As Atlanta continues to grow as one of the nation's leading technology and innovation hubs, Georgia Tech is helping to shape that growth through strategic partnerships, entrepreneurial programs, and community-driven experiences that connect innovators across the region. 

Malena Bisanti’s work and life mirror each other. She calls herself a “lifetime learner” by practice. She works with faculty to design the visual presentation of online graduate courses while spending her free time constructing layered works of art. Somewhere between the classroom and the studio, her philosophy, career, and creativity have come together into a real-life collage. 

LOOP, powered by Goat Farm, will launch at 665 Marietta St. NW, activating a key site within Atlanta’s emerging Creative Quarter. With Georgia Tech Arts, the initiative advances the Institute’s broader commitment to arts, creativity, and interdisciplinary collaboration. 

Green’s research explored how speaker enclosure shapes and materials impact acoustics, work that later evolved into Proxima Audio alongside co-founder Kyle Smith. The startup was also featured during Georgia Tech’s CREATE-X Demo Day, showcasing student-led ventures emerging from the Institute’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Following graduation, Green plans to continue growing Proxima Audio as founder and CEO while advancing work at the intersection of music, engineering, and design.

Read the full story from the Georgia Tech School of Music.

Tuesday, November 5th at 7:30PM in Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons, Room 152 we will be hosting a sneak peek at the hour-long documentary film followed by a Q&A panel with the fillmmaker, Ralph King, our HHL Center Co-Director Dr. Ozlem Ergun, Coordinator for the Center for Design Thinking at Mt. Vernon Presbyterian School- Mary Cantwell, and VP of Innovation for First Data- Scott Sanchez.

Wednesday, November 6th from 4:30-6PM in the Student Success Center, Press Room B, we will host an interactive design workshop led by filmmaker Raplh King and Stanford d.school graduate Erica Estrada. The workshop begins with a design challenge and covers five design steps (empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test). At key intervals, we present clips of the film that provide real-world examples of each step of the process. There will be an optional film screening following the workshop at 6PM for those interested.

RSVP is REQUIRED for the Workshop, so please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/event/8922335947 to register on Eventbrite.

RSVP is also encouraged for the Film Screening, so please also reserve tickets at the screening Eventbrite site: https://www.eventbrite.com/event/8956082885.

Please see attached pdfs at right for fliers and poster promo material. Thanks!

You hear a lot of chatter in the Campus Recreation Center (CRC) — “All the weight machines are full!” “Where is the swimming pool?” “I exceeded my one-rep max today!” — but one sentence you don’t expect to hear is, “Do you want to go play video games?” 

“Arts organizations contribute so much to the vibrancy of a community,” said Caley Landau, program manager for GAIN and marketing strategist at EI². “They help create a sense of place and provide the ‘something to do’ that small cities and towns want to offer residents, new workers, and prospective businesses. Our hope is to enhance the arts and cultural ecosystem in Middle Georgia by providing training and technical assistance to the organizations that produce art in the region.”

A Rural Community Already Investing in Placemaking

Perry was selected as the pilot location in part for its active downtown revitalization work and commitment to placemaking. Through the Georgia Economic Placemaking Collaborative, Perry city staff partnered with EI²’s Center for Economic Development Research to develop strategies for arts‑based community development.

“Working alongside the Georgia Tech team has been a wonderful experience,” said Alicia Hartley, downtown manager for the City of Perry. “We hope that participants walk away from the cohort inspired and empowered to activate their organizations in creative and meaningful ways.”

Listening First, Then Providing Targeted Support

The program will begin with a listening session to understand participating organizations’ needs. EI² will then design tailored workshops drawing from experts at Georgia Tech and beyond. Every other month, cohort members will meet for sessions on business practices, digital tools, operational efficiency, marketing, placemaking partnerships, and other areas that support long‑term sustainability.

“They sound like great ideas — murals, pop‑up exhibits, outdoor performances — but how do you really get down to the nuts and bolts of making them happen?” Landau said. “And how do you bring the right partners to the table? That’s what we’ll explore together.”

A Statewide Mission, Strengthened Through the Arts

As Georgia Tech’s economic development arm, EI² administers programs that support entrepreneurs, manufacturers, communities, and municipalities across the state and around the world.

“GAIN represents an important part of EI²’s comprehensive approach to economic development,” said David Bridges, vice president of EI². “It gives us another way to create impact in Georgia by applying our expertise to serve arts organizations that are vital to Georgia communities.”

Jason Freeman, associate vice provost for Georgia Tech Arts, noted that the pilot aligns with the Institute’s broader commitment to supporting arts, culture, and creativity statewide.

“Through GAIN, I’m excited to learn more about the arts ecosystem in Middle Georgia,” Freeman said. “The lessons we learn will inform both statewide collaborations and new initiatives emerging through our Creative Quarter innovation district on campus.”

Program Funding and Support

The pilot is funded through the NEA’s Our Town program, which supports projects integrating arts, culture, and design into community development. The Georgia Council for the Arts is partnering with EI² on cohort recruitment, curriculum development, and arts‑based placemaking strategies.

Recruitment has begun. Arts nonprofits and arts‑based businesses in Middle Georgia may apply at innovate.gatech.edu/gain/.

These grants of up to $1,000 provide undergraduate and graduate students, as well as postdoctoral researchers, support for individual and collaborative projects. All six colleges with on-campus students are represented among the primary proposers, with collaborators ranging from registered student organizations and faculty mentors to Atlanta-based artists.

College of Design

Anthony Cammarota, a musician and Ph.D. candidate in music technology (School of Music), received funding for Guitar Picking Device: Technique as Embodiment of Performance Practice. The project designs a musician-focused guitar performance technology to improve technique through techno-mediated learning, reducing physical strain and inefficient gestural habits.

Rafael Collado, a graduate student in music technology (School of Music), received funding for Bravo, Director. This staged one-man musical showcase uses generative AI to satirically comment on the role of AI in music creation and contemporary creative expression. The performance will take place April 20 in the Black Box Theatre.

Aleksandra Ma, a graduate student in music technology (School of Music), in collaboration with Anthony Cammarota and Jeff Albert, received funding for Human to Human Jazz Improv. The project explores how musicians communicate during improvisation and how those insights can inform new forms of artistic collaboration between human performers and AI.

TeAiris Majors, a Ph.D. candidate in music technology (School of Music), in collaboration with Thais Alvarenga, will create Just Chill, a portable interactive installation inviting students to explore emotional well-being through sound and visual design.

John Parrack, a third-year architecture student (School of Architecture), in collaboration with Molly Pentecost and Nour Khalifa, received funding to support Sandbox, an emerging student-run publication. Exhibitions are scheduled for late April and early May.

Ryan Yin, a third-year architecture student (School of Architecture), will produce two installations: What Makes Something Home and Informality, both designed for high-traffic campus spaces to encourage interaction and reflection on housing disparity and community-driven architecture.

Peyman Salimi, a graduate student in music technology (School of Music), will present Self + Apolide: A Multilingual Spatial Audio Performance, an immersive show using a 12-speaker ambisonics setup.

Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts

Inha Cha, a Ph.D. candidate in digital media (School of Literature, Media, and Communication), will lead AI-Non Use Tool Kit, a tangible resource for creative professionals exploring the social and ethical implications of AI usage and non-usage.

Chelsi Cocking, a Ph.D. candidate in digital media (School of Literature, Media, and Communication), in collaboration with Raianna Brown, Ta Nycia Wooden and Okorie Johnson, will create Everything Sings, an audio-reactive sculpture visualizing ambient vibrations in performance space.

Olamma Oparah, a Ph.D. candidate in digital media (School of Literature, Media, and Communication), received support for Anyanwu Patterns. The film and textile installation adapts Octavia E. Butler’s Wild Seed and will be showcased at the Butler Symposium at Atlanta Contemporary on Feb. 26.

Allie Riggs, a Ph.D. candidate in digital media (School of Literature, Media, and Communication), in collaboration with Shelly Boehm, received funding for Lichen Meditations: Materializing Queer Entanglements in Sonic Environments. Riggs will present the work at the Atlanta Science Festival on March 14 and Georgia Tech’s Digital Media Demo Day.

Cecile Zhang, a Ph.D. candidate in digital media (School of Literature, Media, and Communication), leads Feminist Mixed Media Photography: Counter Archive x Algorithm, examining the patriarchal history of photography and how emerging technologies can challenge established norms.

College of Computing

Sylvia Janicki, a postdoctoral researcher in interactive computing, will produce Rest Against the Machine, a sonic-textile installation examining AI data centers through a critical disability lens. The work will be featured June 5 and 6 at the Atlanta Public Art Futures Lab.

Catherine Wieczorek-Berkes, a Ph.D. candidate in human-centered computing, leads Materializing Critical Temporalities, which will be presented at the SPARK Lab in TSRB in April.

Ethan Zhao, a graduate student in human-computer interaction, in collaboration with Allen Cai and Emily Zhou, received funding for Sustainability in the DIY Music Community, a community-engaged research initiative supporting Atlanta’s DIY music spaces.

College of Sciences

Ryan Clark, a third-year neuroscience student, received support for Collective Effervescence, an interactive light installation using DMX and motion capture equipment. Clark plans to showcase the work at the Atlanta Science Festival and ImmerseGT.

Scheller College of Business

Srihitha Joginapally, a third-year business administration student, received support for GT AfroDance’s Unity Dey. The grant will fund materials for a tie-dye workshop allowing dancers to design their own costumes.

College of Engineering

Lukas Kassatly, a mechanical engineering student and vice president of DramaTech Theatre (School of Mechanical Engineering), will use funds to support DramaTech’s production of Everybody by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. The performance runs Feb. 20–28 in the Black Box Theatre.

Alexandra Wnuk, a Ph.D. candidate in materials science and engineering (School of Materials Science and Engineering), in collaboration with Ashley Burton and Lucia Lammers, received support for the Textiles Team’s Fashion of the Future on April 17 in the Marcus Nanotechnology Building.

Naugle Writing and Communication Center

Jenessa Kenway, a Marion L. Brittain Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow, in collaboration with Jacqueline Kari, will lead Tender Buttons, Moving Pictures, a course integrating modernism, visual literacy and experimental filmmaking.

For more information about these programs, contact Kailey Albus, student support specialist for Georgia Tech Arts.

Boykin’s work explores themes of identity, spirituality, vulnerability, and human connection. Her seven-song cycle, 26 Ways of Looking at a Black Man, appears alongside works by William Grant Still, creating a cross-generational dialogue through music. Additional compositions appear on In This Short Life, featuring selections from her Maya Angelou-inspired song cycle Moments in Sonder.

Boykin’s national recognition highlights the impact of creative scholarship at Georgia Tech and reflects the Institute’s mission to improve the human condition through the arts.

Read the full story on the School of Music website.

The Eshelby Mechanics Award was established in 2012 in memory of Professor John Douglas Eshelby to promote the field of mechanics, among young researchers. The award will be formally presented at the 2026 Applied Mechanics Division Awards Banquet during the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition in November.

Athanasiou and his team advance the fundamental mechanics and physics of materials and translates these insights into systems-level design strategies that address global challenges in resource efficiency and sustainable development. His research integrates advanced experimental methods capable of capturing material behavior under realistic operational conditions, mechanics-based design principles, and tailored AI- and physics-informed modeling frameworks.

Together, these efforts enable the development of life-cycle-efficient, cost-effective materials and structures for applications ranging from sustainable packaging to aerospace systems and space construction. His recent work published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) introduced a bioinspired framework to improve plastic recycling while addressing a foundational mechanics question: how can we build reliable structures from inherently variable materials?

Athanasiou is also the recipient of the 2024 NSF CAREER Award and the ASME Orr Early Career Award, and is a Climate Tech Fellow at the New York Climate Exchange.

Created by 14 senior studio undergraduate students in the School of Architecture, Exhibitionist Storage is curated and by architect and educator Hyojin Kwon. It brings together speculative architectural projects that ask an unlikely but urgent question: What if storage — one of the most ubiquitous, yet invisible building types in the contemporary American city — were treated as a civic architecture?

Developed over the course of the Fall 2025 semester, the projects take self-storage facilities — often dismissed as banal, anonymous containers of excess — as a serious architectural and cultural subject.

ABOUT EXHIBITIONIST STORAGE

Self-storage is among the fastest-growing architectural typologies in the United States, expanding rapidly along highways, suburban corridors, and urban edges. Despite their prevalence, these facilities are typically designed to disappear from public consciousness: blank façades, inward-facing logics, and tightly controlled access. 

They quietly absorb the material residue of contemporary life — objects displaced by mobility, precarity, inheritance, and accumulation — while remaining architecturally mute. 

Exhibitionist Storage challenges that muteness. The projects on view reframe self-storage as a civic architectural typology, asking what happens when storage is made visible, legible, and public. Rather than treating storage as a purely private utility, the students imagine it as a spatial, cultural, and urban instrument — one that negotiates tensions between accumulation and access, privacy and exposure, memory and value.

Each project proposes a large-scale architectural intervention sited in Atlanta, hybridizing storage with public programs such as archives, exhibition spaces, markets, libraries, and civic platforms. In many of the proposals, the façade becomes a critical interface: not a neutral envelope, but an active mediator between the hidden logics of storage and the public realm. Through sectional cuts, porous skins, and performative envelopes, storage is exposed, curated, and staged.

The physical exhibition pairs meticulously crafted models with drawings and digital media displayed across the IMZ’s integrated screens. Visitors encounter not only formal explorations, but also arguments about time, care, and surplus embedded in architectural form. Storage is revealed as an architecture of deferral — spaces designed to hold things temporarily, often indefinitely — and as a system that reflects broader social and economic conditions.

What distinguishes the exhibition is its insistence that storage is never neutral. The projects collectively argue that storage participates in shaping civic life, even when it claims not to. By making storage exhibitionist, the work proposes architecture as a tool for rethinking how societies manage excess, visibility, and value.

