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Hibber, Keith . (2019, December 5).Mixed reality and the future of storytelling Retrieved from:

https://www.learningandteachinghub.com/blog/2019/12/05/mixed-reality-storytelling/

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Mixed reality and the future of storytelling It is technologies like virtual, augmented and mixed realities that are helping define the future of storytelling

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Klavins , Ainars. ( 2020, March 18). Augmented reality art: opportunities and examples for artists and creatives Retrieved from: https://overlyapp.com/blog/augmented-reality-art-opportunities-and-examples-for-artists-and-creatives/

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You don't have to hone your IT skills to become an augmented reality artist

I wanted to start with the above point, because, in my experience, artists often think that they need to be gurus of traditional art and tech-innate at the same time. This is absolutely not the case, because:

1. There are different forms of augmented reality, including video and photo overlays. There are also platforms such as Overly app that allow people with no tech skills to put together their artworks with digital media. Bridging the gap between tech and art, such platforms help artists exploit basic levels of AR

2. If you want to create animated and 3D experiences - collaborate. A lot of projects that we deliver are based on partnerships. There are illustrators, animators, audio producers, multimedia artists, videographers, 3D designers, and so the list goes on. It is usually multimedia artists who have a background in digital design or contemporary art that go it alone. Still, they need to find partners who provide augmented reality hosting services that meet their needs, which again means that you can never really go alone with this form of ARt

3. Traditional artworks, even old-school paintings can serve as augmented reality markers. The art piece itself doesn't have to be affected by its new augmented reality layer.

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Augmented reality art: opportunities and examples for artists and creatives

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I wanted to start with the above point, because, in my experience, artists often think that they need to be gurus of traditional art and tech-innate at the same time. This is absolutely not the case, because: There are different forms of augmented reality, including video and photo overlays.

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Luna, John. ( 2019, April 2).

The Center for Immersive Media Retrieved From: https://www.uarts.edu/centers/cim

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The Center for Immersive Media

The Center for Immersive Media (CIM) at University of the Arts is a place where students and faculty can explore the opportunities and implications of what it means for ourselves to be immersed in data, simulations, stories, performances and digital communities.

This creative research facility is dedicated to the fields of virtual and mixed reality, performance motion-capture and human-computer interaction, through collaboration across visual and performing arts disciplines.

Please read the UArts Community Health Policy for the latest COVID-19-related practices and developments. Masks are required on campus.

Spotlight: I Want A Country

Shifting the theater experience for actors and audiences and setting the stage for future technologically forward endeavors

The Center for Immersive Media Shares A New 'Resist Covid Take 6!' Virtual Experience

The Center for Immersive Media (CIM) at University of the Arts recently produced 360-degree documentation of the Carrie Mae Weems installation, Resist Covid Take 6!-currently on view throughout UArts' Center City campus-that not only captures the artist's work but also offers an immersive snapshot of the sights and sounds of Philadelphia amidst the ongoing pandemic.

Each of the components of Weems' project brings awareness to the disproportionate, deadly impact of COVID-19 on Black, Latinx and Native American communities. This public campaign also emphasizes essential preventative steps including social distancing guidelines, evidenced by the allusion in the project's title to the recommendation that people stay six feet apart. The works are intentionally installed on the exteriors of various venues where they can be safely viewed by the public.

To date, Resist Covid Take 6! has been hosted in a number of cities across the U.S., including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, Nashville, New York and Savannah. UArts is the exclusive presenter of this project in Philadelphia, generously supported by the Jessica Hamilton Hardy Visiting Artist Fund. The locations of the specific installations that comprise the Philadelphia iteration-which include elements such as large-format posters, video PSAs, posters and window banners-are indicated on an interactive map that CIM Director Alan Price created utilizing a combination of HTML5, JavaScript, and Google Maps API.

Click here to engage with the Resist Covid Take 6 interactive map and 360 virtual experience.
The map hosts panoramic video clips created at five installation sites using an Insta360 Pro VR camera. The camera creates a full, equirectangular projection image, stitched together from six integrated wide-angle lenses. The videos are compatible with many virtual reality (VR) viewers, including the Google Cardboard viewer, which allows anyone to utilize an Android or IOS device to experience this content in an even more dynamic way.

The video clips, including one documenting the installation at the Art Alliance, show passersby encountering the project as they journey through the city. The soundtrack of cars and buses rushing by paired with individuals engaging in routine activities like dog walking are not unexpected scenes to encounter in a typical city on a sunny afternoon; however, the appearance of masks worn by the majority of those on the streets serves as an indicator of the impact of the virus on everyday life.

According to Price, "The primary goal of documenting Resist Covid Take 6! with immersive media technology is to capture the experience of being there, in the public spaces in which each of the works are installed." Regarding how this work ties into the larger mission of CIM, Price explains, "The Center for Immersive Media is a resource and creative research proving ground where anyone at UArts may discover ways that virtual and mixed reality, performance motion-capture and human-computer interaction can augment or facilitate the work that they do. This documentation project is just one example of potentially unique ways to document public works."

CIM's VR documentation is a fitting accompaniment to Resist Covid Take 6!. This way of interacting with the installations reinforces Weems' message by making the project-and by extension, the city-accessible in a safe yet engaging way that brings new dimension to the virtual viewing experience.
Immerse yourself in the Resist Covid Take 6! 360-degree experience.

