Categories
Archive-2015

ArtSciLab Students Move Onto New Ventures

Two students in the ArtSciLab, Sruthi Ayloo and Stephanie Brisendine, will be graduating this spring 2015 semester and going into new jobs and opportunities.
Sruthi will be graduating with her Masters in Computer Science from UT Dallas. She says:
Working at the ArtSciLab as a graduate research assistant was the best thing that happened to me during my graduate studies. It was an amazing opportunity, as I got a chance to play and experiment with new technologies and was also introduced to the arts and music. I learned a lot during my stay here. Interacting with diverse people within the lab gave me a better understanding of various cultures and made my work fun. There were days when I used to get more work done for my lab than my coursework as I truly relished my job here and I really loved what I did.
I have always wanted to work on products that help with advancing computation across fields. In line with this goal, I have taken up a full-time offer as an Application Support Engineer at Mathworks (Massachusetts) and will be joining their Engineering Development Group. I will be solving different types of MATLAB problems and at the same time work with different teams within the company to build better features for MATLAB and its various toolboxes.
Stephanie will be graduating with her undergraduate degree in Emerging Media and Communications from UTD. She says:
My post-graduation plans evolved as I gained confidence in my ability to actualize opportunities. My two years at UTD, and more specifically, my year and a half with the ArtSciLab has given me confidence and curiosity in the world again. I’ve been able to learn, fail, experiment and create things that I never thought possible before. Being surrounded by an infinitely interesting international and academic community has also played a crucial role in my long-term goals. I remember thinking that finding a job after finishing my undergraduate would be sufficient, because going to grad school just equaled more debt. However, my current long-term goals include graduate research as well as becoming internationally established. The beautiful thing is there are multiple paths that I can take – job offers, grad school, abroad opportunities – which is extremely exciting. And as of late March, I’m happy to say that I was accepted into the JET Program in Japan and I will be living there for at least a year. I plan to use this time to become fluent in Japanese as well as continue investigating some of the questions I present in my capstone (senior project) this semester.
Congrats and good luck to Sruthi and Stephanie!

Categories
Archive-2015

Arts, Humanities, and Complex Networks — 6th Leonardo satellite symposium at NetSci2015

We are pleased to invite you to the

Arts, Humanities, and Complex Networks — 6th Leonardo satellite symposium at NetSci2015

taking place at the World Trade Center Zaragoza (WTCZ) in Spain,
on Tuesday, June 2, 2015.

Abstract:
For the sixth time, it is our pleasure to bring together pioneering work in the overlap of the arts, humanities, network research, data science, and information design. The 2015 symposium will again follow our established recipe and will leverage interaction between the areas by means of keynotes, a number of contributions, and a high-profile panel discussion.
In our call, we are looking for a diversity of research contributions revolving around networks in culture, networks in art, networks in the humanities, art about networks, and research in network visualization. Focussing on these five pillars that have crystallized out of our previous meetings, the 2015 symposium again strives to make further impact in the arts, humanities, and natural sciences.
Running parallel to the NetSci2015 conference, the symposium provides a unique opportunity to mingle with leading researchers in complex network science, potentially sparking fruitful collaborations.
As in previous years, selected papers will be published in print, both in a Special Section of Leonardo Journal MIT-Press and in a dedicated Leonardo eBook MIT-Press (see below).
Keynote:
Martin Krzywinski, Scientist, Genome Sciences Center, Vancouver, Canada
Make sure to check out his websites: http://mkweb.bcgsc.ca/ and http://circos.ca/
As in previous years, our high-profile keynote exemplifies the areas of cultural data science, network visualization, and/or network art.
Organizing committee:
Maximilian Schich, Associate Professor, ATEC, The University of Texas at Dallas, USA
Roger Malina, Executive Editor at Leonardo Publications, France/USA
Isabel Meirelles, Professor, Faculty of Design, OCAD University, Toronto, Canada
Submissions:
We invite you to submit a 300 word abstract including one descriptive figure by March 29, 2015 using our EasyChair submission link:

https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=ahcn2015

Note: Our previous calls had an acceptance rate of 14 – 25%. Contributors were selected using a peer review process with three to four independent reviews per paper. Succesful submissions usually include an abstract not exceeding 300 words (plain text in the EasyChair submission form, no paper attachment), a striking figure (.jpg attachment, optimized to about 2000 x 1200 pixel in landscape aspect ratio), as well as an URL, all of which should express the relevance to our call. Previously selected paper topics cover a large territory, including networks in archaeology, art, film, history, music, literature, network visualization, and the culture of art-science. For previous examples see our companion website at ahcncompanion.info.
Important dates:
Deadline for submission: March 29, 2015.
Notifications of acceptance will be sent out by April 6, 2015.
Date of symposium: Tuesday, June 2, 2015, in Zaragoza, Spain.
Attendance:
Important note: The main NetSci2015 conference requires satellite attendees to pay at least a one day registration fee, in addition to registering to our symposium via EventBrite.
To attend our symposium,
1. Please get a free EventBrite ticket at http://ahcn2015.eventbrite.com/
2. Pay at least a one-day registration fee at http://www.netsci2015.net.
If you do not get an Eventbrite ticket (but you paid the NetSci2015 fee), there is still a chance to attend, as some ticket holders may not be able to show up. We will fill these spaces in Zaragoza, again on a first come, first serve basis. Priority will be given to those on our Eventbrite wait list and those registered for the main NetSci conference.
Program Schedule:

9:00 – Roger Malina: Opening Remarks
9:10 – Maximilian Schich: Introduction
9:30 – Martin Krzywinski: Keynote talk
10:30 – Coffee break
11:00-13:00 – Contributed talks
13:00 – Lunch
14:00-16:00 – Contributed talks
16:00 – Coffee break
16:30 – Panel discussion
17:30 – End


 
About NetSci:
NetSci is the flagship conference on Complex Networks promoted by the NetSci Society. It brings under one umbrella a wide variety of leading researchers, practitioners and stakeholders with direct interest in Network Science, from Physics to Computer Science, Biology, Social Sciences, Economics, Technological and Communication Networks, Big Data and so on.
Links:
eBook on Arts, Humanities, and Complex Networks [Kindle Edition]:
Companion website: http://ahcncompanion.info/
For purchase (US $ 7.99): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007S0UA9Q
Special Section in Leonardo Journal:
Leonardo Journal 43:3, June 2010, pp. 212: http://www.mitpressjournals.org/toc/leon/43/3
Leonardo Journal 44:3, June 2011, pp. 239-267: http://www.mitpressjournals.org/toc/leon/44/3
Leonardo Journal 45:1, February 2012, pp. 77-89: http://www.mitpressjournals.org/toc/leon/45/1
Leonardo Journal 45:3, June 2012, pp. 275-286: http://www.mitpressjournals.org/toc/leon/45/3
Leonardo Journal 46:3, June 2013, pp. 267-279: http://www.mitpressjournals.org/toc/leon/46/3
Leonardo Journal 47:3, June 2014, pp. 265-278: http://www.mitpressjournals.org/toc/leon/47/3
Previous Symposia websites:
2010: http://artshumanities.netsci2010.net
2011: http://artshumanities.netsci2011.net
2012: http://artshumanities.netsci2012.net
2013: http://artshumanities.netsci2013.net
2014: http://artshumanities.netsci2014.net
Other relevant sites:
ATEC, The University of Texas at Dallas: http://www.utdallas.edu/atec/
BarabásiLab, Northeastern University, Boston: http://www.barabasilab.com
Faculty of Design, OCAD University, Toronto: http://www.ocadu.ca/academics/faculty-of-design.htm
Leonardo/ISAST: http://www.leonardo.info
NetSci2015: http://www.netsci2015.net


 
Contact:
If you would like to be added to the list of interested people, please drop us an e-mail with the subject [ Please add me to the Arts, Humanities, and Complex Networks list ] at artshumanities.netsci@gmail.com. Alternatively you can follow us on Twitter.

Categories
Archive-2015

Creative Disturbance celebrates its first year by celebrating International Women's Day and Women’s History Month

Through March, Creative Disturbance is featuring podcasts that showcase women voices in topics of art, science and technology. Some of the more popular podcasts include:
•  Art and Technology Pioneer Liliane Lijn
•  Music, Science and Technology pioneer Pauline Oliveros
•  Internet pioneer and innovator Christine Maxwell’s discussion with educator Rebecca Nix, Why Big Dreamers Need to Know About Big Data.
•  Artist Caroline Ometz‘s scientific and artistic collaborations with UT Southwestern researcher Dhru Deb in Cancer: Finding Beauty in the Beast.
•  Drs. Kathy Ellins and Susan Eriksson address the current status of art and earth science collaborations and new directions that could bolster their utility in geoscience research and education.
..and other topics of interest.
Visit creativedisturbance.org/womensday to hear the talented, powerful and diverse voices, or add your own podcast at the Voices of the Crowd channel to join these more than 25 voices.
Contact us at feedback.createdisturb@gmail.com if you would like to post a podcast!