Situated within the Georgia Tech Library, the exhibition benefits from its setting. As visitors move through the IMZ, the projects are encountered not as isolated objects but as part of a living public environment, inviting casual engagement alongside sustained study. The Library becomes an apt host for work that treats storage as a form of cultural memory and civic infrastructure.

Exhibitionist Storage offers a compelling glimpse into how architectural education can critically engage everyday building types and reimagine them as sites of public imagination. In doing so, the exhibition asks viewers to reconsider the spaces that quietly hold our lives — and what it might mean to bring them into view.

SPECIAL THANKS

Student participants: Amelia Barnard, Krishna Bhanderi, Delaney Bourg, Evelyn Bravo, Violet Cerbone, Doris Deng, Amy Cha, Alexis Lamar, Shain McHatton, Luca Maalouli, Mais Mehyar, Louise Richens, Yasmeen Smeirat and Carson Will.

With support from: Julie Ju-Youn Kim, School Chair, School of Architecture, College of Design

Beginning this March in Perry, Georgia, EI² will launch the Georgia Arts Innovation Network (GAIN), a six-month pilot program that supports arts-related nonprofits and businesses through capacity building, technology adoption, business strategy, and placemaking. Funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, the program is open to arts organizations and creative businesses in Perry, Houston County, and surrounding Middle Georgia counties.

GAIN is the first EI² program dedicated specifically to the arts and reflects Georgia Tech’s broader commitment to serving communities statewide through creativity, innovation, and economic development. According to Jason Freeman, the initiative also creates opportunities to strengthen arts-based partnerships across Georgia and inform future collaborations, including work connected to Georgia Tech Arts and the Creative Quarter.

The pilot is supported in partnership with the Georgia Council for the Arts and aims to develop a model that could be expanded to other regions of the state.

Recruitment for the inaugural GAIN cohort begins in February.

Read the full Enterprise Innovation Institute article.
 

The annual grants advance Georgia Tech’s commitment to creativity as a driver of innovation, bringing together faculty, staff, students, and community partners from across disciplines.

Catalyst Grant Awardees

The 2025–26 Catalyst Grant recipients represent a wide range of academic units and professional areas, reflecting the many ways the arts intersect with teaching, research, and everyday campus life.

Victoria Chang (Poetry@Tech) received funding for Poetry Everywhere, an initiative expanding access to poetry through translation-focused programming and public engagement. Building on collaborations with Modern Languages and Atlanta Global Studies, the project will bring poets and translators to campus and explore placing poetry in public spaces, inviting moments of reflection amid daily routines.

At the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking, Anna Doll will lead Paper and Nature Dye Exhibition, establishing a dedicated garden space that allows students and faculty to engage directly with the raw materials used in papermaking and natural dyes. The project integrates plant cultivation with artistic practice, bridging scientific inquiry and creative exploration.

Jennifer Lux (Scheller College of Business) and Danielle Willkens (School of Architecture) received support for Penn Center Alternative Spring Break, a multidisciplinary arts initiative rooted in community engagement. In partnership with the Gullah/Geechee Nation, participants will travel to the Penn Center National Historic Landmark District in South Carolina, creating artistic responses while learning from a site central to African American history.

Biophilia, led by Belinda Person (Administrative Services Center) in collaboration with Krystian Ramlogan, is an immersive installation exploring human relationships with the natural world through painting, sound, and spatial design. Inspired by Indigenous ecological knowledge, the project emphasizes reflection, sensory experience, and reconnection with place.

Ramlogan, a faculty member in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication, also leads Spaces: A Pilot Sensory Arts Installation in collaboration with Jillann Hertel. The project explores how light, sound, and media can function as forms of care, offering moments of presence and regulation within the intensity of campus life.

Stephanie Selvick (Belonging and Student Support), in collaboration with Alexandra Teixeira Riggs, received funding for Photovoice for Graduate Student Belonging. The arts-based research project engages graduate students as co-researchers, using photography and storytelling to examine experiences of belonging and to inform future student support initiatives through public exhibition and dialogue.

In the School of Music, Alexandria Smith, in collaboration with Full Radius Dance, Douglas Scott, and Noah Posner will lead Resonant Bodies, a community-based learning project connecting music technology and industrial design students with the Atlanta-based Full Radius Dance. Through collaborative design and experimentation, students will create compositions and wearable technologies while engaging with accessibility, disability, and performance.

Alexander Vlahos (Department of Biomedical Engineering), in collaboration with Mark Wentzel, received funding for Bridging Art and Engineering: An Artist-Led Creativity Intervention for Biomedical Engineering Education. The project integrates drawing and sculptural practices into engineering coursework to strengthen spatial reasoning, creativity, and conceptual understanding.

Einstein Grant Awardees

Georgia Tech Arts also announced the recipients of its 2025–26 Einstein Grants, which support experimental projects connecting artistic inquiry with research, technology, and public imagination.

Hyojin Kwon, assistant professor in the School of Architecture, received funding for From Campus Waste to Civic Architecture. The project builds on Kwon’s research into computational media, advanced fabrication, and material reuse, transforming campus waste into architectural prototypes and civic-scale installations. Through cross-campus collaboration, the work examines sustainability, sensory perception, and material agency while reimagining discarded materials as public-facing design artifacts.

A second Einstein Grant was awarded to Joel Silverman, an Atlanta-based community artist, for Albert Einstein Ghostphone. The interactive sound installation imagines a conversation between present-day Georgia Tech scholars and the voice of Albert Einstein as he might have sounded in 1955. The work will invite participants to reflect on scientific discovery, ethics, and the evolving relationship between human knowledge and artificial intelligence.

Using an AI-driven speech model trained within the limits of Einstein’s lifetime knowledge, the project blends history, technology, and performance to provoke curiosity about physics, democracy, and the responsibilities that accompany innovation.

Together, the 2025–26 Catalyst and Einstein Grant projects advance Georgia Tech’s Transforming Tomorrow vision by leveraging creativity as a catalyst for innovation, connection, and public impact. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and community-engaged work, these projects demonstrate how the arts help solve complex challenges, enrich campus life, and shape a more inclusive and imaginative future.

For more information about these programs, contact Director of Arts Integration and Innovation Avital Shira for Georgia Tech Arts.

Read the full article on Georgia Tech News

Supported by Georgia Tech’s Transformative Teaching and Learning Innovation Incubator, the course brings together students and community artists from three Atlanta arts organizations — Fly on a Wall, The Pollinator Art Space, and Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. Artists co-teach alongside faculty, leading hands-on studios in drawing, painting, collage, movement, and other creative practices alongside instruction in artificial intelligence fundamentals.

The course culminates in AnthropogenIc, a student exhibition featuring AI-generated artworks created using original data and custom-built algorithms. The exhibition emphasizes student authorship and human agency in human–machine collaboration.

 Read the full article

ATLANTA, Georgia (August 25, 2025) -- Legacies in Paper: Nancy Cohen, Sara Garden Armstrong, & Helen Hiebert is on view at the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking, September 4, 2025, through January 30, 2026. The exhibit brings together the work of three artists who have incorporated hand papermaking into their artistic practices for years. Nancy Cohen, Sara Garden Armstrong, and Helen Hiebert each describe a formative period of searching for versatile materials with the ability to take on the qualities required for two and three-dimensional work; could mimic textures of nature and the body; and could facilitate installation work of various scales. Individually, each artist found that the unique medium of hand papermaking could be transformed to encompass their visions, and it quickly became integral to their artwork. 

Armstrong, Cohen, and Hiebert build on the legacy of a community of artists pushing the craft of papermaking forward into contemporary forms. They bring unique voices to the medium: Hiebert’s luminous constructions explore the interplay of light and structure; Cohen’s sculptural works reflect ecological fragility and resilience; and Armstrong’s immersive environments blur the boundaries between the organic and the engineered. Together, their works speak to the transformative potential of paper—not only as a surface for expression but as a sculptural, spatial, and conceptual force. Through their hands, paper becomes a language of memory, a vessel of emotion, and a bridge between past and present. 

Join the museum staff and featured artists for a reception, 4-7 pm, Thursday, September 4, 2025 at 500 Tenth St. NW, Atlanta, GA 30332. This event is free and open to the public.

A full listing of associated programs can be found at https://paper.gatech.edu/program-listing 

Sara Garden Armstrong received her Master of Fine Arts from the University of Alabama and a Master of Art Education from UAB. A past recipient of the Joan Mitchell Foundation CALL (Creating a Living Legacy) project, Armstrong’s national and international exhibition record extends over a period of more than 40 years. Her artist’s books can be found in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, among others. Atrium commissions have focused on scientific phenomena and their interactions with the human condition. Armstrong currently lives and works in Birmingham, Alabama. 

Nancy Cohen has an M.F.A. from Columbia University and a B.F.A from Rochester Institute of Technology. Awards include a Pollock Krasner Foundation Grant, The Murry Reich Distinguished Artist Award and six fellowships from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Museum collections include the Asheville Art Museum, Memphis Brooks Museum, Montclair Museum, NJ State Museum, Smith College Museum, Tang Teaching Museum, Weatherspoon Art Gallery, Yale University Art Gallery and the Zimmerli Museum. Cohen has completed large scale paper installations for the Noyes Museum, the Katonah Museum, the Power Point Gallery at Duke University and New Jersey City University, The CODA Museum in the Netherlands and the NTCRI Museum of Craft Design in Taiwan. She lives in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Helen Hiebert is a Colorado artist who constructs installations, sculptures, films, artists’ books and works in paper using handmade paper as her primary medium. She teaches, lectures and exhibits her work internationally and online, and is the author of several how-to books about papermaking and papercrafts. Helen has an extensive network of paper colleagues around the world and her interest in how things are made (from paper) keeps her up-to-date on current paper trends, which she writes about in her weekly blog called The Sunday Paper. She interviews papermakers and paper artists on her podcast Paper Talk, and she holds an annual paper retreat and papermaking master classes in her Red Cliff studio.

Stradley collaborated with artist and producer Katie Soule and a team of Georgia Tech architecture students to construct the Western Red Cedar structure on site. The project offered students hands-on exposure to fabrication and highlighted the physical labor often hidden within architectural practice.

School of Architecture leadership noted that the installation reflects the program’s commitment to creativity, material exploration, and community engagement. Situated alongside dance, music, and visual art at the Goat Farm, Cedar Stack expands public awareness of architecture’s role within Atlanta’s broader arts ecosystem.

Read the full article on the School of Architecture website.
 

Georgia Tech Arts and WABE celebrated Tech’s 140th anniversary with comedy, storytelling and music at the Ferst Center.

As part of Georgia Tech’s 140th anniversary and Homecoming celebrations, Georgia Tech Arts and WABE joined forces to present What’s Good GT?, a special live edition of the hit podcast What’s Good Atlanta. The event highlighted the creative side of Georgia Tech through an evening of comedy, storytelling and live music that brought together students, alumni and Atlanta’s arts community in one shared space. 

A Film Industry Summit at Trilith Studios | October 23, 2025 

The evening, presented by Georgia Tech Arts, featured two shows at 6:30 and 9 p.m. with nationally recognized comedian Josh Johnson. Before the headliner took the stage, the spotlight belonged to two Georgia Tech students, Sankalp Chandesh and Lucy Scott, who performed stand-up routines that had their peers laughing and cheering.

Drawing on themes of dating, campus life, and the quirks of social media, the student comedians offered relatable, witty perspectives that connected deeply with the audience. Performing in front of hundreds of classmates is no small feat, and their presence on stage demonstrated the bravery and creative drive that Georgia Tech students bring to artistic expression. Events like this show how students can find meaningful platforms to explore their talents while building confidence in their craft.

Johnson, a writer for The Daily Show and a rising star in the national comedy scene, rounded out the evening with sharp commentary on current events, sports, and social media trends. His performance amplified the energy in the room and helped shine a light on creative industries while underscoring the Ferst Center’s role as more than just a theater. It has become a gathering place where students, alumni, and the Atlanta community can connect through the arts, whether they share a common interest or are simply curious to learn more.

The success of the night reinforced Georgia Tech Arts’ mission to inspire and support students who are interested in pursuing creative careers. By pairing student talent with world-class performers, the program continues to highlight the role of the arts at Georgia Tech and its importance as a mainstay for cultural and creative experiences. Ultimately, the night showed how Georgia Tech Arts serves as a pathway for students to follow their creative passions, build new skills, and imagine futures where innovation and artistry go hand in hand.

On Sunday, Sept. 28, Georgia Tech Arts hosted a panel discussion moderated by Birney Robert, External Engagement Strategist and Curator for Georgia Tech Arts, that explored the intersections of art, technology, and the future of creative industries. Panelists addressed wide-ranging topics, from industry strikes to building ethical frameworks around AI and its use in creative writing.

The panel featured Floyd Hall, Arts Leader and Curator; Kathleen Brown, Public Art Education Coordinator at Fulton County Arts & Culture; Lisa Marks, Associate Professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Industrial Design; and Orlando Kenny, musician, technologist, and master’s student in music technology at Georgia Tech. Together, they explored how artists and institutions are using advanced technologies to create immersive experiences and how these innovations are redefining education, accessibility, and community engagement in the arts.

Audience members asked who inspired the panelists, sparking reflections on both historical and contemporary figures. Names ranged from poet and painter William Blake to influential cultural leaders such as Pharrell Williams, Virgil Abloh, Fab 5 Freddy, and Tabita Rezaire. Panelists also highlighted inspiration from earlier movements and organizations, including New York-based artists involved with Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.) and Los Angeles’ now-defunct Machine Project workshops.

Speakers emphasized that Atlanta is uniquely positioned to lead in art and technology innovation, describing the city as the ideal home for a “Creative Quarter.” They also noted the launch of Georgia Tech’s new Bachelor of Science in Arts, Entertainment, and Creative Technologies program as an example of how education and diverse disciplines can drive forward the future of creative industries.