UArts Celebrates Center for Immersive Media Grand Opening

On Wednesday evening, Nov. 20, UArts faculty, staff, students, administrators and honored guests gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the Center for Immersive Media (CIM) in Juniper Hall. The opening of this state-of-the-art facility marks the culmination of a year-long renovation project, announced in summer 2018.

The grand opening celebration included remarks from UArts President and CEO David Yager and CIM Director Alan Price, as well as live, hands-on demonstrations of VR, motion capture and various immersive sensory experiences. Remarks were followed by a ribbon-cutting and exclusive preview performance of "Infinitely Yours" by Miwa Matreyek, the center's first fellow. She will join University of the Arts in the spring 2020 semester, leading a course in CIM that will focus on interdisciplinary collaboration, called Projection, Body and Storytelling.

Adjunct assistant professor, master sound engineer and CIM's first faculty grantee, JohnPaul Beattie BA '10 (Composition), will also lead a course in CIM in spring 2020, titled Spatial Audio Composition. Beattie has received a microgrant to pursue research that will synchronize spatial audio with immersive lighting design and explore the interconnectedness of our eyes and ears.

We believe artists and creatives are uniquely positioned to help us understand the enormous impact technology is having on our lives. -President Yager

CIM at University of the Arts is a place where students and faculty can explore the opportunities and implications of what it means to be immersed in data, simulations, stories, performances and digital communities. The 5,600-square-foot facility is dedicated to exploring the fields of virtual and mixed reality, performance motion-capture, and human-computer interaction through collaboration across visual and performing arts disciplines.

"CIM demonstrates our commitment to advancing human creativity in a changing world," Yager says. "We believe artists and creatives are uniquely positioned to help us understand the enormous impact technology is having on our lives, and the center will afford a fantastic opportunity for experimentation and exploration at the intersection of the arts, design, science and medicine."
Learn more about the Center for Immersive Media.

Recap: Miwa Matreyek's Immersive Performance & Workshop

Otherworldly multimedia artist Miwa Matreyek brought her live performances, which combine her own shadow silhouette in interaction with her own animations, to University of the Arts March 27 and 28. She also led a masterclass, presented a demo and delivered an artist's talk.

Recap: Miwa Matreyek's Immersive Performance & Workshop /

Otherworldly multimedia artist Miwa Matreyek brought her live performances, which combine her own shadow silhouette in interaction with her own animations, to University of the Arts March 27 and 28. She also led a masterclass, presented a demo and delivered an artist's talk.

Otherworldly multimedia artist Miwa Matreyek brought her live performances, which combine her own shadow silhouette in interaction with her own animations, to University of the Arts March 27 and 28. She also led a masterclass, presented a demo and delivered an artist's talk.

This World Made Itself-staged with Myth and Infrastructure in the Arts Bank the evening of March 27-is a visually and musically rich journey through the history of Earth, from the universe's epic beginnings to the complex world of humanity. Matreyek's animation is colorful and bright, and her performance evokes harmony with the natural world. She is excited by the various forms of new life emerging from Earth's depths and the center of the universe. Point-of-view shots of feet walking on a beach immerses viewers in the scene, making them feel as compelled and exhilarated as she is. This connection makes the struggle between nature and humanity all the more haunting, as it destructively creeps its way into the performance later on...
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Grants In Support of Research & Innovation in Emerging and Immersive Media.

Faculty grants in support of research & innovation in emerging and immersive media
Up to $25,000
The Corzo Center, in collaboration with the President and Provosts offices, has created an Investment Fund and Faculty Incubator, designed to encourage creative research and innovation in immersive media and related artistic and entrepreneurial practice.

The university's new Center for Immersive Media (CIM) provides our community with a new laboratory for exploring the opportunities and implications of what it means for us to be immersed in data, simulations, stories, performances and digital communities. The center is dedicated to collaborative exploration in the fields of virtual and mixed reality, mediated performance, motion-capture and human-computer interaction, and how they can be applied in and across disciplines. Go here more information.

Strongest consideration for funding will be given to ideas that are cross-disciplinary, with collaboration among faculty and programs or institutions and businesses outside the university, and with the potential for effectively leveraging CIM facilities and resources. Proposals should represent innovative approaches to creative practice or curriculum and contribute to expanding public awareness of faculty and university work. They should also reflect market and audience awareness, demonstrating an understanding of how the proposed undertaking will have appeal.

The first round of funding begins in fall 2019, and subsequent rounds are anticipated. The application process consists of a short preliminary proposal (500 words). Proposals of interest will receive consultation before applicants are invited to submit final proposals, which will be juried by a cross-disciplinary panel of faculty representatives and external jurors.

Applications are open to all full and part-time faculty with at least two semesters of teaching at UArts in the past year; additional faculty, staff and students may be included as additional collaborators. Grant recipients have up to two years to complete the proposed work, contingent upon continued employment at the university.

First preliminary proposal deadline: Aug. 23, 2019, 5:00 p.m.
Final formal proposals deadline: Oct. 11, 2019, 5:00 p.m.
Award announcements: Nov. 22, 2019

For detailed information on application criteria and the review process, visit uarts.edu/cim/apply.

UArts and Jefferson University Partner on Emergency Medicine Study

Two storied Philadelphia universities-both renowned for heralding the transformative power of creativity-are partnering in order to reduce physician burnout in emergency medicine settings. The collaboration is supported by a grant awarded by the Emergency Medicine Foundation and HKS Architects. The purpose of this funding, as detailed on the HKS website, is to "help reimagine how emergency departments are designed by fostering innovation in an environment that has remained largely unchanged for decades." This provides a unique opportunity for the University of the Arts to expand its work using immersive technology to explore the convergence of art, design and science.

