Student finds passion for multimedia arts as result of experiences at BMCC and 黑料社 Tri-Cities

By Maegan Murray, 黑料社 Tri-Cities

RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� 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.

As a student, he completed the first year of his associate鈥檚 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.

鈥淚t 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,鈥� 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.

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

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 黑料社 Tri-Cities

The transfer process between the two institutions, Kopta said, was seamless. He said with his AAOT degree, everything transferred to 黑料社 Tri-Cities without any problems.

鈥淢y experiences at BMCC laid the groundwork for helping me navigate higher education, in general,鈥� he said. 鈥淎s I moved to Washington and began my 黑料社 Tri-Cities journey, I felt well-equipped to tackle anything that came my way.鈥�

Preparing for future career in multimedia arts

Through digital technology and culture courses at 黑料社 Tri-Cities, 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 didn鈥檛 put his passions into a single box.

鈥淭he digital technology and culture program here at 黑料社 Tri-Cities ended up being the next logical step for me in my career,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 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.鈥�

At 黑料社 Tri-Cities, 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 黑料社 Tri-Cities as its graphic designer. He lent his skills in the multimedia arts as a teacher鈥檚 assistant and tutor for the campus鈥� digital technology and culture program, in addition to serving on the Washington State Arts Commission. He also currently serves as an intern through the 黑料社 Tri-Cities 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.

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

Saving on costs

Throughout his college journey, Kopta received several scholarships, including the 黑料社 Tri-Cities 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, 黑料社 Tri-Cities also launched the I-82 Advantage program, which now allows students from Umatilla County to attend 黑料社 Tri-Cities 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 黑料社 Tri-Cities marketing and communication office.

His experience both at BMCC and 黑料社 Tri-Cities, 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.

鈥淢arketing allows me to work in design, photography and video, simultaneously,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 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.鈥�

Applications open at BMCC and 黑料社 Tri-Cities

Applications are open for summer and fall 2021 at both BMCC and 黑料社 Tri-Cities.

To apply to BMCC, visit . To apply and/or transfer to 黑料社 Tri-Cities, visit .

Course creates complex machines that were shared through digital film projects

By Maegan Murray, 黑料社 Tri-Cities

RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� 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 course鈥檚 sweet spot.

As the title of the course suggests, students bring together what some may consider two sides of a coin 鈥� 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.

鈥淭he transition to virtual has been beneficial in some ways, especially in more digitally-focused classes,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t is essentially a natural extension to everyone鈥檚 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 鈥� With the social context we are going through, I have been impressed with the work that students are putting out.鈥�

Rube Goldberg machines

Many people have probably witnessed Rube Goldberg machines on YouTube, Facebook or Instagram Stories – they just didn鈥檛 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 鈥� 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.

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

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 鈥淭he Photo Machine鈥� 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.

鈥淚n doing this, I want the operator to ask themselves, 鈥楢re 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?鈥� 鈥�

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.

鈥淚n working on this project, I was really excited with the high-level of collaboration we were able to maintain in a virtual class format,鈥� he said. 鈥淎s 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.鈥�

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.

鈥淭hese critique days are always my favorite days of class, and this remains true in our virtual learning environment now,鈥� he said. 鈥淓veryone takes a radically different approach to these projects, and I鈥檓 always surprised by what my classmates are able to put together.鈥�

 

Media contacts:

Peter Christenson, 黑料社 Tri-Cities associate professor of fine arts, peter.christenson@wsu.edu

Maegan Murray, 黑料社 Tri-Cities assistant director of marketing and communication, 619-403-3617, maegan_murray@wsu.edu

RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥撀� 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.

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

鈥淪tudents 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,鈥� 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; 聽and spirituality, mythology, or emotional state

For more information, contact Matthews at 509-372-7146 or聽almatthews@wsu.edu.