During Atlanta Art Fair week, the Goat Farm, a cultural partner of the Atlanta Art Fair, hosted SITE on Sept. 27—an installation featuring Georgia Tech affiliates Michael Stradley, Katie Soule, Ryan Clark, Hyojin Kwon, Olamma Oparah, Heidi Biggs, and Alexandria Smith. The event also included Dr. Francesco Fedele, Associate Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and his artistic team presenting The Missing Algorithm, a multimedia dance performance and art exhibition exploring the tension between artificial intelligence and embodied human experience. The SITE installation highlighted the collaborative and citywide spirit of Atlanta Art Fair week.

Another highlight was BIKES, a collaborative project funded by a Catalyst grant and presented by Henrik von Coler, Laura Sofia Call Gomez, Shirin Sathe, Jayson Faupel, Jacob Westerstahl, Ishaan Jagyasi, and Orlando Kenny.

From AI ethics to creative legacies, this year’s Atlanta Art Fair reflected how technology and artistry continue to converge.

Presented by Georgia Tech Arts, the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, and Spelman College, the Sept. 16 screening kicked off the free exhibition of the bomb, which runs through Oct. 16 at the Ferst Center for the Arts at Georgia Tech.

The evening featured a panel discussion moderated by WABE host Rose Scott with special guests including former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn, Smriti Keshari, creator of the bomb, and Dr. Rachel Whitlark, political scientist and associate professor of international affairs in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech.

Audience members described the experience as “thought-provoking, eerie, enlightening, scary, [and] sad.” The film juxtaposed synchronized military marches from nations including Russia and China with footage of nuclear detonations and their devastating aftermath.

Nunn, who has spent decades working to reduce nuclear risks, spoke about his time in the Senate and urged continued public discussion and reform. “We must never let this conversation go dormant,” he said, stressing the ongoing relevance of nuclear disarmament.

Whitlark echoed that sentiment, noting her role in keeping the issue alive in the classroom. “It is my responsibility to ensure the next generation understands the stakes,” she told the audience.

Keshari shared that her creative spark for the bomb came from journalist Eric Schlosser’s book Command and Control, which chronicles America’s nuclear weapons program and its near-disasters.

The panel and screening marked the Atlanta debut of the exhibition, which launched at Princeton University in 2024 and has since traveled to the University of British Columbia, University of Denver, and University of New Mexico. Georgia Tech’s presentation includes an additional graphic narrative on a nuclear close call produced by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, alongside student art exploring the theme “activism through art.”

Throughout the exhibit’s run, the Sam Nunn School will host additional panels and guest lectures focused on nuclear issues. The exhibition is free and open to the public.

Aleksandra is a master’s student in Music Technology at Georgia Tech, but “student” barely scratches the surface. This summer, she’s been everywhere—physically in Massachusetts and intellectually somewhere between a Pride performance and a human-AI jam session at MIT.

“I’m always with my microphone and MIDI keyboard,” she says, like it’s just second nature. “I love singing and coming up with tunes.”

Live from MIT — It’s Human + AI Jamming
Forget dusty textbooks and silent labs—Aleksandra’s research life is about real-time musical interactions between humans and AI. As a visiting researcher at MIT this summer, she’s digging into what it looks like when musicians "jam" with intelligent systems. Think futuristic band practice, but with algorithms joining in.

“It’s giving me a lot of exposure to co-design methodologies,” she explains, “and letting me observe how musicians respond to each other—and to AI.”

It’s not just code and theory, either. The insights come alive when she brings them to the stage. This summer, Aleksandra’s band performed at The Music Porch in Reading, MA for Pride Month. Their cover of Pink Pony Club turned into a moment she won’t forget.

“It was so fun seeing people—especially teenagers—singing and dancing together,” she says. “That’s one of those moments where I just thought, yep, this is why I picked music tech.”

From Winehouse Covers to Ableton Experiments
Despite her research chops, Aleksandra hasn’t lost touch with the joy of just making music. She sings and plays keyboard in a band, covers Amy Winehouse songs, and occasionally writes music just for fun. (Her dream studio partner? You guessed it: Amy herself.)

She’s also been expanding her technical toolkit this summer, diving deeper into sound design with Ableton and Serum.

“Still learning,” she says, “but I’m using them for sound design in songs—and loving it.”

And then there are the unexpected “whoa” moments. Like when she built a vocal patch for the Pixies’ Where Is My Mind? to use live during a performance.

“It was haunting,” she says. “And it worked so well live.”

Dream Tech and Georgia Tech
Ask Aleksandra what she’d invent if she could mash up two instruments, and she already has an idea:

“Automatic vocal effects through a microphone with a built-in amplifier,” she says, laughing. “Honestly, someone probably already made this, but I want it anyway.”

That kind of thinking is exactly what her time at Georgia Tech has sparked. Before the program, she saw music mostly through the lens of conventional instruments. Now? She’s all about how software and hardware can expand what music even is.

Her Summer, in Sound
If Aleksandra’s summer had a vibe, it’d be:

• A creek bubbling in the background
• A long, ghostly reverb trail on a siren vocal
• And the ever-cozy tones of Animal Crossing

Not exactly your typical lab soundtrack—but that’s the beauty of it.

This fall, she’s heading back to Georgia Tech after a gap year at Bose, ready to jump into research on multimodal music source separation (AKA teaching machines to pick apart and understand layers in music the way humans do).

And yes, she’ll still be singing.

Hits with Aleksandra

• Current summer jams: Rosebud by Oklou & the new Lorde album
• What people don’t “get” about her work: “How music signals work on a granular level”

Aleksandra Ma doesn’t just study music tech—she lives it. Whether she’s tweaking reverb patches, performing under porch lights, or teaching AI how to groove, she’s showing what it really means to be a 21st-century musician.

AAMG is the leading national educational and professional organization for academic museums, galleries, and collections. The organization establishes and supports best practices, educational activities, and professional development to enable member organizations to fulfill their educational missions. As VP of Membership, Howell will be tasked with continuing to build a vibrant community of diverse colleagues from institutions of all sizes and disciplines. 

Howell has served as the AAMG Georgia state representative and the southeastern region co-representative. She is also active in the Southeastern Museums Conference and Georgia Association of Museums. 

“When I finished rehabilitation, my doctors and therapist and, most importantly, the insurance company said, ‘For someone with your condition, we feel like you've made all the improvement that you will, have a nice life,’” said Burkhart, who was left with limited feeling and mobility below the neck after a 2010 diving accident injured his spinal cord. “That didn't sit well with me.” 

Hoping even a fraction of hand mobility would increase his independence, Burkhart turned to a clinical research trial on a brain-computer interface (BCI) designed to detect movement signals in the brain and send them to a computer to stimulate the arm muscles, bypassing the spinal cord in the hopes of restoring movement.

“I had had four and a half years of never thinking my hand was going to move again,” he recalled. When testing to see if he qualified for the study, researchers stimulated his hand muscles. “I saw my hand move, and that was all I needed to know — I was ready to risk it all for something that may or may not work.” 

Burkhart’s story is one of many that reveal the deeply personal side of neurotechnology research. Centering lived experiences like his is central to the mission of the Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS), a new Interdisciplinary Research Institute launching this July at Georgia Tech.

“If we want to build neurotechnology that truly serves people, their voices should be part of the scientific process from the very beginning,” said Chris Rozell, a professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and one of the many researchers at Georgia Tech working to understand and advance BCIs. “Hearing from individuals who live with these devices helps guide more ethical, inclusive, and effective research. The entire field benefits from inclusive conversations like these.” 

Life With a Brain Implant

Burkhart and three others recently shared their stories live on the Ferst Center stage at “Wired Lives: Personal Stories of Brain-Computer Interfaces, an event organized by Georgia Tech’s Neuro Next Initiative. Their stories gave over 200 attendees a rare, honest glimpse into the realities of neurological conditions and the path to brain-computer interface research.

“I was at a crossroads in my life at 47 years old,” said Brandan Mehaffie, who told his story of living with early-onset Parkinson’s disease. “I was trying to figure out, do I continue with the status quo and watch my career dwindle into nothing? Watch my life with my family, my kids, not being able to go on hikes or family vacations?” 

Mehaffie eventually qualified for deep brain stimulation (DBS) treatment, a procedure where a pacemaker-like device is implanted into the brain to provide electrical stimulation. “It changed my life for the better in ways that I can't even tell you.”

When former U.S. Air Force Sgt. Jennifer Walden’s doctor told her about a clinical trial testing DBS as an epilepsy treatment, she jumped at the chance. “The 48 hours after those seizures are 48 hours where you don't want to live anymore.” Walden explained that her response to medication had dwindled after years of traditional treatment, increasing the frequency and severity of her seizures. “I feared suicide. It's something I didn't want to do, but if something happened in those 48 hours to end my life, I didn't care,” she said.

“I am now probably 99% seizure-free,” she beamed as she recalled her response to DBS on stage. “I don't know how I got so lucky in life, but I don't take it for granted.”

Common themes in their stories were resilience, hope, and a deep desire to give back.

“When I joined the study, it had no physical benefit to me, but that's not why I joined it,” said Scott Imbrie, who experienced a major spinal cord injury and participates in a clinical BCI study at the University of Chicago. “I decided to have invasive brain surgery and have electrodes implanted on my brain to help other people.”

A New Approach to Interdisciplinary Research

Timed alongside the InterfaceNeuro conference at Georgia Tech, the gathering offered a rare opportunity for scientists, engineers, and clinicians to engage directly with the lived experiences of individuals using brain-computer interfaces — a perspective often missing from traditional research settings.

“It makes you think about how we ethically conduct research and how we recruit and interface with patients,” said Eric Cole, a postdoctoral researcher at Emory University, who was reminded that many patients participating in BCI research have been on a long, difficult journey before interacting with researchers. “We should remember to take their experiences seriously and respect them. They're giving up something for research — that part we should always remember.”

“Wired Lives” was one in a series of events highlighting the lived experience of individuals with neurological conditions organized by the Neuro Next Initiative, which has served as the precursor to INNS.

“A core mission of INNS is to consider how neuroscience and neurotechnology impact people’s lives,” said Jennifer Singh, associate professor in the School of History and Sociology, a member of NNI’s executive committee, and a co-organizer of the event. “Their stories matter when it comes to the types of science and technology we pursue and how they benefit the human condition. Many scientists and engineers may never encounter people living with neurological conditions outside of events like this. That will be a priority for INNS — to bring the expertise of lived experiences to the research process.”

Ian Burkhart’s lived experience reminded the audience that not every clinical trial has a happy ending. His BCI was ultimately removed after seven years as research funding ran short, taking his newly improved hand mobility with it. Despite this, Burkhart remained positive.

“I'm so glad I was able to take that risk and have that voluntary brain surgery and participate in this type of research because it's defined my life.” Burkhart went on to found the BCI Pioneers Coalition and his own nonprofit because of his research participation. “It gave me a lot of hope for the future, and a lot of hope that these types of devices are going to be able to help people and improve their quality of life.”

This event was produced in partnership with The Story Collider and made possible through support from Blackrock Neurotech and Medtronic.

In West Midtown, steps away from the heart of the Georgia Tech campus, the Ferst Center for the Arts, and Science Square, a vision is taking shape.

It’s Tech’s latest planned innovation district — an arts and entertainment hub for Atlanta called Creative Quarter.

Running along North Avenue and Marietta Street, Creative Quarter will be a place for Tech students to create and connect. It will also serve as another link between Tech and the city — this time through the energy and engagement of arts and creative industries — in a space where new technologies for producing art are developed and shared.

Leaning Into Arts and Creativity

Jason Freeman, associate vice provost for the Arts, and President Ángel Cabrera recently visited the space that will one day anchor Creative Quarter: the former Randall Brothers site, where one of Atlanta’s premier building products manufacturers was established in 1885, the same year as Georgia Tech’s founding.

Both are energized by the enormous potential of what’s to come here, from academic and office space to residential and commercial areas, creative makerspaces, performance halls, soundstages, and production studios.

“This makes so much sense for us as a place to lean into arts and creativity because it connects to what our students do and what they want to explore,” Freeman said. “They want to pursue their passion for the arts while they're students here, whether that's in their academic studies or the activities they pursue outside of class.”

What makes the space so special, Freeman noted, is its proximity to the core of campus. At the same time, its Westside location will make it easier for people who don't often visit Tech to attend events at Creative Quarter, making it a vital space where the campus community meets the surrounding community.

Some of that will take the form of collaboration with industry partners who want to explore new technologies and work with students and faculty. “But it will also be with people who live in the neighborhoods right around us: artists, community partners, and students,” he said.

The Spark

For Georgia Tech, Creative Quarter marks a deeper connection into the intersection of art and technology, drawing on the deep creative energy of Atlanta and the region. For Atlanta, it will be an exciting new arts and entertainment district in a bustling, growing part of the city.

“On this site and in this neighborhood, we want to attract creative industries and incubate the next great companies approaching art and technology in exciting new ways — and have that happen here, through the spark that Georgia Tech gives to this,” Cabrera said.

“I see genius happening here. I see new forms of art and new forms of technology emerging from this space. And I simply can't wait.”

Wang is a recipient of the 2025 Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction (ACM SIGCHI). The award recognizes Wang for his lifelong work on democratizing human-centered AI.

“Throughout my Ph.D. and industry internships, I observed a gap in existing research: there is a strong need for practical tools for applying human-centered approaches when designing AI systems,” said Wang, now a safety researcher at OpenAI.

“My work not only helps people understand AI and guide its behavior but also provides user-friendly tools that fit into existing workflows.”

[Related: Georgia Tech College of Computing Swarms to Yokohama, Japan, for CHI 2025]

Wang’s dissertation presented techniques in visual explanation and interactive guidance to align AI models with user knowledge and values. The work culminated from years of research, fellowship support, and internships.