 
What is Creative Disturbance
Creative Disturbance is an international, multi-lingual, online platform that (once complete) will provide a unique virtual environment for the intellectually curious across the globe to meet, network, collaborate, create, and socialize.
One means of both sharing and spurring such interactions is through a dynamic collection of podcasts crowdsourced and produced by Creative Disturbance members.
These ‘conversations’ help illuminate and inform others on matters of interest across the Creative Disturbance community.

Categories
Archive-2015

Upcoming ATX LASER: Where Art Intersects Science in Austin, on March 12

Texas has become a hub for attracting cross-disciplinary leaders. The next ATX LASER (Leonardo Art Science Evening Rendezvous) on March 12 will gather many of these thought leaders and innovators together.  This panel of Texas-based practitioners reflects the diversity and interests of the growing network, which seeks to become the leading advocate for collaboration among the sciences, engineering, arts and design, fostering innovation and learning that impact community sustainability and economic growth.

WHAT: ATX LASER: Where Art Intersects Science in Austin
WHERE: Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum, 605 Robert E. Lee Rd, Austin, TX 78704
WHEN: 7:00pm – 9:30pm, March 12, 2015
RSVP: atxlaser.eventbrite.com
MEDIA: For more information contact Diane Sikes at programs@umlaufsculpture.org and 512-445-5582


 

Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum presents 

ATX LASER: Where Art Meets Science in Austin

Interactive series gives new insight into seemingly opposing worlds

AUSTIN, TEXAS—Inspired by a noticeable trend of growing interest in the convergence of art, science and technology, the Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum (Umlauf) in partnership with Leonardo/The International Society for the Arts, Sciences, and Technology will host its fourth ATX LASER (Austin – Leonardo Art Science Evening Rendezvous) event March 12.  The engaging series is free and open to the public.
Guest speakers will include:
Interactive artist and researcher Jinsil Hwaryoung Seo.

Jinsil Hwaryoung Seo focuses on aesthetics of interactive experience. Currently she is an assistant professor in the Department of Visualization at the College of Architecture and a faculty fellow in the Center for Health Systems & Design at Texas A&M University. With interdisciplinary, interactive art practice, Seo investigates the intersection between body, nature and technology. Her current research concentrates on designing for tangible and kinetic aesthetics in the contexts of performance, child development and health.

Artist, scientist, and creative catalyst Ruth West.

Ruth West envisions a future in which art + science integration opens new portals of imagination, invention, knowledge, and communication across cultures to create breakthrough solutions for our most pressing global problems. Ruth directs the xREZ Art + Science Lab and is an associate professor at the University of North Texas cross-appointed in the College of Visual Art and Design (New Media Art & Design), College of Information (Information Sciences), College of Engineering (Computer Science) and College of Arts and Sciences (Biological Sciences).

Artist and cross-disciplinary collaborator Carol LaFayette.

Carol LaFayette collaborates with scientists and engineers to invent unique experiences based on interactions among flora, fauna, and humans in rural landscapes. Her work with leafcutting ants is documented in the PBS series “State of Tomorrow:” the first 3D, immersive map of a vast Atta texana colony. Carol’s artwork is in collections at the Museum of Modern Art, New Museum of Contemporary Art, and the J. Paul Getty Museum. She has exhibited interactive installations and video worldwide, including LAB ’11, Sweden; SIGGRAPH; Zebra Poetry on Film, Berlin; Filmstock, UK; and Solomon Projects, Atlanta. Reviews and papers have been published in BBC Technology News, Wired, and Leonardo. She is Professor in the Department of Visualization and Director of the Institute for Applied Creativity at Texas A&M University. Carol serves as Principal Investigator of an NSF-supported project to form the SEAD network for collaboration among the sciences, engineering, arts, and design.

Assistant Professor of Behavioral and rain Sciences Gagan Wig.

Dr. Wig’s research program uses a combination of structural and functional imaging tools to understand the organization of large-scale human brain networks and how these networks change over the adult-lifespan. He uses this information to guide studies related to mnemonic and attentional processes, with a particular focus on understanding the sources of individual differences in memory and attention and how they may be modified by aging and disease. In collaboration with Dr. Roger Malina¹s ArtSci lab at UTD, Dr. Wig has been exploring ways to Œdramatize¹ brain connectome data using dynamic representations that incorporate sight and sound. He will present an overview of some the recent insight revealed in his studies of brain connectivity networks and aging, and how data dramatization may reveal novel ways of understanding and appreciating the complex patterns that are present throughout the connections in our brains.

