pleasure of working with here in Washington.

Christenson is a recent recipient of a USUK Fulbright Scholar Award in Art & Design. His current practice is rooted in new media and video, collective campaigning and protest, performance, psychosocial and interventionist art, and site-specific installation. His research is significantly informed by his previous experiences as a social worker and licensed psychotherapist.

Peter continues to build a reputation as a practicing artist in the Northwest, across the country and around the world, said Squeak Meisel, chair of fine arts at WSU. It is nice to know that the state of Washington values his contribution to the cultural landscape. His research is a model for how all students can choose to be innovative in their approaches to making and having a career as an artist. I look forward to what he does next!

Originally from Metro Detroit, Christenson holds bachelor of arts and master of social work degrees from the University of Michigan and a master of fine arts degree in intermedia from Arizona State University.

Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA) is a state government agency established in 1961. Among its various activities is advocating for the public value of the arts; building leadership in and for the arts; strengthening arts education in Washington public schools; documenting the impact of and building community participation in the arts; and acquiring and caring for artwork in the State Art Collection at K-12 public schools, colleges, universities, and state agencies.

Other ArtsWA programs include Art in Public Places, Arts in Education, Poetry Out Loud, and Washington Poet Laureate.

 

Contacts:

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厙ぴ勛圖 engineering and art partner to create robot that interacts with environment /wsu-tri-cities-engineering-and-art-partner-to-create-robot-that-interacts-with-environment/ Fri, 15 Sep 2017 18:03:50 +0000 /?p=46088 The post 厙ぴ勛圖 engineering and art partner to create robot that interacts with environment appeared first on 厙ぴ勛圖.

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By Adrian Aumen, WSU College of Arts & Sciences

In a cold, dimly blue-lit room, a strange humananimal hybrid paces before the entrance to a fiery red cave. When the Huminal senses a viewer approaching, it stops, turns its head to stare at the visitor and emits its own red-hot glow. The viewer must then decide how to respond to the apparent challenge: continue toward the creature or retreat.

厙ぴ勛圖 fine arts professor Sena Clara Creston and engineering student Gordan Gavric work on the "Huminal," an interactive robot that responds to its environment.

厙ぴ勛圖 fine arts professor Sena Clara Creston and engineering student Gordan Gavric work on the “Huminal,” an interactive robot that responds to its environment.

The Huminalis an interactive, kinetic sculptural installation featuring an autonomous, mobile robot that senses and responds to changes in its environment. Created by an interdisciplinary team at Washington State University Tri-Cities, it incorporates research and techniques in fine arts, design, electrical and mechanical engineering and robotics to provide a unique platform for exploring the relationship between humans and machinesand, it turns out, between artists and engineers, too.

Two years in the making and nearing completion this month,The Huminalis the third and most complex art-machine designed and built in as many years byfine artsprofessor Sena Clara Creston in collaboration with WSU engineering students and faculty. It debuted recently to rave reviews at a robotics exposition for employees of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, where Gordan Gavric, a key member of theHuminaldevelopment team, is an electrical engineering intern.

The feedback weve gotten so far is really great, said Gavric, a senior in engineering and president of the 厙ぴ勛圖 Robotics Club. People recognize its a robot, but at the same time theyre a little creeped out. How do people want to interact with a creepy robot?

Designed to pique curiosity along with uneasiness, theHuminalis about the size and shape of a large dog and covered with white plastic discs resembling scales or fur. Its four jointed legs give the appearance of walking as it rolls in an elliptical path outside its apparent den.

Multiple internal sensors, a camera and a small Raspberry Pi computer communicate with microcontrollers across two electronic systems to direct the robots movements and trigger the pulsing red LED lights in its chest. The steady hum of its hearttwo 8.6 volt motorsis interrupted only when a sensor detects nearby movement. At that point, theHuminalis programmed to stop in its tracks, turn its head to face the approaching object and transmit its warning glow.

I look forward to seeing how more people react to it, Gavric said. Is it alive? Is it human? The mystery is unnerving and its this uneasiness that Sena is trying to exploit.

A corporeal experience

插泭, Creston builds interactive art-machines to create a corporeal experience for viewers. Her artworks invite people to engage with machines and familiar materials in unfamiliar settings and ways. Environmental impact and social consciousness are frequent themes.

Sena Clara Creston and Gordan Gavric work on the Huminal

厙ぴ勛圖 fine arts professor Sena Clara Creston and engineering student Gordan Gavric work on the “Huminal” at 厙ぴ勛圖.

Some people get really aggressive with the work and some are really careful with it, she said.

By enabling viewers to choose their response to her art, she hopes to help them understand other ways they affect the wider world.