Wang’s most influential projects formed the core of his dissertation. These included:

• CNN Explainer: an open-source tool developed for deep-learning beginners. Since its release in July 2020, more than 436,000 global visitors have used the tool.
• DiffusionDB: a first-of-its-kind large-scale dataset that lays a foundation to help people better understand generative AI. This work could lead to new research in detecting deepfakes and designing human-AI interaction tools to help people more easily use these models.
• GAM Changer: an interface that empowers users in healthcare, finance, or other domains to edit ML models to include knowledge and values specific to their domain, which improves reliability.
• GAM Coach: an interactive ML tool that could help people who have been rejected for a loan by automatically letting an applicant know what is needed for them to receive loan approval.
• Farsight: a tool that alerts developers when they write prompts in large language models that could be harmful and misused.  

“I feel extremely honored and lucky to receive this award, and I am deeply grateful to many who have supported me along the way, including Polo, mentors, collaborators, and friends,” said Wang, who was advised by School of Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) Professor Polo Chau.

“This recognition also inspired me to continue striving to design and develop easy-to-use tools that help everyone to easily interact with AI systems.”

Like Wang, Chau advised Georgia Tech alumnus Fred Hohman (Ph.D. CSE 2020). Hohman won the ACM SIGCHI Outstanding Dissertation Award in 2022.

Chau’s group synthesizes machine learning (ML) and visualization techniques into scalable, interactive, and trustworthy tools. These tools increase understanding and interaction with large-scale data and ML models. 

Chau is the associate director of corporate relations for the Machine Learning Center at Georgia Tech. Wang called the School of CSE his home unit while a student in the ML program under Chau.

Wang is one of five recipients of this year’s award to be presented at the 2025 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2025). The conference occurs April 25-May 1 in Yokohama, Japan. 

SIGCHI is the world’s largest association of human-computer interaction professionals and practitioners. The group sponsors or co-sponsors 26 conferences, including CHI.

Wang’s outstanding dissertation award is the latest recognition of a career decorated with achievement.

Months after graduating from Georgia Tech, Forbes named Wang to its 30 Under 30 in Science for 2025 for his dissertation. Wang was one of 15 Yellow Jackets included in nine different 30 Under 30 lists and the only Georgia Tech-affiliated individual on the 30 Under 30 in Science list.

While a Georgia Tech student, Wang earned recognition from big names in business and technology. He received the Apple Scholars in AI/ML Ph.D. Fellowship in 2023 and was in the 2022 cohort of the J.P. Morgan AI Ph.D. Fellowships Program.

Along with the CHI award, Wang’s dissertation earned him awards this year at banquets across campus. The Georgia Tech chapter of Sigma Xi presented Wang with the Best Ph.D. Thesis Award. He also received the College of Computing’s Outstanding Dissertation Award.

“Georgia Tech attracts many great minds, and I’m glad that some, like Jay, chose to join our group,” Chau said. “It has been a joy to work alongside them and witness the many wonderful things they have accomplished, and with many more to come in their careers.”

On Friday, February 7, the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking received Institution of the Year from the Georgia Association of Museums. 

For 85 years, the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking has provided access to tools and paper examples from around the world. This significant collection is a valuable resource for understanding a historic tradition, but also provides opportunities to learn and practice hands-on skills in a digital world. Since 1989, the Paper Museum has called Atlanta home, and been part of Georgia Tech since 2013. Despite a small staff and budget, the Paper Museum is actively involved with museums, art education, and craft institutions at the local, state, national, and international levels. Partnerships and knowledge-sharing across disciplines are qualities staff embrace, since this encourages a love of life-long learning. 

A “hidden gem” on Georgia Tech’s campus, the museum is a significant resource in the global papermaking community. The range and age of artifacts in the collection represents global papermaking traditions, and the museum continues to grow the collection to reflect new information and research of historic and contemporary practices. Scholars are able to refer to and research specific objects in the collection, and museum staff have been working to make the collection more accessible for online research. In addition to objects like paper samples and molds, the museum has a significant collection of fibers used in papermaking. This collection is continuing to grow through strategic donations, enabling future researchers to have access to rare materials. 

Museum staff are actively involved in numerous organizations to promote informal educational experiences. The reasoning for this is two-fold: first, it allows the museum to increase its reach to a variety of communities, despite having a very small staff. Secondly, as a museum in a university setting, there is institutional support to encourage professional development and collaboration. Staff members actively participate in GAM, SEMC, the Movable Book Society, North American Hand Papermakers, GAEA, and AAMG. These organizations provide another venue for the museum to support the museum community. RCWMP collaborates with museums large and small- from the High Museum to Scull Shoals Historic Site. Collaborations also include non-museum venues, such as leading workshops at public libraries or working closely with academic professionals to augment the classroom experiences of their students.  In addition, the museum developed an exhibit for the Atlanta airport in the early 2000s, which was viewed by over a million people during its duration.

The Paper Museum offers a variety of educational programs for audiences from Kindergarten through older adults. During the pandemic, museum experiences expanded to include virtual talks and workshops, and participants were global: tuning in from Australia, British Columbia, Indonesia, Scotland, and more. Exhibitions are thoughtfully curated, reflecting a mixture of in-house developed content and co-curation with nationally recognized artists. Themes reflect the complexity of paper from historic, artistic, and scientific perspectives. 

The Paper Museum is small, but mighty. It meets its mission to collect, preserve, and share about the history of paper, but it also creates community, develops museum supporters, and strives to make the museum a place of welcome to all, even if they don’t think they like paper!

The museum is open Monday – Friday from 9-5, and is free to visit. Come see for yourself what paper is all about!

Members have been invited to interpret the theme either literally or abstractly, and we will be taking viewers ‘behind the curtain’ by encouraging participants to include documentation of their creative process as part of their submissions.

The exhibit will be on view at the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking from January 21 - April 18, 2025. Admission is free and open to the public. 

From the Jurors:  Gabby Cooksey, Jesse Hunt, Keri Schroeder-- 

The Guild of Book Workers' latest exhibition theme, Night Circus, is evocative of the mysterious spectacle, embracing otherworldliness, and flirting with chaos. On the surface level, this could be depicted through eccentric colors, bold patterns, or a direct representation of the circus itself; a visceral collective experience that has become part of our larger cultural memory. Looking deeper, the judges panel also considered motifs of transformation and the innovative integration of structure and content.

We were eager to see how binders would interpret and elaborate on these concepts. Much like an audience at a circus, we were wowed and delighted by never-ending surprises: tattooed books, books on wheels, books that transformed into tents. Themes ranged from outer space to inner dreams, from zany animals to theatrical performances, incorporating natural and magical wonders. Submitted pieces showcased the broad skills of our book-making community through fine binding, artists' books, letterpress printing, hand-illustration, and more.

This was the first in-person Guild of Book Workers juried show since 2020. Thanks to the generosity of Virginia Green, we were able to view all of the submissions together in-person at the extraordinary Black Hare Studio in Robinson, TX. It was both meaningful and helpful to physically handle the books in order to provide fair and thorough assessments. We took our time with each book, thoughtfully examining the variety of designs, as well as their tactility, materiality, and craftsmanship.

The panel selected works in which artistry and craft, interpretation of the Night Circus theme, and visual interest were most closely aligned and successfully articulated. We considered the entries as individual works as well as their place in a cohesive group exhibition. The final selection of approximately thirty extraordinary pieces offers the best representation of Night Circus: a variety of books that elicit a sense of wonder and joy, explore spectacle and innovation, and showcase impeccable skill.

We are honored to have the opportunity to collaborate with Guild of Book Workers to orchestrate such a unique and energetic exhibition. So…

Step right up!

Be amazed!

Revel in this spectacular traveling show in person!

Exhibitors

Artists: 

Yukimi Annand, Alicia Bailey,Jennifer Büchi, Leith Calcote, Gabby Cooksey and Erin Fletcher, Coleen Curry, Samuel Feinstein, Brenda Gallagher, Suzanne Glémot, Karen Hanmer, Judith Hoffman, Lang Ingalls, Caitlin Jochym, Esther Kibby, Monique Lallier, Nancy Leavitt, Chris McAfee, Suzanne Moore, Jeff Nilan, Graham Patten, Todd Pattison, Jennifer Pellecchia, Andrea Peterson and Mary Uthuppuru, Sara Pines, James Reid-Cunningham, George Sargent, Patricia Sargent, EJ Youcha, Mimi Zycherman

Following months of renovations, the Ferst Center for the Arts reopened on Nov. 4 with the launch of the ARTumn Showcase. 

The exhibit features various mediums, including paintings, photography, digital printed art, 3D sculptures, and visual AI modeling.  

With a degree in art education and a minor in art history, Doll began her career as an elementary school art teacher in Pinellas County, Florida. She then became the director of Museums for the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia and the Sautee Nacoochee Cultural Center History Museum and Heritage Site. 

In 2019, Doll joined the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking team as its education curator. At the museum, she creates and manages programs that include educational tours, private and public workshops on papermaking, specialized workshops through creative collaborations with artists, collaborations with other campus units for STEAM activities, and community events for kindergarten through senior adult audiences. 

"I didn't know a whole lot about papermaking when I first started here," admits Doll, "but I knew how to be an education curator." Her ability to swiftly absorb the history and concept of papermaking and translate it into engaging educational experiences has been instrumental in her success. Below are a few highlights of Doll’s projects.

Museum Tours 
Doll’s daily activities include educational tours of the papermaking museum for groups of all ages. The tours range from introducing the papermaking process to elementary and middle school students to sharing the history and heritage of papermaking with adults. In addition, she conducts virtual programs for groups interested in the history of paper and the technological advances of the papermaking process since its invention many centuries ago. 

Workshops
Doll is the point of contact for public and private workshop bookings. She also develops the concepts for these sessions, catering to groups with various interests (e.g., Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, people with disabilities, teachers, artists, college students, and public groups). This spring, Doll’s workshops included Suminagashi, Production Papermaking, Petal Fold Book, Paper Casting, and Magic Box: Jacob’s Ladder.

In addition to conceptualizing and conducting tours and workshops, she designs curricula and other resources involving paper art and science for K-12 teachers to integrate into their art classes. 

Big Paper Workshop – Convening Artists, Educators, and Community Members for a Transformative Experience in Papermaking
This spring, Doll and her colleague Jerushia Graham created a communal workshop called “Big Paper.” Offered on multiple days, this project included five college groups from Georgia and Alabama and community groups from metro Atlanta who got to create a large sheet of paper from pulp. Participants beat plant material by hand to prepare the fiber and worked with Tom Balbo, founding director of the Morgan Conservatory, to create a huge 4’x6’ sheet of paper that was mailed back to them once it was dry. 

Through her work at the museum, Doll has cultivated relationships with various artists, all of whom collaborate with the museum to conduct workshops and create and showcase art exhibits.

Additional Collaborations Across Campus
Doll partners with other units on campus to create programs. She collaborated with the Georgia Tech Library on a program called “Tech's Tactile Thursdays.” Hosted on the first Thursday of each month, it allows students, faculty, and staff to work on hands-on projects related to paper and provides an opportunity for the largely technology-focused participants to take a break from their routine, relax, and explore their creative side and enhance their well-being. 

Doll also has been an active educator at Georgia Tech Science and Engineering Day, which is part of the Atlanta Science Festival. This year, more than 3,000 K-12 students and parents visited Georgia Tech’s campus to engage in hands-on STEAM activities. Representing the museum, Doll worked with families to make prints on a clamshell printing press featuring a custom-designed Buzz image (designed by Doll) on a postcard for the kids to take home. The activity showcased the rich history of the printing press and modern technology with a photopolymer printing plate.

Through these diverse projects and initiatives at the museum, Doll continues to make a difference in the world of papermaking. Looking ahead, she hopes to expand the museum’s educational initiatives as well as the education team and its resources, and she envisions broadening the museum’s reach and impact by offering free programs to schools through grants. She is also working with Georgia Tech faculty and researchers on museum research into the art of nano cellulose and plans to establish a paper and natural dye garden for teaching.

Ph.D. students Yasmine Belghith and Atefeh Mahdavi co-led a study in a museum setting that observed how middle schoolers interact with the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT. 

“It’s important for museums, especially science museums, to start incorporating these kinds of exhibits about AI and about using AI so the general population can have that avenue to interact with it and transfer that knowledge to everyday tools,” Belghith said.

Belghith and Mahdavi conducted their study with nine focus groups of 24 students at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. The team used the findings to inform their design of AI exhibits that the museum could display as early as 2025. 

Belghith is a Ph.D. student in human-centered computing. Her advisor is Assistant Professor Jessica Roberts in the School of Interactive Computing. Magerko advises Mahdavi, a Ph.D. student in digital media in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication.

Belghith and Mahdavi presented a paper about their study in May at the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) 2024 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Their work is part of a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant dedicated to fostering AI literacy among middle schoolers in informal environments.

Expanding Accessibility

While there are existing efforts to reach students in the classroom, the researchers believe AI education is most accessible in informal learning environments like museums.

“There’s a need today for everybody to have some sort of AI literacy,” Belghith said. “Many middle schoolers will not be taking computer science courses or pursuing computer science careers, so there needs to be interventions to teach them what they should know about AI.”

The researchers found that most of the middle schoolers interacted with ChatGPT to either test its knowledge by prompting it to answer questions or socialize with it by having human-like conversations. 

Others fit the mold of “content explorers.” They did not engage with the AI aspect of ChatGPT and focused more on the content it produced.

Mahdavi said regardless of their approach, students would get “tunnel vision” in their interactions instead of exploring more of the AI’s capabilities.

“If they go in a certain direction, they will continue to explore that,” Mahdavi said. “One thing we can learn from this is to nudge kids and show them there are other things you can do with AI tools or get them to think about it another way.”