Discussion will be moderated by Roger Malina, space scientist and astronomer.  Malina is a Distinguished Professor of Art and Technology and Professor of Physics at the University of Texas at Dallas and the Executive Editor of the Leonarndo Publications at MIT Press.
Following the speaker presentations, an open discussion will commence where participation is welcomed and encouraged from all attendees. For more information about ATX LASER and other Umlauf events, please visit umlaufsculpture.org


 
About ATX LASER

ATX LASER was conceived by J.D. Talasek, UMLAUF scholar-in-residence, in partnership with the nonprofit Leonardo/The International Society for the Arts, Sciences, and Technology (Leonardo/ISAST). Talasek is Director of Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. and the founder of the D.C. Art Science Evening Rendezvous (DASER) program. His co-organizers for ATX LASER are Katie Robinson Edwards, PhD., UMLAUF Curator, and Diane Sikes, UMLAUF Director of Programs.

About Leonardo/The International Society for the Arts, Sciences, and Technology

The Leonardo/The International Society for the Arts, Sciences, and Technology (Leonardo/ISAST) is a nonprofit organization that serves the global network of distinguished scholars, artists, scientists, researchers, and thinkers through programs focused on interdisciplinary work, creative output and innovation. Visit the Leonardo/ISAST website for more information at www.leonardo.info

About the Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum

Founded in 1991, The Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization established around a vast collection of work by American sculptor Charles Umlauf who donated his home, studio and 168 pieces of sculpture to the City of Austin. The property was then transformed into a sculpture garden and exhibits the work of the prolific artist.
The museum’s mission is to provide educational experiences that encourage understanding and appreciation of sculpture in a natural setting through workshops, classes, tours and exhibitions.
The year 2014 marks the expansion of the museum’s initiatives, including the connection of the museum to the residence and studio of Charles Umlauf as well as the update and extenuation of the museum’s educational and public programming, benefiting the Austin community and visitors from across the world.

Categories
Archive-2015

S.T.E.A.M. Power: The Power To Change The World

If you’re looking for more STEAM listening, we recently discovered this podcast over at steampowerpodcast.com that you should check out! From their about page:

“We are a podcast dedicated to bringing you the latest and greatest news stories from across the entire spectrum of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics; as well as the Maker Movement and various Open Source Initiatives. We seek to inspire the public imagination in S.T.E.A.M. topics thus enabling a society that is technically and scientifically literate. We do this believing that a society that balances technological and scientific pursuit with humanity is the best hope for our collective future.
We also seek to serve as an advocate for the digital rights of individuals. We are strongly committed to ensuring technology plays the role of good in developing and safeguarding the democratic ideals of personal freedom, spirited debate, unfettered elections, and open conversation — free from fear, censorship, and harassment. We will ensure such ideals are passionately defended the world over.
We strive to be an advocate for four core initiatives, they are:
1) STEAM education in the United States and around the world. From elementary school to college and beyond. Not just in the classroom but also within youth groups and in the home.
2) Raising the public awareness and appreciation for the impacts science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics has on our society both now and in the future
3) Evangelizing the Maker Community, Open Source Movement and the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mentality so that we can become a more creative, self-reliant, and openly collaborative society.
4) Advocating for the digital rights of individuals by ensuring any policies put in place by governments and corporations balance privacy with security. Thus ensuring that the rights and freedoms of the individual is never trumped by corporate greed or government overreach.”
About The Hosts
Mike Parks is an engineer, Navy veteran, and small business owner.  You can follow along on Twitter or Google+, and he occasionally rants on his blog.
Lisa Parks is a sociologist and Mike’s better half.  She is passionate about understanding the impact technology has on people, society, and education.  She is also the creative genius of Super Chic Dollies.