"It is this type of cross-disciplinary thinking and creative collaboration that embraces the essential role of the arts that I believe is going to be critical to our success as society as we emerge from a global pandemic."

-David Yager, UArts President and CEO

Nearly 60% of emergency physicians report experiencing burnout which can result in chronic exhaustion, health deterioration from stress and the potential for compromised health care delivery to patients.

"Now more than ever, we must understand and redesign the human experience of frontline emergency rooms," said Stephen K. Klasko, MD, MBA, president of Thomas Jefferson University and CEO of Jefferson Health. "It's a brilliant opportunity to provide much-needed relief and benefit emergency staff and their patients."

The study is distinct in both its approach and its cross-disciplinary team. It will be anchored by Jefferson's Health Design Lab and the Emergency Medicine department and University of the Arts' new Center for Immersive Media (CIM), a 5,600-square-foot facility devoted to emerging and new technologies. The project will use high-fidelity virtual reality modeling, conducted at CIM, to analyze the environmental factors of the Emergency Medicine department at Thomas Jefferson University.

"It is this type of cross-disciplinary thinking and creative collaboration that embraces the essential role of the arts that I believe is going to be critical to our success as society as we emerge from a global pandemic," says David Yager, president and CEO of University of the Arts. "We are proud to partner with Jefferson not only on this groundbreaking and timely study, but on a number of projects that demonstrate the innovative power that's at the intersection of the arts and sciences."

Environmental factors such as lighting, presence of windows, access to nature, aesthetics and imagery, ventilation, space, circulation and wayfinding, noise, and ergonomics have been proven to correlate with levels of stress, fatigue and low job satisfaction in other healthcare settings, but have not been explicitly studied within emergency room settings-in part due to the complexity of studying an active and highly trafficked emergency setting. Leveraging virtual reality will help the team study, and later manipulate, the emergency setting's environmental factors without disrupting the life-saving activities of a currently operating academic emergency department.

"If you have ever been in a busy ER, or seen one on TV, it's not surprising people working in them frequently burnout. There can be high stress, chaos, noise, crowded halls, poor lighting and a lack of windows or respite areas. In the current pandemic, the impact of poor ER design is felt even more by frontline workers," says Dr. J. Matthew Fields, principal physician investigator and associate professor of emergency medicine at Thomas Jefferson University.

"For years, people and hospitals have tried to reduce physician burnout, but no one has really attempted to change the environment itself," Dr. Fields continues. "That's why we are teaming up with the UArts' Center for Immersive Media to explore provider burnout in a completely novel way, through high fidelity virtual modeling of the ER space. The goal will be to pinpoint those areas in the environment that create the most stress and apply design thinking principles to reimagine and redesign them."

Dr. Fields also notes that this novel and collaborative approach will help pave the way for improving healthcare spaces in ways that will benefit providers, staff and patients.

"This is an exciting collaboration in which we are leveraging VR technology for contributing to the effectiveness and well-being of dedicated healthcare providers whose work routines take place in a chaotic, 24/7 environment," says Alan Price, director of the Center for Immersive Media at University of the Arts and principal design investigator for the study. "The sensory-rich experience of VR has the ability to elicit increased verbal, physical and emotional response to what physicians actually experience in emergency settings. Our VR simulation will allow doctors to 'step out' of the moment, and hopefully provide detail that would otherwise be difficult or impossible in the actual environment."

The multidisciplinary team also includes architects of KieranTimberlake Architecture and health design psychologists of Thomas Jefferson University.

"Staff burnout is a significant issue across the healthcare system. Design can help mitigate stressful conditions and support staff wellbeing, which is critically important," said Jason Schroer, AIA, principal and health practice leader at HKS. "We are honored to partner with EMF to research design's potential to ameliorate caregiver burnout."
Learn more about the Center for Immersive Media

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Past Events

Spring 2021 Cyber Studio open to all UArts Students

Join Alan Price from the Center for Immersive Media for an 8-week program that will explore collaboration in virtual environments and ways that artists and designers are using Virtual Reality (VR) in studio practice.

Weekly sessions consist of demonstration and participation in VR chat rooms and multiplayer VR applications alongside discussions about the variety of approaches to making and designing in a virtual studio environment. This program is open to all UArts students.

For students who join the Cyber Studio, there will also be an opportunity to participate in a small VR production team. This will be a topic of discussion during the first meeting of the semester.

Spring 2021 Meeting time: Tuesdays, 4:00 p.m. EST beginning Jan. 26
Complete the Cyber Studio sign up form

March 27, 2019: Visiting Artist Performance / Miwa Matreyek

This World Made Itself | Myth and Infrastructure
Reserve your free ticket now!

March 27, 2019: Visiting Artist Performance / Miwa Matreyek

This World Made Itself | Myth and Infrastructure
Reserve your free ticket now!

Miwa Matreyek - This World Made Itself

Miwa Matreyek - Myth and Infrastructure reel

Myth and Infrastructure & This World Made Itself
Wednesday, March 27, 7 p.m.
Arts Bank main stage
This event is free, but a ticket is required and space is limited.
Get tickets.
This World Made Itself is a visually and musically rich journey through the history of Earth, from the universe's epic beginnings to the complex world of humanity. The piece is at once semi-scientific (like flipping through a children's encyclopedia), and emotional, surreal and dreamlike. Learn more.