The researchers also paid attention to what was missing in the students’ responses, which Mahdavi said was just as important as what they did talk about.

“None of them mentioned anything about ethics or what could be problematic about AI,” she said. “That told us there’s something they aren’t thinking about but should be. We take that into account as we think about future exhibits.”

Making an Impact

The researchers visited the Museum of Science and Industry June 1-2 to conduct the first trial run of three AI-based exhibits they’ve created. One of them is LuminAI, which was developed in Magerko’s Expressive Machinery Lab.

LuminAI is an interactive art installation that allows people to engage in collaborative movement with an AI dance partner. Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State recently held the first performance of AI avatars dancing with human partners in front of a live audience.

Duri Long, a former Georgia Tech Ph.D. student who is now an assistant professor at Northwestern University, designed the second exhibit. KnowledgeNet is an interactive tabletop exhibit in which visitors build semantic networks by adding different characteristics to characters that interact together.

The third exhibit, Data Bites, prompts users to build datasets of pizzas and sandwiches. Their selections train a machine-learning classifier in real time.

Belghith said the exhibits fostered conversations about AI between parents and children.

“The exhibit prototypes successfully engaged children in creative activities,” she said. “Many parents had to pull their kids away to continue their museum tour because the kids wanted more time to try different creations or dance moves.”

by Isabella Tallman-Jones

This thoughtfully curated exhibition was brought to life by curators Jill Powers and Lisa Miles of the North American Hand Papermakers for the organization’s Guest Curated Exhibition Triennial. With collaboration between the guest curators and the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking, the resulting deep dive has produced an insightful perspective on an often-forgotten ancient practice. Bark paper has existed within a centuries-long genealogy of craft in places like Uganda, Indonesia, Mexico, Hawaii, and a variety of Polynesian and Pacific-Islander cultures. Somewhat attributed to the Global South, it is no wonder why this alternative production of natural matrix does not exist within the Western hegemonic history of writing and visual culture at large.

The exhibit’s contemporary innovations utilize the signifiers of civilizations’ papermaking pasts. Through timeless pattern-making practices and the further development of a shared semiotic language, both representational and abstract; the artists transcend temporal obstacles through artistic creation. Repetition and the meditative beating of pulp and cellulose are central to the ancestral language of symbols and techniques of meaning-making.

Some of the topics broached by these contemporary interpretations include immigration, tradition, community, and issues of belonging in a post-colonial present. These themes bubble to the surface of Enrique Chagoy’s Illegal Alien’s Meditations on el Ser y la Nada. The accordion-style artist's book unfolds into a colorful comic-like narrative throughout its ten lithographic prints on handmade Amate (Nahuatl for “bark paper”). The illustrations are stylized, suggesting its inspiration from pre-colonial Nahuatl codices. This reference informs the viewer’s reading, meant to be traditionally read from right to left. The dots and slashes at the corner of each page share the number/date system used by civilizations under the Aztec empire. The title page pictures the protagonist as an Aztec sculpture head attached to a classicized female body. The head reoccurs in the corner of another page with the subtitled “Hernán Cortés” after the man behind the atrocities of the Spanish Conquest of New Spain. Other similar sculptural elements are littered throughout the book, often written over and struck through by other symbols in a red wash. Additional scenes are composited from comic and mass cultural depictions of white people interacting, often derogatorily, with a cast of unnamed indigenous and stereotyped characters. These interactions are especially evident on a page with a series of 12 comic vignettes. Some of these vignettes have been altered with superimposed images. The overall effect is reminiscent of the Spanish casta paintings, which promoted a newly invented racial hierarchy to scientifically and culturally justify the systematic extermination of the New World’s inhabitants. The original ephemera from which Chagoya takes inspiration is virtually nonexistent today, though its practices and techniques have miraculously survived generations and centuries after the Spanish Inquisition. Bark paper production and Nahuatl writing practices were effectively banned by the conquistadors– burned, denigrated, and rewritten histories. The title of the work refers to its contemporary take on the Mexican-American experience and how it might comically parallel a seemingly distant colonial past. Further, the title evokes Jean-Paul Sartre’s Being and Nothingness as an acknowledgment of the existentialist center of the

Mexican-American ontological experience. The meditative processes associated with the making of the artist's book itself are an active forging of a connection to the past and an upholding of that legacy, but also a history lesson that might allow the viewer to make space for a new reality long silenced.

Several works in the exhibition are spiritually oriented such as the Otomí “Spirit Figures” or the Hawaiian lananu ‘u mamao or “Oracle Tower” entitled Pa ‘aikalani (Grounded to the Heavens) by Dalani Tanahy. The wispy and ethereal materiality of bark paper lends itself well to the art and expression of fleeting and translucent light that of a specter. The resulting exhibit is a diverse spectrum of these innumerable qualities: delicate and hardened, narrative-driven or abstract, and encaustic, coptic, or chemically treated.

Ecologically, the mutuality of bark paper’s production is clear to see. UNESCO’s 2005 decree of bark cloth as a “Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage” is a testament to its reemergence in contemporary artistic practices. Artists across time are called to action, creating a renewed awareness of the need for emphatic preservation of marginalized cultural practices previously destroyed. Artists are reclaiming and preserving marginalized cultural traditions, using sustainable methods to transform terrestrial resources into mediums for memory and ritual. Bark paper isn’t just historical; it’s social, cultural, and political. It has endured colonization, intellectual suppression, and mass re-education efforts throughout history, making its preservation crucial for understanding our collective past.

Bark Rhythms: Contemporary Innovations & Ancestral Traditions serves as a profound testament to the enduring significance of bark paper within global cultural heritage. By bridging past and present, the artists not only showcase the beauty and versatility of this ancient practice but also provoke reflection on its ecological, social, and political implications. As we marvel at the intricate works on display, we are reminded of the resilience of marginalized traditions and the imperative of their preservation in shaping a more inclusive and enlightened future. Through the medium of bark paper, we glimpse not only history but also the potential for transformative dialogue and mutual understanding across cultures and generations.

The Paper Museum worked with Jill Powers and Lisa Miles to produce Bark Rhythms. The goal was to create an exhibit that showcased the ongoing practices of barkcloth and bark papers. Powers and Miles connected with artists around the world to develop an exhibit that is interesting and engaging, especially for people who have no experience with these materials. “One of the aspects emphasized by Bark Rhythms is that these practices are living— that the people who make bark paper and barkcloth are producing something that is important and relevant to the communities they are part of. That element really spoke to us as important to emphasize in an exhibit. Lisa and Jill wanted to ensure Bark Rhythms was as comprehensive as our space allowed,” says museum director Virginia Howell. The exhibit features contemporary artwork, but there are historic examples included throughout. In addition to artwork, the tools –beaters—used in production are prominently featured. This includes about a dozen wood beaters acquired by Dard Hunter in the first quarter of the 20th century. 

In the world of handmade paper, the definition of paper has long venerated European and Asian traditions, which employ moulds to form sheets with macerated pulp. Bark paper and bark cloth are created by hand-beating the cooked or fermented inner bark of certain trees with a shaped stone, wood, or metal beating implement. Bark Rhythms seeks to elevate and honor Indigenous beaten bark fiber traditions that have been undervalued or excluded from exhibitions and scholarship within the field of papermaking and beyond. Highlighting the manifestation of ancient traditions into distinctive, contemporary art practices, this exhibition connects the dots between bark paper and barkcloth, and it shines a light on makers who maintain a deep respect for their materials, techniques, tools, and cultural origins. Although not comprehensive worldwide, Bark Rhythms focuses on bark paper and bark cloth traditions from Mexico, Hawaii, the Polynesian Islands, Indonesia, and Uganda, and marks the first time many of these artists have exhibited work in the United States.

Bark Rhythms opened at the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 6, 2024. A celebratory reception will be held on Thursday, July 11 from 4-7pm. Sponsored by North American Hand Papermakers and the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking, Bark Rhythms is curated by papermakers Jill Powers and Lisa Miles as part of NAHP's second Guest Curated Exhibition Triennial.

Events

Wednesday, May 29 • Virtual talk: Sheila Nakitende & Tedi Permadi: Ugandan barkcloth, Indonesian Duluang bark paper

Tuesday, June 18 • Virtual talk:  James Ojascastro & Cekouat Elim León Peralta :  Bast fibers for bark paper & cloth, Papel amate from Mexico

Thursday, July 11 • Exhibit Reception 4-7pm

Wednesday, Aug 7 • Virtual talk:  Lehuauakea, Dalani Tanahy, & Cora-Allan Lafaiki Twiss: Kapa bark cloth from Hawai‘i, Hiapo bark cloth from Niue

All events are free and open to the public. The virutal talks are held on Zoom. To register, visit the museum website (www.paper.gatech.edu) or email Anna.Doll@rbi.gatech.edu

Exhibiting Artists

Adnan Rusdi, Bobby Britnell, Cekouat Peralta, Cora-Allan Twiss, Dalani Tanahy, Enrique Chagoya, Faris Wibisono, Fred Mubuti, Gaal Cohen, Jennie Frederick, Lehuauakea, Maria Montaño Guerrero, Maribel Portela, Mufid Sururi, Sheila Nakitende, Tedi Permadi

About the Curators

Jill Powers is a paper and book artist, primarily working with hand cast and beaten bark fiber. Her art takes the form of sculpture, installation art, and book arts, and focuses on environmental themes. Powers has a graduate degree from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia. She lives in Boulder Colorado, where she taught at Naropa University for 20 years, founding courses in 3D Ephemeral Media and Eco Art. Her work is in the Lieberman Collection and the RCW Museum of Papermaking, and many private and public collections. She has taught bark fiber courses at many places, including the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology in Oregon, the Honolulu Museum of Art in Hawaii, the Denver Botanical Gardens, and the Museo de las Americas. 

Lisa Miles is a papermaker and book artist who creates one-of-a-kind, hand-beaten bark paperworks. Originally from New England, Miles is based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She holds an MFA in Book Arts from the University of Iowa Center for the Book, a BFA in Graphic Design from the New England School of Art & Design, and an AA in Printmaking from the Santa Fe Community College. In 2016, she researched  papel amate in Mexico, with the support of a University of Iowa Stanley Graduate Award for International Research. In 2017–2018, she received a Fulbright Arts Research grant for her project, “Bark Paper, Plant Dyes, and the Book Arts in Indonesia,” where she studied daluang bark paper in Java and fuya bark cloth in Sulawesi. In 2018, Miles was awarded the Holle Award for Excellence in Book Arts from the University of Alabama. Her work is held in public and private collections.

“The actions are similar, but the choices and outcomes are very different because of the dynamic changes they’re making with the other person,” says Brian Magerko, Regents’ Professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Literature, Media, and Communication. “It’s a thing that humans do all the time, and computers don’t do with us at all.”

Welcome to the next frontier of artificial intelligence (AI) — not just generating but collaborating in real-time.

Magerko and his colleagues, Georgia Tech research scientist Milka Trajkova and Kennesaw State University Associate Professor of Dance Andrea Knowlton, are putting a collaborative AI system they’ve developed to the ultimate test: the world’s first collaborative AI dance performance.

Dance Partner

LuminAI is an interactive system that allows participants to engage in collaborative movement improvisation with an AI virtual dance partner projected on a nearby screen or wall. LuminAI analyzes participant movements and improvises responses informed by memories of past interactions with people. In other words, LuminAI learns how to dance by dancing with us.

The National Science Foundation-supported project began about 12 years ago in a lab and became an art installation and public demo. LuminAI has since moved into a different phase as a creative collaborator and education tool in a dance studio.

“We’re looking at the role LuminAI can play in dance education. As far as we’re aware, this is the first implemented version of an AI dancer in a dance studio,” says Trajkova, who was a professional ballet dancer before becoming a research scientist on the project.

To prepare LuminAI to collaborate with dancers, the research team started by studying pairs of improvisational dancers.

“We’re trying to understand how non-verbal, collaborative creativity occurs,” Knowlton says. “We start by trying to understand influencing factors that are perceived as contributing to improvisational success between two artists. Through that understanding, we applied those criteria to an AI system so it can have a similar experience with co-creative success.”

“We’re working on a creative arc,” adds Trajkova. “So instead of the AI agent just generating movements in response to the last thing that happened, we’re working to track and understand the dynamics of creative ideas across time as a continuous flow, rather than isolated instances of reaction.”

Students from Knowlton’s improvisational dance class at Kennesaw State spent two months of their spring semester working routinely with the LuminAI dancer and recording their impressions and experiences. One of the purposes the team discovered is that LuminAI serves as a third view for dancers and allows them to try ideas out with the system before trying it out with a partner.

The classroom experiment will culminate in a public performance on May 3 at Kennesaw State’s Marietta Dance Theater featuring the students performing with the LuminAI dancer. As far as the research team is aware the event is the world’s first collaborative AI dance performance.

While not all the dancers embraced having an AI collaborator, some of those who were skeptical at first left the experience more open to the possibility of collaborating with AI, Knowlton says. Regardless of their feelings toward working with AI, Knowlton says she believes the dancers gained valuable skills in working with specialized technology, especially as dance performances evolve to include more interactive media.

Refined Movement

So, what’s next for LuminAI? The project represents at least two possible paths for its learnings. The first includes continued exploration about how AI systems can be taught to cooperate and collaborate more like humans.

“With the advent of generative AI these past few years, it’s been really clear how great a need there is for this sort of social cognition,” says Magerko. “One of the things we’re going to be getting off the ground is sense-making with large language models. How do you collaborate with an AI system – rather than just making text or images, they’ll be able to make with us.”

The second involves the body movements LuminAI has been cataloging and analyzing over the years. Dance exemplifies highly refined motor skills, often exhibiting a level of detail surpassing that found in various athletic disciplines or physical therapy. While the tools designed to capture these intricate movements—through cameras and AI—are still nascent, the potential for harnessing this granular data is significant, Trajkova says.