Categories
Archive-2015

ArtSciLab & Leonardo Initiatives Seeks Experimental Publishing Intern

The ideal candidate is someone who is detail-oriented, enjoys the publishing process, communicates well with others, and is familiar with E-books. The candidate will acquire valuable experience with e-publishing tools and methods. Possible continuation over the summer since most of the work can be done online remotely with coordination meetings held on campus. The work is in the ATEC ArtSciLab under the supervision of professor Roger Malina
Responsibilities:
• Formatting existing or new articles for the upcoming Leonardo E-book according to the current style guide
• Updating style guide and process as it becomes more efficient
• Collaboration with various editors at MIT Press to supplement the development of Leonardo E-books
• Like a liaison with MIT Press, you will communicate and collaborate with E-book editors internationally
• Will help publish the E-book to Amazon
• Support the E-book’s online presence by maintaining its social media
• Responsible for the E-book companion website maintenance
• Could be tasked to experiment with other scholarly publishing platforms (i.e. publishing professional podcasts for the Leonardo Creative Disturbance channel)
Recommended:
• Previous experience in editorial work, social media, and front-end web development
• If interested contact Roger Malina at: roger.malina@utdallas.edu

Categories
Archive-2015

ArtSciLab and Leonardo/OLATS to collaborate in "Trust Me, I'm an Artist"

The UT Dallas ATEC ArtSciLab is pleased to announce its participation in collaboration with Leonardo/OLATS in “Trust Me, I’m an Artist”
“Trust Me, I’m an Artist: Developing Ethical Frameworks for Artists, Cultural Institutions and Audiences Engaged in the Challenges of Creating and Experiencing New Art Forms in Biotechnology and Biomedicine in Europe” is supported by funding from Creative Europe and is a collaboration between Waag Society, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, The Arts Catalyst, Ciant, Kapelica Gallery, Medical Museion, Capsula and Leonardo Olats. The lead artist on the project is Anna Dumitriu and the lead ethicist is Professor Bobbie Farsides.
The aim of “Trust Me, I’m an Artist” is to investigate how artists and cultural institutions can best engage with biotechnology and biomedicine in order to drive innovation in artistic production, ways of presenting artworks, and developing new audiences in Europe. The main goal is to provide artists, cultural institutions and audiences with the skills to understand the ethical issues that arise in the
creation and exhibition of artworks made in collaboration with biotechnology and biomedicine. Additionally the project will provide science and technology collaborators with new ethical frameworks for
successfully working with cultural and creative players. By giving confidence to stakeholders it will open up opportunities for artists and creative organisations to work in new partnerships across Europe and internationally.
Lead artist Anna Dumitriu said of the project:
“Artists tend to work at the forefront of innovation and push boundaries, whilst engaging in ethical and philosophical challenges that resonate through society around new technologies, and this project has the potential to situate them at the forefront of the latest research. Our high impact outputs will prompt new ways of thinking about how art, biotechnology and biomedicine can intersect, and bring together diverse stakeholders and audiences to create new ways of working at the cutting edge of art, science and technology.”
“Trust me, I’m an Artist” will involve a series of practical and discussion-based participatory workshop activities; a major series of performative events (before a live audiences) where a specially selected artist will propose an ethically complex artwork to a specially formed ethics committee (following the rules and procedures typical for the host country), the ethics committee will then debate the proposal and come to a decision, the artist will then be informed of the ethics committee’s decision and, alongside the audience, they can enter into a discussion about the result.
The learning from the project will be shared through a major symposium; a touring exhibition; a series of publications; a website; and an exciting distributable format designed to give other cultural institutions, artists groups, community groups, students and individuals the opportunity to stimulate dialogue by creating their own DIY Trust Me, I’m an Artist events, leaving a strong legacy for what we learn.
This new project builds on the strong foundations laid by the previous “Trust Me, I’m an Artist: Towards an Ethics of Art and Science Collaboration” project. The book of the project is available on
http://www.amazon.com/Trust-Artist-Dumitriu-Bobbie-Farsides/dp/1320097383/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408814598&sr=1-1
The ATEC ArtSciLab will be participating through the Leonardo Initiatives projects in Experimental Publishing including the Creative Disturbance platform (www.creativedisturbance.org ) channel on art and biology http://creativedisturbance.org/channel/meta-life/  and the MetaLife platform: http://synthbioart.texashats.org/
Website Links:
Waag Society http://waag.org/
Brighton and Sussex Medical School http://bsms.ac.uk/
The Arts Catalyst http://www.artscatalyst.org/
Ciant http://www.ciant.cz/
Kapelica Gallery http://kapelica.org/
Medical Museion http://www.museion.ku.dk/
Capsula http://00capsula00.wordpress.com/
Leonardo Olats http://www.olats.org/ ; UT Dallas ArtSciLab
www.artscilab.utdallas.edu
Anna Dumitriu http://normalflora.co.uk/