 

Media contacts:

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

Maegan Murray, 黑料社 Tri-Cities public relations specialist, 509-372-7333, maegan_murray@wsu.edu

By Maegan Murray, 黑料社 Tri-Cities

RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� The emotionally powerful, poignant 鈥淓mpty Photo Project,鈥� 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 黑料社 Tri-Cities Art Gallery.

The exhibition, which Butterworth began in a fine arts course at 黑料社 Tri-Cities 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鈥� lives after the child鈥檚 passing.

An opening reception for the exhibition will be held 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 12, in the 黑料社 Tri-Cities Art Gallery.

Butterworth lost her son Walter in March 2017. Butterworth鈥檚 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. Butterworth鈥檚 son passed away at 36 weeks in utero.

鈥淎fter losing Walter, I was experiencing a lot of grief, but there was also this disconnection with people that I was feeling,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 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 don鈥檛 realize that or know what to say.鈥�

The聽Empty Photo Project聽has 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.

鈥淐hild loss is not going to stop,鈥� Butterworth said. 鈥淥ne 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.鈥�

For more information on Butterworth鈥檚 project, visit her聽听补苍诲听听辫补驳别蝉.

 

Contact:鈥�

• Susana Butterworth, 黑料社 Tri-Cities student, susana.vidrio@tricity.wsu.edu
• Maegan Murray, 黑料社 Tri-Cities public relations specialist, 509-372-7333,maegan_murray@wsu.edu

By Maegan Murray

RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� 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.

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 Google鈥檚 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.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an opportunity for students to create within the parameters of their imagination, rather than within their physical parameters,鈥� 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.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really freeing,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou had to use your imagination to create a whole environment.鈥�

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 Kart鈥檚 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

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know what to think about it, at first,鈥� fine arts student Audrey Danielson said. 鈥淏ut 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 you鈥檙e free to create these large environments that other people can then explore.鈥�

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.

鈥淚 think this is something that many more students should experience,鈥� she said. 鈥淎s 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.鈥�

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鈥� diverse academic tenure.

鈥淭here are so many capabilities,鈥� 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.

鈥淲e want to make these environments interactive, instead of just static,鈥� she said.

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

By Adriana Aumen, College of Arts and Sciences

RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� Peter Christenson, assistant professor of fine arts at Washington State University Tri-Cities, has received the聽Governor鈥檚 Arts & Heritage聽Young Arts Leader Award from the Washington State Arts Commission.

聽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 黑料社, 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.

鈥淭his award is particularly meaningful for me as an artist and scholar committed to culture-building and community-based development across the state,鈥� Christenson said. 鈥淚鈥檓 very honored and grateful to the Arts Commission and Governor Inslee, and feel so indebted to the communities whom I鈥檝e had the pleasure of working with here in Washington.鈥�

Christenson is a recent recipient of a US鈥揢K 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.

鈥淧eter continues to build a reputation as a practicing artist in the Northwest, across the country and around the world,鈥� said Squeak Meisel, chair of fine arts at 黑料社. 鈥淚t 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.聽 I look forward to what he does next!鈥�

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:

• Peter Christenson, assistant professor of fine arts, 509-372-7285,聽peter.christenson@wsu.edu
• Adriana Aumen, College of Arts & Sciences communications,聽adriana@wsu.edu, 509-335-5671

By Adrian Aumen, 黑料社 College of Arts & Sciences

In a cold, dimly blue-lit room, a strange human鈥揳nimal hybrid paces before the entrance to a fiery red cave. When the 鈥淗uminal鈥� 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.

The Huminal聽is 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 machines鈥攁nd, it turns out, between artists and engineers, too.

Two years in the making and nearing completion this month,聽The Huminal聽is the third and most complex art-machine designed and built in as many years by聽fine arts聽professor Sena Clara Creston in collaboration with 黑料社 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 the聽Huminal聽development team, is an electrical engineering intern.