That exploration begins on May 30 with a two-day summit being held at Georgia Tech to discuss its application for transforming performance athletics, with interdisciplinary participants in dance, computer vision, biomechanics, psychology, and human-computer interaction from Georgia Tech, Emory, KSU, Harvard, Royal Ballet in London, and Australian Ballet.

“It’s about understanding AI's role in augmenting training, promoting wellness as well as diving deep in decoding the artistry of human movements. How can we extract insights about the quality of athlete’s movements so we can help develop and enhance their own unique nuances?” Trajkova says.

Utz is an experienced academic leader who has served as a senior associate dean in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts and as chair of the School of Literature, Media, and Communication (LMC). Under his leadership, LMC experienced remarkable growth, including increased external research funding, faculty productivity, and student enrollment. Notably, he championed the expansion of the School's curriculum to include interdisciplinary minors in Black media studies, science fiction, and social justice, and a master's degree in global media and cultures.   

As senior associate dean, Utz has demonstrated commitment to faculty affairs processes and professional development, implementing comprehensive resources and mentorship programs to support faculty growth and success. He played a pivotal role in shaping the Ivan Allen College strategic plan and organized impactful events that fostered integration between the arts, humanities, and social sciences with STEM fields. Utz also worked to garner funds for LGBTQ+ projects and international summer internships for students. 

In addition to his administrative responsibilities, Utz is a highly respected scholar with expertise in medievalism, literary and language studies, and the interconnections between humanistic inquiry and science and technology. He has authored many publications on these topics, including three monographs, 21 edited essay collections, and over 80 journal articles and book chapters, earning international acclaim for his contributions to the field. 

“We are fortunate that Richard has agreed to step into the interim dean role,” said Steven W. McLaughlin, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “He is a pillar of the Ivan Allen community, with impressive campus leadership credentials. Ivan Allen couldn’t be in better hands as we bid farewell to Dean Husbands Fealing and begin the search for the next dean.” 

Utz will serve until a new dean is named. The search committee will be chaired by Dean of Libraries Leslie Sharp. An external firm will be identified to lead a national search. More information about the search committee and process will be provided soon. 

Writer: Brittany Aiello, Faculty Communications Manager, Organizational and Academic Communications

What made you pursue entrepreneurship?
I started to see where there were some holes in the dancing industry. Customers were not necessarily being taken care of. I really wanted to figure out how to help this situation.

How would you describe your experience in Startup Launch?

It was spectacular. I was put into a batch with nine other companies that were also very creative. When we would do our updates, it was nice to be with other very artistic-minded people, have that community to hold each other accountable, and talk about our progress and our goals. The community has been so supportive, and there was an incredible support system with legal, accounting, and all of these things.

I also was connected to my business mentor, Don Oates, who has been an absolute game changer for me. He has become like a built-in best friend. He's so generous with his time, and he's really helped me ask the hard questions and make pivots when necessary.

How did you balance school and your startup at the same time?

This was during Covid-19. I really struggled in October 2021. I was in my first in-person semester. I had been doing college completely online up to this point, and I had just gone through CREATE-X, wearing all the hats. I was not at a point where I could delegate. I was everything and also trying to have a social life, trying to stay close with my family, trying to exercise, all of that.

I think you start to see how easily things begin slipping.

A customer's mad because you didn't email them back fast enough. If I'm in school, sitting in a classroom, I can't be emailing customers. But, if I'm admin, CEO, and all those things, you start to become responsible for a staff, you start to become responsible to customers. You're also still responsible to your classmates for group projects. I would let my group project mates down. I realized this is starting to affect other people, not just me. 

Five days before my birthday, I had to have an emergency appendectomy and then had two weeks after for recovery.

When I tried to get back into the swing of things, I couldn't; it was too much. I ended up failing classes that semester. I was having a really hard time. It felt like I had to just take a mountain of a burden off, and I had to figure out how to put it back on. It was a wakeup call for me.

I'm sure it might be a little bit different for me, compared to people who have co-founders where you can split the burden a little bit, but for me, it was overwhelming. I had to learn to triage, prioritize, and some things just had to get cut at the end of the day.

Because of my entrepreneurship passion, I decided to go part-time with school. I'm glad that I did because that gave me the balance that I needed.
 

What has entrepreneurship given you?
It has given me purpose. It has given me passion. It has given me freedom, immense freedom. It has given me a lot of character development and a lot of hard lessons learned. It has given me a community of people who are like-minded and entrepreneurial. It has also given me a community of people who rally behind what I also care about, which has been amazing. For example, my staff of seven women are the most amazing, powerful, creative, strong, interesting people I've ever met, and they inspire me every day. Entrepreneurship gives me a reason to get out of bed in the morning. It's the most rewarding thing I've ever done and will ever continue to do. Maybe a few stomachaches or headaches too.

What book, podcast, or other resources would you recommend to students interested in entrepreneurship?

Alex and Leila Hormozi. They are the most amazing power couple and individuals who give you tough love. They're all about tough love. You can find them on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Threads, and YouTube. They have podcasts, and they've published books. One is $100 Million Leads. They are constantly on my feed and are an inspiration. Tough love is really, really needed as an entrepreneur. It's very motivating.

Receive mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs as a part of your Startup Launch experience. Applications for the 12-week summer accelerator program are open now. Apply for Startup Launch by March 19 and join our rich entrepreneurial network.

On Campus

Black Georgia Tech Renaissance 

When: Feb. 3, noon – 5 p.m.  

Where: Ferst Center for the Arts 

A collaboration between the African American Student Union and the Georgia Tech Black Alumni Organization, the third annual Black Georgia Tech Renaissance celebrates art and culture, highlighted by the premiere of There Is Something in the Water, a film by Georgia Tech alumna Kamryn Harris. The event will also feature art created by students and alumni, including a visual art display curated by Georgia Tech alumna I. Johnson, professionally known as Sir Bow Tie.  

More Information. 
 

Screening of 'Je suis Noires' and Panel Discussion 

When: Tuesday, Feb. 6, 3 – 6 p.m. 

Where: Scholars Event Network Theater, Price Gilbert Library  

The Consulate General of Switzerland in Atlanta, in collaboration with the Georgia Tech School of Modern Languages’ French and German programs, will screen the Swiss documentary Je suis Noires (Becoming a Black Woman) by Rachel M'Bon and Juliana Fanjul. The movie explores the experiences and challenges faced by Black women in Switzerland, shedding light on issues of identity, racism, and the quest for belonging in a predominantly white society. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Christophe Ippolito, professor of French at Georgia Tech. 

More information. 
 

Second Annual Black Excellence in Psychology Speaker Series 

When: Feb. 7, 14, 21, and 28, 1 p.m.  

Where: Clary Theatre, Bill Moore Student Success Center 

Join the School of Psychology every Wednesday in February for the series featuring visiting psychologists leading engaging talks and discussions.  

• Feb. 7 – Natalie Watson-Singleton, associate professor, Department of Psychology at Spelman College – “Using Mindfulness-Based Digital Health Tools to Enhance the Well-Being of Black Americans” 

• Feb. 14 – Ciara Smalls Glover, associate professor, Department of Psychology at Georgia State University – “Cultural Shields: Strategies That Disrupt Racial Diversity and Promote Resilience” 

• Feb. 21 – Gena Cox, executive advisor, coach, and speaker; founder of Feels Human  – “R-E-S-P-E-C-T: The Key to Inclusion and Connection” 

• Feb. 28 – Enrica Ruggs, associate professor of management, College of Business at the University of Houston – “Black Experiences in I/O Psychology: An Examination of Research and Scholars in the Field” 

More information.  
 

AI, Art, and Afrofuturism With Nettrice R. Gaskins 

When: Thursday, Feb. 8, 11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.  

Where: Scholars Event Network Theater, Price Gilbert Library 

Georgia Tech alumna and digital artist Nettrice R. Gaskins will share her expertise in STEAM learning, techno-vernacular creativity, and Afrofuturism, among other cultural movements. Gaskins’ AI-generated and assisted art has been displayed at the Smithsonian Institution and in publications, murals, films, and galleries around the country.  

More information. 
 

Black History Month Open Mic Night  

When: Friday, Feb. 9, 6 – 8 p.m.  

Where: Cypress Theater, John Lewis Student Center 

Hosted by the AASU, the Organization for Social Activism, and the Office of Student Diversity Programs, this event is dedicated to the celebration of Black artistry and expression.  

Impact Presents: A Conversation with Ambassador Andrew Young and Bill Curry 

When: Monday, Feb. 12, 5 – 6:30 p.m.  

Where: Atlantic Theater, John Lewis Student Center 

The Impact Speaker Series brings former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young to campus to reflect on his career as a pioneer in and champion of civil and human rights, serving as a member of Congress, African American U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and an ordained minister among other leadership positions. Young will share the stage with Georgia Tech Hall of Famer and two-time Super Bowl champion Bill Curry, with the conversation to be moderated by Chuck Easley, professor of the practice at Scheller and a former standout Yellow Jacket football player. 

More information.  

Black History Month Lecture

When: Wednesday, Feb. 21, 5 – 8 p.m. 

Where: Atlantic Theater, John Lewis Student Center 

Sponsored by the Division of Arts, Belonging, and Community at Georgia Tech and the AASU, the annual Black History Month Lecture will feature Aja Monet, a contemporary poet, writer, lyricist, and activist. Aligned with this year's national theme focusing on African Americans and the Arts, Monet will illuminate her journey of inspiration within the African American community through the power of her works. 

More information. 

Walking Tour of Historical Locations on Campus 

Where: Georgia Tech Campus 

Talk a stroll through campus and visit the numerous locations that tell the story of Black history at Georgia Tech, including The Three Pioneers statue honoring the Institute’s first Black students in Harrison Square, The First Graduate statue inside Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons depicting Ronald Yancey, the former site of the Pickrick Restaurant, and more.  

More information.
 

Arts and Experiences Around Atlanta

Ruth and the Green Book 

When: Jan. 31 – Feb. 25  

Where: Center for Puppetry Arts  

Based on Calvin Alexander Ramsey’s The Green Book, this production tells the story, through puppetry and animated projections, of 8-year-old Ruth and her family as they travel from Chicago to Alabama in the 1950s.  

More information.
 

Roswell Roots  

When and Where: Dates and locations vary.  

This month-long series of programming promotes cultural awareness through art, poetry, storytelling, and other educational programs.  

Full schedule.
 

College Football Hall of Fame Honors the Wyoming Black 14 

When: Tuesday, Feb. 6, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.  

Where: College Football Hall of Fame 

The Hall of Fame will screen The Black 14: Healing Hearts and Feeding Souls for the public, highlighting the courage of 14 University of Wyoming football players who were kicked off the team in 1969 for attempting to speak out against racially biased Mormon policies prior to a gameagainst BYU. Three members of the team will participate in a panel discussion afterward.  

More information. 
 

Black History Month Movie Series  

When: Feb. 8 and 22, 7 p.m. 

Where: Atlantic Green at Atlantic Station 

• The Color of Friendship – Thursday, Feb. 8, 7 p.m.  

• Remember the Titans – Thursday, Feb. 22, 7 p.m.  
   

The National Center for Civil and Human Rights 

When: Hours vary. 

Where: 100 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd. Atlanta, GA 30313 

Explore the immersive exhibits throughout the museum detailing the history of the Civil Rights Movement and the papers and artifacts of Martin Luther King Jr. On Saturday, Feb. 24, the museum will screen The Space Race as part of its Black History Month programming. 

More information.
 

Georgian Chamber Players Presents: A Musical Journey Celebrating Black History Month 

When: Tuesday, Feb. 27, 7 p.m.  

Where: McElreath Hall, 130 W. Paces Ferry Road NW Atlanta, GA 30305 

During this concert hosted by the Atlanta History Center, the principal players of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, led by concertmaster and violinist David Coucheron, will honor Black History Month with an array of musical tales and historical ancestry. 

More information.
 

Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park 

When: Hours vary. 

Where: 450 Auburn Ave. NE, Atlanta GA 30312 

Hear the story of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, visit his home, and hear his voice in the church where he preached. The National Historic Park includes a visitor center, the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, Fire Station No. 6, and Freedom Hall. King’s birth home is temporarily closed for repairs, but all other buildings at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park remain open during regular park operating hours. 

More information.  

“This event is a celebration of new ways of learning and creating knowledge born from the intersection of arts and technology,” said Yanni Loukissas, director of IMA. “It marries the Library’s reputation as a space for experimentation, connection, and communication with the School of Literature, Media and Communication’s work defining new models of intellectual inquiry and practice.”

Media Arts Day 2024 events

• Arts & Technology in the Classroom

Join a panel of Georgia Tech faculty Thursday, Jan. 18 from 11 a.m. to noon in the Library’s Scholars Event Network Theater, located on the first floor of Price Gilbert, as they discuss how they use media arts in their classes.

Moderated by Loukissas, this panel will include:

• Dr. Danielle Willkens, associate professor in the School of Architecture; 
• Dr. Mary Ann Weitnauer, professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering;
• Mark Leibert, professor of the practice in the School of Literature, Media and Communication; and
• John Thornton, senior academic professional in the School of Literature, Media and Communication.

• “Bubbling Up” Faculty Mixer

Join the Georgia Tech Library and IMA Thursday, Jan. 18 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. for the first “Bubbling Up” faculty mixer of 2024. The topic is “Media Arts.”

This event will be held in Price Gilbert Memorial Library’s fourth floor Faculty Research Zone. To RSVP for an accurate count for food and beverages, please click here.

All faculty and post-docs who research, teach, or are interested in Media Art are welcome to make low pressure, conversational connections around campus.

The "Bubbling Up" faculty mixer series is co-sponsored by the offices of the Provost, Executive Vice President for Research, and Vice Provost for Faculty.

