Collegiate Times

Digital arms dangle from the wall of a gallery. As visitors walk through the room talking and making noise, the arms stretch out toward them.

This strange interaction between sound and art is just one exhibit of the new Experiential Gallery for Creative Technologies located in Kent Square.

The arms of "Always Uncoupled" are the work of Dane Webster, assistant professor in the School of Visual Arts.

Webster's appendages respond to sound captured by a microphone hidden in the gallery. When visitors move around, the sounds make the arms dance.

The Experiential Gallery is meant to encourage exploration of the use of technology in the arts, said Truman Capone, director of the gallery.

"As people visit the gallery," Capone said, "whether they are artists or children or just in town for a football game, they can get ideas about where technology can take them."

A joint venture between the School of Education, School of Visual Arts and Collaborative for Creative Technologies in the Arts and Design, the gallery focuses on providing the community with a powerful and engaging digital art experience.  

The exhibits currently on display are the products of education enhancement collaboration grants given to faculty members who attempted to bridge the gap between art and technology.

"Merging Arts and Engineering Education via Rapid Prototyping" is an exhibit by Christopher Williams, assistant professor of mechanical engineering.

Williams uses a computer to create a digital design, which he then sends to a rapid prototyping machine. The machine then physically recreates his design in a variety of materials such as silicone or clay.

The arts application of engineering technology not only appealed to Williams, but it also represents one of the missions of the gallery.

"This is the momentum that is needed," Capone said. "We are seeing a bigger buy-in of these kinds of things from around the community."

The Experiential Gallery is not only a platform for the development of digital arts, but also a space designed for education.

Liesl Baum, the gallery's educational specialist, hopes the venue will one day host educational programming for students from kindergarten to high school.

"Really this is all about questioning the process," Baum said. "If they are good with technology, maybe this will help them see that there is a place for them in the arts."

Children who visit the gallery will be encouraged to play and ask questions. The computers that run each exhibit will not always be hidden so students can see how each piece works.

"The idea is that the kids can kind of see the man behind the curtain," Baum said.

Exploring the behind-the-scenes workings of the gallery offers another layer to an already immersive digital experience.

Each of the eight exhibits in the gallery is an independent program, and each required a unique placement.

Bobby Beaton, a doctorate student in computer science, is largely responsible for the keeping the gallery's technology in order.

Beaton's passion for the digital aspects of the gallery kept him working through many late nights in the space.

"Everything in here is custom wired and has a custom rigging," Beaton said. "It was all do-it-yourself, hand-built."

The Experiential Gallery offers a unique experience that celebrates the joining of the artistic and technological communities in Blacksburg.

The current exhibits in the gallery will be in place until December. Capone anticipates the future of the gallery will include mobile media pieces and exhibits that explore art created from science and math.

"The Experiential Gallery is a great addition to what I like to call the 'Arts Quarter' in Blacksburg," Capone said. "Athletics have their area and so do the sciences. Now the arts have downtown."