Learn more about using technology in the arts and design at CPAD open house on March 25

The Center for Pedagogy in Arts and Design, a joint initiative of the College of Arts and Architecture and Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT), will host an open house in its lab (Borland 113) on Friday, March 25, 9 a.m.- 3 p.m.

The CPAD Lab is used for classes, multimedia workshops, special events and other activities pushing the boundaries of technology in the arts and design. Open house attendees will have the opportunity to sit in on a class, explore virtual reality (VR) and immersive environments, exercise their own creativity during open studio time, and hear from TLT representatives.

“The open house is for anyone in any discipline who wants to see what this extraordinary space can do,” said Susan Russell, associate professor of theatre and director of CPAD. “This space was designed to show what arts-based technology can offer anyone who wants to teach and learn in a unique environment and open up those opportunities to students."

While attendees can drop in at any time, the day will include the following scheduled activities:

9:05 – 9:55 a.m. Sit in on a class in CPAD. Check out Stephanie Swindle Thomas’s Art History 297: Museum Arts Marketing course, where she will share graphic design tips using the Adobe Creative Suite, including how to “Warholize” yourself.

10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Show and tell with students and faculty about their projects and networking with digital creatives.

11:15 a.m. – 12 p.m. – An introduction to Prompt, a journal of theatre theory, practice and teaching, which aims to connect theatre practice to theatre scholarship. Presentation includes a showcase of some pairs of design models and plays/musicals by School of Theatre faculty Jeanmarie Higgins and Michael Schweikardt.

12 p.m. Remarks by B. Stephen Carpenter II, dean of the College of Arts and Architecture, and Mallika Bose, associate dean for research, creative activity and graduate studies, and the premiere of the CPAD promotional video.

1 p.m. Nicole Cingolani and Dan Getz from TLT’s Media Commons team will showcase the services, technology and on-demand workshops that the Immersive Experiences (IMEX) Lab has to offer. They will also discuss experiences and case studies from their fall 2021 VR in the Classroom Pilot Project. “It’s exciting to push the boundaries of what’s possible with immersive technology by joining students together from all over the world to collaborate on projects, create prototypes and to tell stories in virtual reality,” said Cingolani. Extending the spirit of the open house, there will be weekly multimedia workshops throughout the remainder of the semester on Fridays, 12 – 3 p.m., facilitated by Thomas, the TLT Media Commons, the Penn State Digital Creatives Group and students from the Arts and Architecture Multimedia Internship Program. They will start in the CPAD Lab and then move to 027 Borland Building at 1:05 p.m. for open studio time. Equipment (cameras, lighting and lab computers) will be available in 027 Borland for participants, who are also encouraged to bring their own laptops and cameras. “What we’re doing in CPAD is connecting creativity with multimedia skill-building. No experience needed, just curiosity!” said Thomas, instructor and CPAD board member. CPAD’s leadership team includes Russell; associate directors Crystal Ramsay, assistant director of innovation at TLT, and Chris Stubbs, director of digital learning in the College of Arts and Architecture; and a board of faculty, staff and students from across the college. CPAD was established in 2017 as a cross-disciplinary center to advance teaching, learning and research in the arts and design and related professional development activities. For more information, visit its website.