The intersection of art and technology is one of the three unifying principles of the School for Interdisciplinary Arts. Housed next to the sculpture studios, which offer paper, plaster, clay, and woodworking tools and materials, the facilities at the Lemelson Center for Design are used primarily to work with glass, plastic, metal, electronics, and fabric. Students with interest in art and technology are encouraged to pursue their interests and augment their studies with information about self-employment, marketing, intellectual property protection, and entrepreneurship. In addition to tools and materials, the LCD has a computer lab outfitted with modeling and designing software as well as a library of books and periodicals.

STUDENT PROJECTS

• Sculptural fashion
• Sculptural furniture
• Kinetic sculpture
• Circuit bent instruments
• Robotic animals

EVENTS
Annual SEA Conference
Each year the Lemelson Center sends students or recent alumni to the Self Employment in the Arts Conference outside of Chicago to network with other artists, exhibit their work, and attend lectures and workshops. The mission of SEA is to provide educational resources to help aspiring artists gain the entrepreneurial knowledge and skills needed to establish and maintain a career as an independent artist.

Annual Blacksmithing Meets
Each year as part of the blacksmithing program, LATDC sposors a one-day Blacksmithing Meet. Blacksmiths from around northern New England converge at the Lemelson Center for a day of demos, workshops, and project displays. Student blacksmith-enthusiasts from Hampshire and the surrounding Five Colleges meet local metal-pounders, get feedback on their own blacksmithing projects, and participate in the workshops and demos.

Regional Art/Design Museums
Each semester field trips to regional museums are organized to actively foster a learning community engaged in the avant guard of art and technology. Students have benefited from exploring visits at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Arts.

DART PROGRAM
The Hampshire College DART (Design, Art, and Technology) Program fosters and supports inventive explorations at the intersections of art, design, and technology. For more information, please visit their website.