TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — An art show sponsored by The University of Alabama brings interactive new media technologies and 3-D fabrication to Tuscaloosa’s Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center in November.
The show, called [ENTER]Connect, opens with the First Friday event Nov. 1 and culminates in a larger Nov. 22 exhibition. [ENTER]Connect is sponsored by the UA colleges of Engineering and Arts and Sciences, and students from both colleges will display work created by new media technologies such as 3-D printing, 3-D scanning, microcontrollers and projection mapping.
The Arts Council Gallery is located at the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center at 620 Greensboro Ave. in downtown Tuscaloosa. It will be open during the monthly First Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 1.
“Visitors to the show will see artwork made by students from a variety of backgrounds collaborating on creative projects,” said Jamey Grimes, an instructor in the department of art and art history who teaches a 3-D design course popular with engineering students. “As everyone involved gets outside of their comfort zone, creative possibilities are expanded. By taking a positive attitude toward sharing resources, we are able to increase creative outlets for students in multiple disciplines.
“This show demonstrates how student curiosity can be enabled by positive administrative support,” Grimes said. “I’m very proud of the students’ hard work, and feel like we are building momentum towards even more success.”
On Nov. 22, there will a demonstration of the new student lab technologies in the College of Engineering that were used to create this exhibit. The labs serve as a central location for students to learn and experiment with various concepts including 3-D printing, 3-D scanning, microchip controller programming and projection mapping. With support from the College of Engineering’s 3-D Printing Lab and Rodgers Library’s 3-D Printing Services, students can take charge of devices that will be demonstrated during the Cultural Arts Center Nov. 22.
In addition to 3-D printing, students using microcontrollers — single-circuit boards that function as small computers — will display projects that respond to their environment with changing lights, sounds and robotics. Also, students will use projection mapping video techniques to display ever-changing computer-generated graphics onto sculptures, transforming static objects into dynamic sculptures.
The technology from the College of Engineering is used by engineering and computer science students working alongside peers from the department of art and art history, New College and Creative Campus.
“I am very excited to have our students participate in the arts,” said Dr. Charles L. Karr, dean of the College of Engineering. “I firmly believe that the challenges and problems our engineering graduates will face in the future will require unprecedented levels of creativity and innovation. I believe the opportunity to work side-by-side with other students who attack problems from a different perspective will make them better engineers and computer scientists.”
The expanded exhibit on Nov. 22 in the Cultural Arts Center is open from 6-8 p.m.
The Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center is located at 620 Greensboro Avenue in Downtown Tuscaloosa. Gallery hours are Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. until noon and 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. Admission is free.
For more information about the Cultural Arts Center, The Arts Council or Bama Theatre, readers may “like” the Facebook page “The Arts Council – Bama Theatre – Cultural Arts Center” and follow tuscarts on Twitter. Phone 205/758-5195 or visit tuscarts.org for more information.
Contact
Adam Jones, engineering public relations, 205/348-6444, acjones12@eng.ua.edu; Kevin Ledgewood, Arts Council publicity, 205/758-5195, ext. 6, pr@tuscarts.org