• Empathy Bytes and Virtual Archives

Join Multimedia and Emerging Technologies Librarian Alison Valk Thursday, Jan. 18 from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Georgia Tech Library’s Scholars Event Network Theater, located on the first floor of Price Gilbert, to explore her course “Empathy Bytes.”

This program will include both a presentation and interactive demonstration of the student-led digital archive.

Pulling in technology and techniques from virtual and augmented reality, 3D modeling, and media production, Valk’s Vertically Integrated Project “Empathy Bytes” builds an immersive digital archive of interviews, photographs, multimedia, and writings from diverse communities with connections to Georgia Tech.

• What is on the Price Gilbert windows?: Live Lost in the Stacks recording with the Library’s Artist-in-Residence, Tristan Al-Haddad

Join Library Artist-in-Residence Tristan Al-Haddad Thursday, Jan. 18 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Georgia Tech Library’s Scholars Event Network Theater, located on the first floor of Price Gilbert, for a live Lost in the Stacks podcast recording.

Al-Haddad will be joined by Ph.D. student Gerry Chen. They will discuss using emerging technologies to achieve specific artistic visions, focusing on Al-Haddad’s “RAW AIR” mural project on Price Gilbert’s windows. Additionally, they’ll explore the fusion of art and technology and learn how experts leverage modern tools for innovative expression.

About the Interdisciplinary Media Arts Center

The Interdisciplinary Media Arts Center (IMA) champions the fusion of arts and tech to bring public attention to the social and cultural implications of science and technology. 

It is a partnership of the Georgia Tech Library and the School of Literature, Media and Communication. The Library is a space for experimentation, connection, and communication in scholarship and creativity that seeks ways to reduce the barriers between disciplines and intellectual communities. The School of Literature, Media, and Communication defines new models of intellectual inquiry and practice that bring diverse humanistic perspectives to bear on technological invention and innovation.

The center defines Media Art broadly, as any form of creative expression—for example in the visual, literary, or performing arts—that requires or incorporates technology to be realized. The intersections of practices and media inherent to Media Art facilitate transdisciplinary collaboration and renew individual creativity. The Center aims to reduce the barriers of disciplinary silos at Georgia Tech and spur innovation in our research and artistic practices.

The Center supports three interrelated programs:

• An annual residency for media artists
• Courses that connect expressive and technical or scientific endeavors; and
• A research incubator that supports expressive projects by transdisciplinary teams.

To learn more about Media Arts at Georgia Tech, visit https://media-arts.gatech.edu/.

This year the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking was presented the Special Project (under $1,000) award by GAM President Marcy Breffle and Award Committee Co-Chairs Melissa Swindell and Karin Dalton for the project “Big Paper.”   “We are very pleased to present this award to a very deserving recipient,” said GAM President Breffle.  “Our members represent a good cross section of museums and cultural organizations in Georgia’s communities, large and small,” she added.  “We are happy to honor institutions, staff members, volunteers, patrons, exhibits, and special projects that have excelled in providing inspiring programs and leadership,” she concluded. 

Under the guidance of museum staff Jerushia Graham and Anna Doll, “Big Paper” is a project in which groups from nearby colleges and universities experience making large sheets of paper – 4’ x 6’—in a communal setting. From preparing fiber by hand beating plant material to working together to fill a papermaking mold, students worked together to create something huge! The inaugural event was in April, 2023, and had participants from the University of Georgia, Spelman College, Kennesaw State University, and the Georgia State University Art Club. The event returns in 2024 with noted papermaker Tom Balbo, founding director of the Morgan Conservatory, leading the communal event.

Museum Director Virginia Howell says, “The Paper Museum is honored to receive this award. It is a testament to the hard work of the museum team, and the project has allowed us to build on relationships with so many people who are interested in learning more about the papermaking process and how it can be an incredibly fun yet challenging experience.”

Big Paper returns on April 13, 2024.

Provost Steve McLaughlin has convened a search committee charged with selecting the inaugural assistant vice provost for the Arts (AVP-A). This new position will help advance Tech’s strategic goal of more deeply integrating the arts into education and research.  

This position is open to current full-time tenure-track and nontenure- track faculty at Georgia Tech. Leslie Sharp, dean of Libraries, will serve as chair of the search committee. 

Reporting to Senior Vice Provost for Education and Learning Laurence Jacobs, the position will sit at the intersection of art and technology, offering students and faculty a new opportunity to innovate.  

“This new role is so exciting because it will help Georgia Tech develop new and reimagined curricular experiences that nurture different ways of thinking, understanding, and problem-solving,” said Jacobs. “Weaving arts and STEM disciplines together creates a more comprehensive and interdisciplinary learning environment, which benefits our students and society as a whole.” 

Emphasizing the curricular components of the arts could ultimately create academic majors, minors, or certificates that would distinguish Georgia Tech students from competitive institutions, Jacobs added. He also noted that students with such qualifications are well placed to make a sizable impact on the state’s already exploding arts and production scene. 

According to the Georgia Council for the Arts, the creative industries generate a $62.5 billion economic impact in Georgia. That includes 200,000 employees who earn a combined salary of $12.1 billion. Georgia Tech wants to position itself as an arts-in-technology trailblazer that could fuel an even more significant economic boon for the state. 

Among other responsibilities, the AVP-A will: 

• Liaise with College deans, School chairs, and leadership as well as faculty (e.g., tenure-track, lecturers, research and academic professionals, librarians, and archivists) to design and lead the implementation of innovative programs that develop and incorporate the arts. 

• Contribute to the Institute’s Arts@Tech and Arts Square strategic planning initiative. 

• Facilitate student engagement in arts-based curricular and cocurricular learning experiences, encouraging creative expression and critical thinking across disciplines.  

• Collaborate with the associate vice president for Arts, Belonging, and Community in the division of Student Engagement and Well-Being to ensure alignment between curricular and cocurricular efforts and to integrate performing, visual, and all other forms of art into learning, service, and scholarship. 

Candidates should log in to OneUSG Connect (https://oneusgconnect.usg.edu), click the Recruiting Self-Service tile, click the Apply for Jobs tile, and search for job ID 264210. Candidates should submit a CV, cover letter, and list of three professional references by Nov. 1, 2023. 

For more information, visit https://provost.gatech.edu/assistant-vice-provost-arts-search, or contact Susan Gilstrap (susan.gilstrap@gatech.edu).  

Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Woodland Spirits Exhibit 

When: Runs through Nov. 5. Open daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.  

Where: 767 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30307 

The seasonal Woodland Spirits exhibit at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History offers visitors a chance to take a walk on the supernatural side. The exhibit “evokes mystery, adventure, and imagination during the Halloween season” through commissioned sculptures created by artist Laura Lewis. The exhibit is included in the cost of a general admission ticket. 

More information.  

‘The Space Race’ Documentary — Advanced Screening 

When: Friday, Oct. 6, 1:30 p.m. – 4:05 p.m. 

Where: Ferst Center for the Arts, 349 Ferst Dr. NW, Atlanta, GA 30332 

Produced by National Geographic, The Space Race weaves together the stories of Black astronauts, including Guion Bluford, Ed Dwight, and Charles Bolden, among many others. The Tech community is invited to view a free advanced film screening, followed by a panel discussion led by Damon Williams, associate dean for Inclusive Excellence and senior lecturer in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering. Lawrence Williams — one of the first Black students at Tech — is slated to participate on the panel along with students from AeroAfroAstro.  

More information.  

Fall Festival on Ponce 

When: Oct. 7, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Oct. 8, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

Where: 1451 Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307 

Head to historic Olmsted Linear Park on Ponce for this Atlanta-centric festival with over 125 displays of arts and crafts, music, and local food vendors. The two-day festival is free and open to all ages. 

More information. 

Poetry@Tech Reading Series

When: Saturday, Oct. 7, 2 p.m.

Where: Cypress Room, John Lewis Student Center

After a three-year in-person hiatus, Georgia Tech’s renowned Poetry@Tech reading series returns to campus Saturday, Oct. 7. The first reading in this year’s series will celebrate the life and work of esteemed poet, teacher, and mentor David Bottoms — Georgia’s Poet Laureate from 2000 to 2012. Bottoms’ works have earned multiple awards and honors, and his poems have appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, Harper’s, The Kenyon Review, The New Yorker, and many others.

More information. 

Pumpkin Patches and Corn Mazes 

Dates and hours vary by venue.  

Find the perfect pumpkin for your fall decor and navigate your way through a corn maze to celebrate the arrival of fall, with each farm offering its own unique lineup of family-friendly activities.  

• Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta – Special event Oct. 7 – 8.  

• Randy’s Pumpkin Patch, Lawrenceville  

• Buford Corn Maze, Buford 

• Uncle Shuck’s Corn Maze, Dawsonville 

• Sleepy Hallow Farm, Powder Springs  

• Southern Belle Farm, McDonough 

• Burt’s Farm, Dawsonville 

• Pettit Creek Farms, Cartersville 

• Berry Patch Farms, Woodstock  

Netherworld Haunted House 

When: Select dates through Nov. 11. 

Where: 1313 Netherworld Way, Stone Mountain, GA 30087 

Consistently recognized as one of the scariest haunted houses nationwide, Netherworld is back for its 27th year with a new theme, movie-quality special effects, and monsters. If you’re looking to get spooked this fall, the venue recommends purchasing tickets in advance. Tickets are date- and time-specific and reserved in half-hour entry windows. 

More information. 

The Georgia State Fair and the Atlanta Fair 

Nothing says fall like a funnel cake and a Ferris wheel. You can find both, and much more, at the Georgia State Fair, which runs through Oct. 8, and the Atlanta Fair, beginning on Friday, Oct. 6 and running through Nov. 5. 

Georgia State Fair information. 

Atlanta Fair information. 

Sign up through EventBrite: 

Dr. Natalie Khazaal is an associate professor in the School of Modern Languages at Georgia Tech and the director of the Arabic and Middle East & North Africa programs. She is also an American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) fellow for her work on Arab atheists. She grew up in Burgas—the largest port city on the Black Sea, and received her doctorate in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). 

Dr. Khazaal studies how disenfranchisement, media, and language affect each other and has focused on Lebanon, atheists in Arabic-speaking communities, refugees, and non-human animals. Her book, Pretty Liar: Television, Language, and Gender in Wartime Lebanon (Syracuse UP, 2018), is the only study that explores the role of audiences in the development of media legitimacy during violent crises with a focus on Lebanon. Her publications on speciesism in the media—including her co-edited volume on borders and the displacement of human refugees and nonhuman animals, ‘Like an Animal’: Critical Animal Studies Perspectives on Borders, Displacement, and Othering (Brill 2020)—have received international recognition in Spain, Turkey, Australia, Canada, and the US. She has contributed to the topic of atheism with publications on the use of pseudonyms by Arab atheists, on how gender affects the way Arab atheists approach television, and on the embedded atheism in Mohamed Choukri’s literary oeuvre.

Mohammad Ghomi is a geometer who works on classical problems involving curves and surfaces in Euclidean space, and more broadly Riemannian submanifolds. He completed his PhD thesis in 1998 under the direction of Joel Spruck at Johns Hopkins U., where he had received the J.J. Sylvester Award. Subsequently he held positions at U.C. Santa Cruz, U. South Carolina, and Penn State U., before moving to Georgia Tech in 2005. His research has been consistently supported by NSF grants including a CAREER Award, and he has been a Simons Fellow. He lives with his family in Midtown Atlanta, and enjoys biking to campus all year round.

Since ancient times, geometric perfection (circle, square, and triangle) has been thought to convey sacred and universal truths by reflecting the fractal interconnections of the natural world. One finds these similarities across cultures embedded in many diverse ethnic patterns. Incorporating these patterns into works of art promotes access through recognition and this commonality creates a connection. Geometric ornamentation may have reached a pinnacle in the Islamic world, where it has been assimilated into all aspects of everyday life.  The exhibition examines an extended cross-cultural integration of the arts into life.

The papercut installations of [redacted], Gower, and Korchi use sacred geometry to blend subtle imperfection with structured repetition.  Townsend is inspired by Koran Illumination, Tehzip uses patterns in the Ottoman style for her wall tracings and papercut, while [redacted]  draws upon the Behzad School of Illumination for his calligraphic wall tracing and papercut.  Benitez uses linear perspective as a metaphor for Western Civilization. Their shared artistic and intellectual interests speak to the larger hybrid relationship that the West shares with the Middle East, and especially with the Golden Age of Islamic Civilization.

This exhibition evolved out of a workshop conducted by Gower and Benitez during the 2013 Tasmeem Conference, which was organized by Virginia Commonwealth University (VCUQ) School of the Arts in Doha, Qatar.

The center's focus is enhancing artistic expression on campus, preparing students for careers as creative makers and innovators, and helping faculty develop creative approaches to improving scientific and technological research and outreach.

IMA will be administratively housed in the Ivan Allen College and draw participants from across campus. It will seek to enhance opportunities for sciences and engineering faculty seeking to creatively enhance their scholarship, consider creative approaches to public engagement, and find new ways to think critically about the societal impacts of technological innovation.

“Art is not new to the Ivan Allen College. We have been teaching visualization, AR/VR, literary arts, poetry, science fiction, and the use of interactive media for a long time,” said Kaye Husbands Fealing, dean and Ivan Allen Jr. Chair in the Ivan Allen College. “However, this center does mark an important milestone in our continuing commitment to integrating inquiry in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and STEM disciplines.”

Read the full story on the Ivan Allen College website.

The event will be held in TSRB 1st floor on Wednesday April 12 from 12:30 to 4:30. Come and experience the creativity and skill of our student and faculty community. 