In Myth and Infrastructure, Matreyek traverses oceanscapes and cityscapes as she explores the creativity and the dreaming we can find in our own domestic spaces. Learn more.

March 28, 2019: Artist Talk & Demo With Miwa Matreyek

Artist Talk & Demo
Thursday, March 28, 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
Arts Bank main stage
Open to UArts students, faculty and staff.

Masterclass
Thursday, March 28, 1 p.m.
Arts Bank main stage
Open to UArts students by invitation. Faculty: To nominate students, email cim@uarts.edu.

Join Visiting Artist Miwa Matreyek for a behind-the-scenes look at her performances This World Made Itself and Myth and Infrastructure.

About Miwa Matreyek
Miwa Matreyek creates live multimedia performances combining her own shadow silhouette in interaction with fantastical animations of her own making, merging film and theater in a unique kind of storytelling spectacle.

This World Made Itself is a visually and musically rich journey through the history of Earth, from the universe's epic beginnings to the complex world of humanity. The piece is at once semi-scientific (like flipping through a children's encyclopedia) and emotional, surreal and dream-like.

In Myth and Infrastructure, Matreyek traverses ocean-scapes and cityscapes as she explores the creativity and dreaming we can find in our own domestic spaces.

Learn more about Miwa

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Courses at the Center for Immersive Media

The Center for Immersive Media offers course topics in the areas of emerging and immersive technologies, concepts and applications. These courses often reflect contemporary trends, collaborative and cross-disciplinary approaches, and the creative research and practice of faculty, staff, and visiting artists. Course are open to all disciplines.

Fall 2021 Course

Soundscapes
Instructor: Paul Schuette
A soundscape, simply put, is an acoustic environment. Whether on a hike in the woods, waiting at the airport or listening to a piece of music, the soundscapes which surround us have an incredible impact on our lived experience of the world. Building on the work of R. Murray Schafer, this course will investigate the constantly evolving nature of soundscapes.
The study of soundscapes occupies "a middle ground between science, society and the arts" and is a relevant topic to multiple artistic practices including filmmaking, performance, theatrical design, game development, music and installation. Through creative projects, discussions, and lectures, this course will approach soundscapes from multiple perspectives: as a creative practice, as a design platform and as a field of research. Covering topics which range from neuroscience and auditory scene analysis to field recording and urban planning, this course covers a diverse array of artists and practitioners including Brian Eno, Maryanne Amacher, Alvin Lucier, Luc Ferrari and Richard Devine.

Past Courses

Projection, Body and Storytelling
Instructor: Miwa Matreyek, Visiting Assistant Professor
3 credits - Tuesday 1:00-5:30
With a focus on interdisciplinary collaboration, this class will explore approaches to storytelling through combining projected moving image with live performance, objects, and space. Students will work collaboratively to create several iterative projects growing in complexity and scale, leading to completed short-form performance pieces to be showcased at the end of the semester. The class will highlight the production process of projects, from equipment, tools, and software, as well as practice the skill sets needed for the exhibition or touring of their work.
Students must have intermediate to advanced experience in their major discipline, and a strong desire to apply those skills in a collaborative, cross-disciplinary environment.
Learn more.

Art Making in VR
Instructor: Erik VanHorn
3 credits - Wednesday 1:00-5:30
This class explores the range of Digital Content Creation (DCC) tools available to the artist in Virtual Reality. Utilizing current VR headset and interaction systems, we will survey digital sculpting, painting, design and animation apps in the service of personal expression and room-sized virtual art creation.

Spatial Audio Composition
Instructor: JohnPaul Beattie
1.5 credits - Friday afternoon 1:00-3:20
A study of new techniques and technologies for composing immersive, spatial audio and music experiences. Designed to expose the student to new and cutting edge spatialization, including higher-order ambisonics, quadrophonic, surround sound, and binaural/transaural, through hands-on and project based recordings, installations, performance, or virtual environments.

Contact the CIM at cim@uarts.edu

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Center for Immersive Media

From virtual reality hardware to motion-capture software, the Center for Immersive Media fosters collaboration across disciplines. See art in action from a sampling of courses, guest artists and events.

Center for Immersive Media /

From virtual reality hardware to motion-capture software, the Center for Immersive Media fosters collaboration across disciplines. See art in action from a sampling of courses, guest artists and events.

The 5,600-square-foot facility is dedicated to exploring the fields of virtual and mixed reality, performance motion-capture and human-computer interaction. The facilities include:

40' x 40' square, 14' high truss and open floor area, including:

optical motion capture system for full body performance capture and location-based VR applications

multiple video projectors

lighting instruments with adjustable zoom and color

four channel audio system

station with control surfaces for all of the above

blackout curtains surrounding the truss

16 station computing classroom with PCs optimized for real time computer graphics rendering.

Two large project rooms with ceiling grids for development of installations and virtual environments.

Production equipment in the facilities will expand as the center takes shape, but currently includes:

Multiple VR Head Mount Display systems (Vive Pro, Oculus Rift S, Quest, Go).

Additional trackers for Vive Pro.

Insta360 Camera capable of 360 degree VR video, stereoscopic and live streaming capabilities.

Multiple short-throw and standard-throw video projectors.

