Art majors at UCSC got a look at their fancy new digs last Thursday when the university opened its Digital Arts Research Center to much fanfare. The $35 million, three-story complex, with its metal, glass and mesh design, glistened in the warm afternoon sun as the chiming music of UCSC’s Balinese Gamelan jingled in the background. David Yager, the school’s incoming dean of the Arts Division, along with Chancellor George Blumenthal, addressed the crowd of about 200 people before cutting a yellow ribbon and opening the doors for the attendees.
“We have a new building. And the building is important, but not really special,” said Yager, after turning a personal video camera toward the crowd. “It’s what goes on inside the building that makes it special.”
Story continues after slideshow. Photos by Curtis Cartier.
Inside the building, art mixed with science and technology in colorful, and often-interactive, displays. In one area on the first floor, Topher Maraffi, dressed in a ball-studded motion-capture suit, danced to a Radiohead song along with a digital image of himself. Nearby, undergrad arts major Stephanie Romero created sights and sounds using a touch pad on Lyès Belhocine’s “Sounds Interesting” display. On the second floor, theater students performed a scene from Hair, and in another room, Oscar Moreno showed off copper intaglio etchings to wine-sipping guests.
“This building is beautiful,” said Romero, her face illuminated by the neon glow of the interactive art display. “I’m really excited to start classes.”
Away from the party, the school’s Arts Division budget faces a $338,500 cut in its 2010-2011 budget. Layoffs are expected.