鈥淭he feedback we鈥檝e gotten so far is really great,鈥� said Gavric, a senior in engineering and president of the 黑料社 Tri-Cities Robotics Club. 鈥淧eople recognize it鈥檚 a robot, but at the same time they鈥檙e a little creeped out. How do people want to interact with a creepy robot?鈥�

Designed to pique curiosity along with uneasiness, the聽Huminal聽is 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 robot鈥檚 movements and trigger the pulsing red LED lights in its chest. The steady hum of its heart鈥攖wo 8.6 volt motors鈥攊s interrupted only when a sensor detects nearby movement. At that point, the聽Huminal聽is programmed to stop in its tracks, turn its head to face the approaching object and transmit its warning glow.

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

A corporeal experience

础听, 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.

鈥淪ome people get really aggressive with the work and some are really careful with it,鈥� 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 haunting聽聽to the satirical聽鈥攁n immersive environment of post-consumer electronics鈥攖o the dreamlike聽鈥攁 land-roving, steampunk-style sailboat鈥攎uch of Creston鈥檚 art employs fantasy while exploring intersections between the natural and the man-made.

鈥淧art of it is movement, part of it is response, part of it is material and part of it is social engagement,鈥� she said.

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

To create the聽Huminal鈥檚 skin, Creston cut up dozens of discarded plastic water bottles鈥攆amiliar and somewhat controversial objects that connect the organic and inorganic.

鈥淢any 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,鈥� Creston said. 鈥淗owever, the water bottle itself is not biological or biodegradable鈥攊t鈥檚 inorganic and it鈥檚 not going away. So the material itself becomes this questionable component.

鈥淗ow do we actually feel for the inorganic and how do these things elicit responses?鈥�

Collaborating in uncommon opportunities

Giving form to Creston鈥檚 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.

鈥淏ut, as my mentor explained, I didn鈥檛 need to learn how to do everything鈥擨 needed to learn how to collaborate,鈥� she said.

Fortunately, interdisciplinary collaborations are strongly encouraged and available at 黑料社. Engineering professors Changki Mo at 黑料社 Tri-Cities and Charles Pezeshki and Jacob Leachman at 黑料社 Pullman recognized the uncommon opportunities Creston鈥檚 projects offered their students and wove them into their coursework.

鈥淗er 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,鈥� Pezeshki said.

Students in Pezeshki and Leachman鈥檚 junior-level design classes worked remotely with Creston to create聽The Umbrellaship听补苍诲听Machinescape. The installations were designed, like聽The Huminal, to question the relationship between humans and their perceived environment.

Eric Loeffler, a May graduate in engineering who constructed the聽Huminal鈥檚 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 master鈥檚 degree program, and he expanded his welding skills to include aluminum materials.

鈥淭here 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,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 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.鈥�

Shared purposes, different approaches

鈥淪ome people might think engineering and arts are very different, but artists and engineers kind of have a shared purpose,鈥� Gavric said. 鈥淭hey 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.鈥�

鈥淲orking with Sena, I kind of opened up to 鈥榳hy are we doing this this?鈥� Oh, it鈥檚 for the aesthetic, or it鈥檚 for trying to get the point across.鈥�

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

鈥淚t 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. I鈥檓 glad I did it.鈥�

Loeffler especially appreciated the chance to think outside the box.

鈥淚 really enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate and come up with different ways to solve a problem,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think we鈥檙e fairly close to what Sena originally envisioned, with the aesthetic and the function she was looking for, and that鈥檚 very satisfying.鈥�

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, called聽Lux 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.

鈥淭he project was completely collaborative with a fluid crossover between artists and engineers filling in the rolls of conceptualizers, designers and technicians as needed,鈥� Creston said. 鈥淚t was beautiful to see.鈥�

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 黑料社 Office of Academic Affairs, the Department of Fine Arts and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, as well as a chancellor鈥檚 seed grant to provide tools and materials and a project grant from聽.

The interdisciplinary projects align with the聽聽goal of improving education. They further the University鈥檚聽聽efforts by delivering innovative teaching, community outreach and transformative student experience.

Photos and聽聽by Maegan Murray, 黑料社 Tri-Cities marketing and communications