Contact the CIM at cim@uarts.edu

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About the Center for Immersive Media

Mission Statement

The mission of the center is to connect, engage and be a catalyst for creativity with

faculty, through creative research, collaboration, teaching and grant partnerships.

students, through learning, team projects and production internship experience.

the professional community, through collaboration, projects and grant partnerships.

research and development, through continuous adoption of, and training on, new technologies.

Immersive media not only refers to current trends in consumer-based virtual reality headsets and the history of immersive installations, but is also descriptive of our increasingly mediated society and lifestyles in entertainment, social interaction and professions. Designing for media experiences and consumption must accommodate increasingly mobile, integrated and networked systems.

The center is a place to explore opportunities and implications of what it means for ourselves to be immersed in data, simulations, stories, performances and digital communities.

Technologies that become more integrated with our senses, our bodies and identity must be humane, and artists, authors, composers and choreographers have creative and critical sensibilities that can anticipate and illuminate meaningful ways of engaging with emerging and future media technologies.

Advisory Committee

Michael Attie, assistant professor, School of Film

John Paul Beattie, master sound engineer, School of Music

Stephen Cirino, senior lecturer, School of Music

Curt Haworth, modern dance coordinator and professor, School of Dance

Micah Jones, associate professor, School of Music

Jung-eun Kim, adjunct associate, School of Dance

Neil Kleinman, director, The Corzo Center for the Creative Economy

Justin Lujan, assistant professor, School of Theater

Juan Parada, associate professor, Game Art

Natalie Robin, assistant professor, School of Theater

Erik VanHorn, program director, Game Art, and associate professor, School of Film

Shelton Walker, assistant vice president for special projects

About the Director

Alan Price has been creating work in the area of virtual and immersive environments for over 20 years. He has previously served as associate director of the Imaging Research Center at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and affiliate research faculty and acting director of the Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design at The Ohio State University. He was a visiting fellow at the iCinema Centre for Interactive Cinema Research at the University of New South Wales; visiting associate professor at the Centre for Applied Computing and Interactive Media at the City University of Hong Kong; and a visiting associate professor at the School of Art, Design and Media at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He is a recipient of international awards in interactive media including Prix Ars Electronica in Linz, Austria; SIGGRAPH conference Art Gallery exhibitions; and a MUSE Award-which celebrates international achievement in galleries, libraries, archives and museums-for technology in museums.

Alan's creative work includes collaborations with composers, choreographers and other media artists, often in the form of live performances with interactive computer graphics and large-scale immersive installations that combine multiple projections and networked mobile applications for participants to interact with, or contribute to, the works. His applied research includes collaborations and sponsored research projects funded by Honda; the Federal Agency for Health Care Research and Quality; the National Science Foundation; the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science; the Baltimore Museum of Art; La Panacée Center for Contemporary Culture in Montpellier, France; and other institutions.

Alan's background as an animator and filmmaker emphasizes narrative and cinematic structure in his works with immersive and interactive storytelling. His animation and film work has been awarded and exhibited at numerous film festivals including Black Maria, Transmediale, Humboldt, Anima Mundi and Ann Arbor, among others. Utilizing real-time computer graphics technology and a combination of ready-made and custom hardware, Alan creates virtual environments, interactive performances, mobile apps and responsive spaces that are used to explore alternative forms of personal expression in time-based digital media.

Alan comes to the University of the Arts as founding director of the new Center for Immersive Media, bringing prior experience in the facilities design of other centers with a focus on advanced real-time computer graphics systems, motion capture, alternative display and interaction systems, and the cultivation of a creative community working to advance the use of novel and emerging technology in the visual and performing arts.

Contact the CIM at cim@uarts.edu

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The CIM is not a degree program, and does not have a structured curriculum that provides the necessary foundations and skills to pursue a career or specialization. Immersive media, and specifically VR, is not a discipline in itself, but is a format, genre, or technology that can be applied in many different disciplines. If you are an aspiring designer, artist, choreographer, composer, or performer, UArts offers degree programs in which you can develop the expertise to be successful in those fields, and by incorporating opportunities that the CIM provides to everyone, you have the ability to include VR and immersive media in your creative toolset.

The easiest and most direct way is to take a course offered at the CIM. This can lead to opportunities including work-study positions and internships working on CIM projects sponsored by the university and through external grants and partnerships, and can help advance your professional experience. Advanced undergraduate and graduate students may submit proposals for independent or collaborative work fullfing your degree requirements. Ask your program director or faculty that you work with about integrating technology available at the CIM and how it can support your academic work.

CIM courses are open to students in any discipline without prerequisites; however, we recommend that you spend your freshman year studying in your degree program before taking a CIM course. This will allow you to connect to your creative practice, and to make sure that you find relevance to your work so that you can effectively explore and challenge the boundaries of your medium. Students should have a clear understanding of concepts and project ideas in order to take full advantage of opportunities available at the CIM.

Most courses are studios with students from a range of disciplines and interests. Courses typically meet in the computer lab at the CIM and explore new technologies requiring an aptitude for learning new software, hardware and techniques. Team projects in the courses can provide invaluable experience for collaborating with students in other disciplines. While you learn new technologies and concepts, you will be asked to explore how it relates to your chosen degree and disciplines of interest. See current and past course offerings.

Courses are taught by faculty and visiting artists who relate or connect their own artistic research and practice to immersive media. Topics and concepts are driven by interests that augment or explore boundaries of traditional or conventional practices. CIM courses are an opportunity for both students and faculty to explore new ways of thinking and making.