From the hauntingto the satiricalan immersive environment of post-consumer electronicsto the dreamlikea land-roving, steampunk-style sailboatmuch of Crestons art employs fantasy while exploring intersections between the natural and the man-made.

Part of it is movement, part of it is response, part of it is material and part of it is social engagement, she said.

She will talk about her innovative artwork at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, as part ofevents at Uptown Theatre in Richland, Washington.

To create theHuminals skin, Creston cut up dozens of discarded plastic water bottlesfamiliar and somewhat controversial objects that connect the organic and inorganic.

Many people across the world live with an unsafe water supply, yet we think of water as the source of life and the source of health and wellbeing, and water bottles deliver that, Creston said. However, the water bottle itself is not biological or biodegradableits inorganic and its not going away. So the material itself becomes this questionable component.

How do we actually feel for the inorganic and how do these things elicit responses?

Collaborating in uncommon opportunities

Giving form to Crestons layered ideas and complex inventions often requires more technical skills than she possesses. So for the past 10 years, she has been learning and implementing modest means of physical computing and mechanical engineering.

厙ぴ勛圖 fine arts professor Sena Clara Creston and engineering student Gordan Gavric observe the Huminal as it interacts with its environment.

厙ぴ勛圖 fine arts professor Sena Clara Creston and engineering student Gordan Gavric observe the “Huminal” as it interacts with its environment.

But, as my mentor explained, I didnt need to learn how to do everythingI needed to learn how to collaborate, she said.

Fortunately, interdisciplinary collaborations are strongly encouraged and available at WSU. Engineering professors Changki Mo at 厙ぴ勛圖 and Charles Pezeshki and Jacob Leachman at WSU Pullman recognized the uncommon opportunities Crestons projects offered their students and wove them into their coursework.

Her projects presented the perfect combination of an interesting customer, an achievable design and the monetary scope to take some risks in a shared learning experience, Pezeshki said.

Students in Pezeshki and Leachmans junior-level design classes worked remotely with Creston to createThe Umbrellaship泭硃紳餃泭Machinescape. The installations were designed, likeThe Huminal, to question the relationship between humans and their perceived environment.

Eric Loeffler, a May graduate in engineering who constructed theHuminals aluminum frame, said he and other students on the project gained a variety of valuable hands-on experiences not usually available to undergraduates.

For example, Loeffler learned new design software applications that he can use in his masters degree program, and he expanded his welding skills to include aluminum materials.

There were a lot of new things to work with from an engineering standpoint, and getting the chance to interact with Sena as a client was huge, too, he said. Theres really not a class that teaches you how to interact with a person who has their own particular wants, ideas and capabilities. That experience will definitely be useful in the future.

Shared purposes, different approaches

Some people might think engineering and arts are very different, but artists and engineers kind of have a shared purpose, Gavric said. They create things. They bring things into existence, and have ideas and concepts that they want to make. The difference lies in medium and motive. An engineer might design a circuit board to save a life, while an artist might paint a picture to change a life.

Working with Sena, I kind of opened up to why are we doing this this? Oh, its for the aesthetic, or its for trying to get the point across.

Gavric admits, Theres no way I ever thought Id be working on a robot for an art project. But even before Creston finished presenting her concept sketches to the Robotics Club, he was hooked.

It intrigued me immediately as an interesting concept and totally something new. There was a lot of back and forth on what we could do with the given technology and funding, and a lot of compromises, abstractions and problems that were solved. It was a rare opportunity. Im glad I did it.

Loeffler especially appreciated the chance to think outside the box.

I really enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate and come up with different ways to solve a problem, he said. I think were fairly close to what Sena originally envisioned, with the aesthetic and the function she was looking for, and thats very satisfying.

The interactive art machine projects encouraged the engineering students to consider their role as engineer, inventor, creator and artist, Creston said. As they grew comfortable working on art projects and expressing their own creative ideas, they sought new collaborations with artists and invited them to participate with the Robotics Club.

Some of the rising engineers began working with fine art students on interactive media projects and even created an interactive art installation of their own, calledLux Flux. The large-scale ceiling installation was designed to sense when a viewer entered a darkened hallway and to send a river of light shooting along the ceiling.

The project was completely collaborative with a fluid crossover between artists and engineers filling in the rolls of conceptualizers, designers and technicians as needed, Creston said. It was beautiful to see.

Creston is now working with a team of mechanical engineering design students to develop their collective senior year project. Her creative and scholarly work has received financial support from the WSU Office of Academic Affairs, the Department of Fine Arts and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, as well as a chancellors seed grant to provide tools and materials and a project grant from.

The interdisciplinary projects align with thegoal of improving education. They further the Universitysefforts by delivering innovative teaching, community outreach and transformative student experience.

Photos andby Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖 marketing and communications

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