In general, the facilities are not available for individual or group performance or exhibition that is not a direct outcome of work developed at the CIM. As a research center, the facilities are dedicated to ongoing production. Public events occuring at the CIM are part of the center's programming and is curated to represent the mission and activities of the CIM, and opportunities to include work in events are through a process of calls for participation and invitation.

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Contact

The center is located in University of the Arts' Juniper Hall.
The main entrance for guests is on the east side of the building through a small parking lot.
Students and guests may also enter by way of the CIM classroom through the Juniper Hall residential lobby entrance.

Contact the Center for Immersive Media at cim@uarts.edu

Street address:
310 S 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107

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Miwa Matreyek - This World Made Itself

Miwa Matreyek - Myth and Infrastructure reel

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Coates, Charlotte. (2020, July 17). How Museums are using Augmented Reality Retrieved from: https://www.museumnext.com/article/how-museums-are-using-augmented-reality/

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Augmented reality is the process of using technology to superimpose images, text or sounds on top of what a person can already see. It uses a smartphone or tablet to alter the existing picture, via an app. The user stands in front of a scene and holds up their device. It will show them an altered version of reality. There are many ways that museums could be using augmented reality.

A few of the most well-known applications of AR technology are from the gaming world. For example, Pokémon Go, the game where users can 'catch' Pokémon hiding in the world around them. Animated creatures are superimposed onto what players can see through their device's camera. The technology makes them appear as if they are existing in the real world. The app has been downloaded over one billion times. This shows that AR is accessible, and has the potential to reach a huge audience.

What is the difference between augmented reality and virtual reality?

Virtual Reality offers total immersion in a different reality. However, AR shows reality and an altered version side by side. VR replaces what the user sees with an alternate reality. AR adds to what the user can already see. This means it can be useful for annotating scenes and providing extra information. It is also used to put scenes into context and highlight contrasts with the current reality. VR requires specialist technology, such as headsets, controllers and sensors. AR experiences only need a smartphone or tablet and are downloadable as apps.

How can museums use augmented reality?

There are many possibilities for the use of AR in museums. The most straightforward way is to use it to add explanations of pieces. This means visitors will get more information when they view exhibitions using AR. Museums could even use it to display digital versions of artists next to their work. These 3D personas are then able to provide a narration. AR gives an opportunity to add a third dimension to displays, bringing objects or scenes to life. There are already many institutions around the world using AR. These projects bring something new to existing collections and attract wider audiences. Here are some interesting ways that museums are using augmented reality.

Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle

In June 2021, the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle in Paris launched an Augmented Reality experience using Microsoft's Hololens. The project called "REVIVRE" ("To Live Again") let visitors come face to face with digital animals which in the real world are now extinct.

The National Gallery

In 2021, The National Gallery in London looked to take the collections of the National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Royal Academy of Arts beyond their walls of the museum with an Augmented reality experience which members of the public could access through their phones. Users used an app to activate the artworks which were marked with QR codes on busy streets in central London.

The National Museum of Singapore

The National Museum of Singapore is currently running an immersive installation called Story of the Forest. The exhibition focuses on 69 images from the William Farquhar Collection of Natural History Drawings. These have been turned into three-dimensional animations that visitors can interact with. Visitors download an app and can then use the camera on their phone or tablet to explore the paintings.

The family-friendly installation uses technology to provide a learning experience. Much like Pokémon Go, visitors can hunt for and 'catch' items. In this case, these items are the plants and animals within the paintings. They can then add them to their own virtual collection as they walk around the museum. The app shows more information about them once they have been collected. Users can learn facts such as habitat, diet and how rare the species are.

The William Farquhar Collection of Natural History Drawings is one of the museum's most important collections. Created by the Japanese digital art collective teamLab, this AR project brings the drawings to life. Audiences can interact with and explore the images in an exciting new way.

The Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto

In July 2017, the AGO worked with digital artist Alex Mayhew to create an AR installation called ReBlink. Mayhew reimagined some of the existing pieces in the collection. This gave visitors the opportunity to view them in a new light.

Visitors used their phones or tablets to see the subjects come alive and be transported to our 21st-century reality. For example, the painting Drawing Lots by George Agnew Reid depicts three characters. Their heads bend over their game together in a peaceful spot. In Mayhew's modern version, the three are separate and absorbed in phone screens of their own. Smoky traffic passes by behind. Mayhew is interested in the encroachment of technology on modern life. In his view, we are constantly bombarded by images and as a result, we consume art at a more rapid pace.

By using AR for this project, the artist hoped to turn technology into a way to engage rather than distract. The exhibition aimed to use the app to get people to look up, rather than look down. According to the AGO's Interpretive Planner Shiralee Hudson Hill, 84% of visitors to this exhibition reported feeling engaged with the art. 39% looked again at the images after using the app.

The Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.

In 2017, the Smithsonian introduced AR technology to bring a whole new dimension to one of its oldest and most loved displays. Many of the skeletons in the museum's Bone Hall have been on show since 1881. Now visitors can download a new app called Skin and Bone which shows these pieces in a new light.

13 skeletons feature in the app, which superimposes images to reconstruct the creatures. Users can see how skin and muscle would have looked over the bones, and how the animals would have moved. This gives them a unique glimpse into the history of the pieces and helps to bring the display to life. Visitors can use the app to see a vampire bat take flight, or an anhinga demonstrating how it would have fished.

"This app is all about sharing some of the untold stories behind one of the museum's most iconic collections," said Robert Costello. He is the producer of the app and national outreach program manager at the Museum of Natural History.

The Pérez Art Museum, Miami

In December 2017, PAMM worked with artist Felice Grodin. Together they created the first fully augmented reality-powered art exhibition, called ' Invasive Species '. In the examples above, AR adds to existing works. However, Grodin's work for this project is completely digital. It is intended to be a full AR experience, conjuring images into an empty space.

The installation involved a series of digital images and species. These include eerie 3D models evoking creepy-crawlies, jellyfish or cryptic signs. Felice wanted to interact with the architecture of the building, and transform it. The exhibition is a comment on the fragility of our ecosystem and the threat of climate change. It transports visitors to a future version of the building, taken over by invasive species. For example, 'Terrafish' invades PAMM's hanging gardens with a 49ft tall jellyfish-like structure. It is reminiscent of a non-native species currently populating the waters around Miami.

PAMM curator Jennifer Inacio believes that art can be a pathway to debate. She wanted the exhibition to lead to conversations, to engage viewers in a dialogue, "The uncanny works that the artist created are meant to pull viewers into the serious discussion of climate change, but in an engaging and interactive way."

The Kennedy Space Centre, Merritt Island

AR can help visitors to understand historical events by making them appear in 3D. A great example of this is the Heroes and Legends exhibit in the Kennedy Space Centre. Here, an AR experience shows a key moment the history of America's space programme.

In June 1966, astronaut Gene Cernan performed the second spacewalk in history. He later called it the 'spacewalk from hell'. His spacesuit overheated and he went into an uncontrollable spin, unable to see. The display shows the Gemini 9 space capsule and uses AR to project a hologram of Cernan over it. Visitors can view the ordeal as he struggles to get back inside the capsule. There is also a voiceover from Cernan himself, describing his experience.

The exhibition uses AR holograms throughout. This technology gives faces and voices to the people who worked on the space programme. Visitors can hear stories from NASA legends told in their own words.

Are there any risks of using augmented reality in museums?

One of the concerns that PAMM had around its use of AR was the notion that technology can be isolating. Having visitors absorbed in the world on their phone and being in their own bubble would have run counter to what the artist wanted to achieve. In actual fact, it found that people were using the technology together. Groups were sharing screens and discussing what they could see. The exhibition even had the potential to engage strangers in conversation.

Another risk is that this new technology could exclude older generations. Digital natives and millennials are likely to take such installations in their stride. Older people could potentially struggle or feel left out. Again, PAMM found that this was not the case. Many of the visitors to their AR exhibition were aged 55+. This age group reported having a positive experience.

There have been some cases of unauthorised augmentations. The most famous example is from 2018 when a group of artists 'took over' MoMA's Jackson Pollock gallery. If visitors downloaded the app, they were able to see how these artists had reimagined the paintings. This included showing one piece as an Instagram post touting for likes. The concept is not too different to some of the examples above. But in this case, the artists did not have the permission of the museum. They were seeking to make a commentary on the position of the museum as 'cultural gate-keepers'.

Curators also need to be careful that AR installations don't have an impact on the work of other artists. PAMM was careful to only place Grodin's works in areas of the museum that were free of existing pieces, to avoid overwriting them.

What could the future hold for Augmented Reality in museums?

There are many exciting applications for augmented reality in the museum space. Virtual reality is still costly, prohibitively so in some cases. It needs a lot of specialist equipment. AR can provide a cheaper way to bring displays to life.

Museums and curators are already full of knowledge, and of the desire to engage people in a dialogue. Augmented reality is another tool that can communicate this knowledge. It invites visitors to find out more. A virtual rendition of an artist narrating his work has the potential to encourage more engagement. A skeleton that comes to life can help visitors understand new concepts. AR can even help contextualise history by blending the old and the new. For example, it can show historical scenes superimposed onto modern ones.

This technology can capture people's attention and keep their focus on exhibitions for longer. Before opening their AR installation, the AGO did a survey. It discovered the average visitor to the museum's collections spent on average only 2.31 seconds in front of each image. In a busy modern life where visitors are not always inclined to linger, museums can use AR technology to reach out and grab their attention.

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Museums have been quick to adopt AR to create engaging interactives for their visitors. In this article we highlight the best uses of Augmented Reality in big name museums

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Jordan, Justine. ( 2020, December 14). You Need Virtual Reality Art for Your E-Learning Course, and Here’s Why Retrieved from: https://narrasoft.com/you-need-virtual-reality-art-graphics-for-your-e-learning-course-and-heres-why

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We perceive art in virtual reality to be an exciting technological advancement most useful to video games and entertainment pieces.

It's true; virtual reality is fun - it brings you to an entirely different world, and it lets you interact with realistic characters and objects. All this without you setting foot in the outside world.

But there is more to virtual reality art than meets the eye. Researchers from the University of Maryland (UMD) found people recall things much better when data's introduced to them in a virtual environment than in the usual mouse-controlled, desktop display setup. The researchers presented the information in a memory-palace style, allowing participants to view the environment randomly and freely.

So if you're not seeing the results you want your e-learning course to produce, then virtual reality could be the change your digital product needs.

How Virtual Reality Art Helps Students Learn Better

It's no surprise that video games and entertainment media are the first to use virtual reality art. Its main technical characteristics, which digital artist Craig Barr specifies as believability, interactiveness, capacity for exploration, and immersiveness, make for a highly enjoyable experience.

Apply these concepts to an e-learning course, and you get an audience that's more engaged than ever. In the same study conducted by UMD researchers, the following results show how effective virtual reality is for recall:

The virtual reality approach showed an almost 9% improvement in recall accuracy among the 40 participants.

A total of 16 participants recalled information better by 10% when immersed in the virtual reality environment.

About 95% of participants easily navigated the virtual environment, showing its potential for intuitive use.

To add to these findings, technology integrator Jon Spike shared during IDEAcon 2020 some of his recommendations that will help applications using virtual reality-based e-learning engage students better. These recommendations include collaboration, narratives, and puzzles.

His presentation's main example, Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes, illustrates how virtual reality art adds value to students' learning experience. Not only does the application allow users to solve a puzzle, but it also requires them to collaborate to defuse the bomb accurately and on time in a very engaging way.

BuzzFeed Multiplayer films experts coordinating to defuse the bomb in Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes

By incorporating Spike's recommendations into your e-learning course and maximizing the main characteristics of virtual reality art, you get an audience who will be able to internalize your course better, as well as have fun the entire time they're learning.

Applications of Virtual Reality Art Graphics in E-Learning Today

Now that you know how virtual reality art helps people learn, particularly when it comes to engagement and recall, you're probably wondering if this approach is the norm.

While organizations have started using virtual reality to instill new knowledge into learners, this practice is not yet as widespread as you'd expect. However, some industries have been using VR technology - sometimes out of necessity.

Studying Spaces through Virtual Reality Art

Visiting certain sites is hampered not only by travel restrictions today - some historical places are physically impossible to reach. Destruction, whether caused by war, natural calamities, or time, has plagued culturally and historically rich sites, preventing learners of history and archaeology from seeing these spaces with their own eyes.

Because of this lack of access, learning institutions like Yale have turned to virtual reality to replicate these places and allow students to explore them as realistically as possible.

Yale illustrates the importance of virtual reality art in e-learning

Of course, this learning approach still needs assistance from instructors. Or perhaps built-in guides. This will help students internalize the correct information.

And with virtual reality's ability to inspire interaction and exploration, it can promote an upward trend in a person's learning curve, researcher and academic Linda Daniela says in her paper Virtual Museums as Learning Agents.

Virtual Reality Art in Healthcare

Time and again, new studies report the same thing - virtual reality and 3D digital art help medical students understand subjects better. Medicine is a highly complex field that greatly requires accuracy. No wonder, then, that virtual reality has been used as a supplementary tool in medical training.

Several studies have shown that:

Medical training, however, is not the only advantage virtual reality art brings in the field of healthcare. Therapy programs have begun to use virtual reality technology to help patients cope with anxiety disorders, PTSD, and even surgeries.

The BBC reports the story of a surgeon in Mexico City who, instead of administering sedatives, transported his patient to Machu Picchu with virtual reality art.

What happens is astounding.

The patient's blood pressure dropped during the sedative-free surgery. And it's all because she traveled to an immersive world, despite being in a white hospital gown surrounded by medical equipment.

Through virtual reality art, patients can recalibrate the way their brains process events. As a result, they can learn new thought patterns and potentially adopt healthier behaviors.

Image credits to Pexels

How You Can Create A Visually Stunning, Effective, and Immersive E-Learning Course with Virtual Reality Art

At this point, you're probably wondering how your e-learning course can take advantage of this wonderful piece of technology.

In order to create compelling virtual reality art that supports your audience's e-learning endeavors, you need the following items:

A solid background in 3D digital art creation

The proper software and hardware

An understanding of how virtual reality art assets behave with the technology they're intended for

A grasp of how these art assets will interact with the end-user

And a good eye for art and detail

You will also need to fulfill several steps to get your virtual reality art to display the right balance of functionality and creativity. It has to be correct to be believable and artistic enough to be engaging.

What kind of steps are generally involved in the process toward VR art assets? For one, you have to know how to model and sculpt as finely as possible on various 3D art software. Details are important for an immersive experience.

Next, you will need to make sure these virtual reality art graphics are optimized. This will prevent users from experiencing slowness on your VR application.

Then, you need to add the right textures, colors, and shading to your VR art assets, too.

There's a lot of skill and experience needed for you to render virtual reality art.

But you don't have to develop your e-learning course on your own.

Three-dimensional graphic artists are the backbone of any VR application. These creatives are the "experience architects" who are responsible for crafting worlds, objects, and characters users see.

Without a highly skilled 3D artist by your side, you probably won't see the results you've been hoping your virtual reality-based e-learning course will produce.

So if you want your course to immerse, engage, and leave a lasting impression, get a 3D digital art team who is as experienced as they are talented.

Want your e-learning course to engage learners better? Outsource your virtual reality art development to NarraSoft to achieve this goal! Message our chatbox, fill out the contact form, or send us an email at sales@narrasoft.com! Get amazing virtual reality art assets with zero hassle.

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You Need Virtual Reality Art for Your E-Learning Course, and Here's Why | NarraSoft

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We perceive art in virtual reality to be an exciting technological advancement most useful to video games and entertainment pieces. It's true; virtual reality is fun - it brings you to an entirely different world, and it lets you interact with realistic characters and objects. All this without you setting foot in the outside world.