• Fill out the Google Form (https://tinyurl.com/papercontest)
• Image of at least 2400 by 3000 pixels or 2400 by 2400 pixels to be able to print 8" x 10" or 8" x 8"
• File size must be between 5 MB and 20 MB
• If available, high quality photo of sample
• Maximum of three images per person

Guidelines

• Only images containing bio-derived components / biomaterials / bioproducts or are related to papermaking
• Images may be taken from TEM/SEM/light microscopy/3D imaging
• Images must be original work and allowed to be displayed. Use by the Paper Museum, RBI, or Georgia Tech does not infringe on copyright with upcoming or already published works.
• Contestants must agree to allow reproduction for the museum website, museum guides, or for educational purposes. The winning contestants are encouraged to submit samples to be displayed with image.
• Samples may be provided after selection of winning images and should not be proprietary.

Printing on paper gave a greater functionality as a medium for literature, culture, art, documentation, and especially for scholarly, religious, and governmental texts.  

Through historical context and records, we can learn much about how these woodblocks were used and the significance of the prints. With analytical techniques, we gain more insight about the woodblocks beyond what we can observe with the naked eye. In collaboration with the Materials Characterization Facility* (MCF) at Georgia Tech, the Museum staff learned how advanced characterization techniques gives us more information on story of the woodblocks in the Paper Museum’s collection.

* IEN/IMat Materials Characterization Facility: https://mcf.gatech.edu/home/

Tools we used: Digital Microscopy

With the help of the Keyence Advanced Digital microscope and MCF staff, the Museum staff were able to get a closer look at the surface and into the depressions between the carved Chinese characters of the woodblock. The Keyence Digital Microscope (Figure 1) is a light microscope that allows for 3D topographical mapping of surface features down to a few micrometers. It has ability to combine images in the vertical direction to make a full focus, high magnification image, and depth profiles.

What we learned from Digital Microscopy

Features we were able to see through microscopy  

• White fibers between the characters and in the cracks of the woodblock (Figure 2). We suspect these fibers were transferred from the paper that the blocks came in contact with during printing.
• Sand or gravel (Figure 2). This may be remnants from sand or other tools used to smooth out the surface of the wood. It may also be from gravel or sand from the conditions or area they were stored in.
• Uncoated areas on the block (Figure 2). We see that the red ink did not flow fully into the depressions of the surrounding text. This suggests that these inks were likely too viscous, or thick, to flow into the spaces between the characters.
• Hair or thread that is embedded in the red ink on the woodblock (Figure 3). This may be boar or other animal hair that was commonly used in brushes to coat the surface of the woodblock with ink.
• Cracks on the woodblock can be seen to contain fibers, sand, or other debris (Figure 3). This suggests that these cracks likely formed during regular use of the woodblock. Given that the ink and woodblock likely went through periods of being wet and then dry, cracks could from through the stresses from this cycling.  

What else could we learn from this new information?

Further analysis and testing of the unexpected materials in our woodblock could give us much deeper understanding of the environment and the time that the woodblocks were used in. For example, fibers found on the block can be tested to identify the plant material that was used to make the paper for printing. Analysis on the hair could give insight on the type of animal that the hair was used from. Furthermore, analysis on the sand and gravel and on the ink, gives a better picture of the minerals that were present and available in the area and time period the woodblocks were in use.

Tools we used: Elemental Analysis

Knowing what our artifacts are made of and the materials they contain informs how we handle and store them to ensure not only the safety of the object, but also of the museum staff and visitors. Elemental analysis shows us what elements and therefore minerals were likely used as colorants in the inks left behind on the woodblocks.

 Black colorants used in ancient Chinese paints and inks are known to typically contain carbon black, which is inert or harmless, but can also contain lead-sulfide, which is hazardous to touch and breathe in. Red inks could include a variety of pigments such as cinnabar, red lead, or iron. Cinnabar is particularly interesting because it gives a deep red color to inks but also contains α-mercury sulfide, which also may be hazardous when inhaled or touched in large enough quantities. Given the potential presence of hazardous substances such as lead and mercury from the inks and the wide-spread use of cinnabar in Chinese colorants, we wanted to confirm whether the woodblocks in our collection contained them or not. Our historical knowledge suggested it was likely, but scientific tools could confirm it with certainty.

X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy is a common technique in elemental analysis of artifacts because it is non-destructive and, depending on the instrument, can house larger samples than typically possible with other elemental analysis techniques. This technique bombards an object with high-energy X-rays and measures the characteristic X-rays that come off from specific elements in the material. Using a Bruker M4 Torndado Plus XRF at the MCF, we obtained elemental maps of both black and red woodblocks. The elemental maps are made by measuring the characteristic X-rays of different elements over a surface and one micrometer deep into an object.

In the black Chinese woodblock (Figure 4 and 5), besides the abundance of oxygen (O) and carbon (C) there were trace amounts of several different elements. However, we found relatively higher concentrations of aluminum (Al), silicon (Si), and iron (Fe). As seen in the elemental map (Figure 6), these were noticeably present in the spaces between the characters and raised areas for the print.

From the elemental spectra of red woodblock samples (Figure 7), peaks for mercury and lead were detected (Figure 8). This means that the red woodblocks were found to contain lead and mercury (Figure 8 and 9) and red pigments are likely cinnabar and red lead.

Why this Matters

Conservation, with the use of analytical techniques, broadens our understanding of artifacts, their history, and how to protect them and museum staff and visitors. In collaboration with the MCF and microscopy and elemental analysis, Paper Museum staff were able learn more about the physical qualities of Chinese woodblocks in our collection. Through microscopy, we saw unexpected features and materials that we could not otherwise see, including paper fibers, hair, and sand. We learned what elements are present in the inks and surface of the woodblocks, including potentially hazardous ones such as lead and mercury. This changes the way we handle and take care of the artifacts. Being able to utilize the equipment and expertise of the Materials Characterization Facility enables us to use cutting-edge techniques to better tell stories that are hundreds of years old.  

Acknowledgements:

The museum would like to thank the Materials Characterization Facility Staff: David Tavakoli, Todd Walters, Walter Henderson, and Rathi Monikandan.

References:

• https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1120/paper-in-ancient-china/
• https://mcf.gatech.edu/tools/
• https://nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb/documents/fs/1113.pdf
• https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Mercuric-sulfide#section=Safety-and-Hazards
• Scientific Studies of Pigments in Chinese Paintings. Edited by Blythe McCarthy and Jennifer Giaccai. 2021 Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
• Shen, J., and Shen, Y., (2021) Identification of cinnabar existing in different objects using portable coupled XRF-XRD, laboratory-type XRD, and micro-Raman spectroscopy: comparison of techniques. SN Applied Sciences 3:866.

The museum will be closed Thursday and Friday, November 24 and 25 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. We will reopen on Monday, November 28 for regular hours: Monday – Friday, 9-5. Admission is free, but groups of 10 or more must book a fee-based program in advance.

The museum winds down the year with some long-awaited upgrades to our carpet! As a result, the museum will be closed to the public December 3 – January 2. We will reopen in January with a new look for our floors. Programs already booked will still be held, but galleries are closed during this time. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Museum late night: Thursday, November 17, 2022 – open until 8pm

Museum closed: Thursday – Friday, Novemebr 24 – 25, 2022

Museum open: Monday – Friday, November 28 – December 2, 9-5

Museum closed: Saturday, December 2, 2022 – Monday, January 2, 2023

Please contact Virginia Howell at 404-894-5726 or Virginia.howell@rbi.gatech.edu with any questions.

A Community of Artists: African American Works on Paper from the Cochran Collection, showcases fifty noted 20th century American artists. Collected and curated by Wes and Missy Cochran, the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking chose a selection from the larger collection that not only tells the story of 20^th century art in America but highlights the contributions of Georgia’s artists to this larger story. The show also illuminates the roles of female artists and Black master printers in creating a cross-generational commentary on artistic freedom, activism, and community. Whether intentionally or coincidentally, the lives and voices of the featured artists intersect to create a lively dialogue that remains relevant to today’s audiences. The exhibition is on view from August 5 - December 2, 2022. An in-person artist talk is scheduled for Monday, October 3, 6:30-8:30p and several virtual lectures (Sept 6, Sept 20, & Nov 1, 7p EST) round out programming. The exhibition and related programming are free and open to the public. Located at 500 Tenth St. NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking is open Monday – Friday, 9-5p.

“The Cochran Collection is a Georgia treasure. It is quite generous of Wes and Missy Cochran of LaGrange to make their phenomenal collection accessible to the public in exhibitions like this. The works of the artists featured in A Community of Artists: African American Works on Paper from the Cochran Collection on view at the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking are artists I grew up studying in art history books, and many are living artists who continue a strong studio practice! The accomplishments of the artists are too numerous to fully name. The exhibit examines the reverberation of their work and celebrates their contributions to the artistic dialogue of the 20^th Century.”                              -Jerushia Graham, Museum Coordinator

The theme of community is expressed between the artworks and through the relationships of the artists included in the show. The pieces – some figurative, many abstract – encourage the viewer to reflect upon the social, cultural, and political forces that influence artists. The story of American history can be told through the works and biographies present in the exhibit. Each artist’s unique perspective and lived experiences expressed through their artwork creates a framework for artist groups to form and for later artists to build upon. Viewers are invited to discover this nuanced community of artists that reach beyond media, geography, and generational perspectives to give voice to the entire spectrum of emotions.

VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON PUBLIC PROGRAMS

There is a series of free public programming in conjunction with the exhibit. An in-person reception and artists talk will be held Monday, October 3, 2022, from 6:30-8:30pm, featuring talks by four Atlanta artists whose works are on exhibit: Tina Dunkley, Jim Alexander, Kevin Cole, and Radcliffe Bailey.

Throughout the run of the exhibition, the public will be invited to join curators and arts professionals for a virtual lecture series:

• Tuesday, September 6, 7pm ET – Jamaal Barber, Black Master Printers and Their Impact
  • Zoom Webinar ID: 935 7354 7543 / Passcode 545565
• Tuesday, September 20, 7pm ET – Jasmine Wilson, The Power of Women’s Voices in the collection of Spelman College Museum of Fine Art and the Cochran Collection
  • Zoom Webinar ID: 913 2692 1145 / Passcode 210216
• Tuesday, November 1, 7pm ET – Dr. Kimberly Diana Jacobs, Telling the Story of 20^th Century Art through the Collection of Clark Atlanta University Art Museum and the Cochran Collection
  • Zoom Webinar ID: 943 0386 9495 / Passcode 030274

The museum will be open until 8pm on the following dates for visitors to see the exhibit: 

• Thursday, September 22
• Thursday, October 24
• Thursday, November 17

Free tours for the public will be held on select dates through the exhibition run:   

Friday, Sept 9            10 – 10:30    

Friday, Sept 16          10 – 10:30                          

Thursday, Sept 22    7 – 7:30         

Wednesday, Sept 28   11:30 - 12         

Friday, Oct 7             10 – 10:30    

Friday, Oct 14           10 – 10:30    

Wednesday, Oct 19  11:30 -12       

Thursday, Oct 27      7 – 7:30         

Friday, Nov 4            10 – 10:30    

Wednesday, Nov 16   11:30 - 12         

The exhibit Extension of Self: what it means to be human in a digital world opened Aug. 15 in the Georgia Tech Library. It examines how scientists and artists can collaborate to improve access to science and technology for underserved communities. 

Curated by Birney Robert, College events planner, the exhibition is the culmination of a $40,000 Georgia Tech/Microsoft Accessibility Research Seed Grant that Robert received through the Center for 21st Century Universities.

The exhibition features six exhibits, including one from a small team led by Ashutosh Dhekne, School of Computer Science assistant professor. The team created an interactive art installation called TechMyMoves for its submission.

“TechMyMoves is an exploration in mapping the human presence into an interactive art. It reflects a person’s movements through dynamically changing art that becomes more enthusiastic, energetic, and vibrant with increased activity in the indoor space,” according to the exhibition website.

The installation uses ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless technology that detects and responds to movement within indoor spaces. Movements are captured and converted to digital media using Python and Processing 4 programs. The resulting art is then instantaneously displayed on a large LED screen.

Dhekne, who earned a 2022 National Science Foundation CAREER Award for his work in wireless localization and sensing, says he came up with the idea for TechMyMoves while “daydreaming of an expressive indoor space.” To bring his daydream to reality, Dhekne worked with recent alumnus Yunzhi Li (CS MS 21) and Human-Centered Computing Ph.D. student Tingyu Cheng.

Extension of Self runs through Oct. 14 and is the first of two exhibitions planned by Robert as part of initial proposal for the seed grant program.

An innovative exploration of technological interventions into the human brain.

In what Georgia Tech Arts and Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre (TMBT) have dubbed the “Neuroethics Grand Challenge,” the two companies along with acclaimed choreographer Troy Schumacher and internationally revered new media artist Sergio Mora-Diaz explore neuroscience and the ethics of intervention with AI and other technologies.

Our brain is the path to human experience. Interacting with the adaptive brain has the potential to challenge our self-understanding, arguably more than any other scientific discipline. John Welker, TMBT’s artistic director, says “In any collaboration, there are surprises that are part of my joy for discovery, but this particular process has made me so much more aware and appreciative of the intimate connection between our minds' intention and how that is carried out through the movement of our bodies.”

The artists’ collaborative partnership extends to a team of researchers led by Christopher Rozell, professor in the School of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Karen Rommelfanger, president and founder of the Institute of Neuroethics Think and Do Tank. Other faculty who engaged with the artists by discussing their research include: Chethan Pandarinath, assistant professor, Annabelle Singer, assistant professor, Garrett Stanley, professor, and Lena Ting, professor, in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University; and Doby Rahnev, associate professor in the School of Psychology at Georgia Tech.

Rozell, who has been with the project since its inception, states:

“Science and technology research is pushing us to the boundaries of what we know about the human brain, and that forces us to wrestle with ideas that are insufficiently described by our current language. The arts can help us process this emerging understanding in new ways that go beyond language and can do it by creating something beautiful that we can celebrate as a uniquely human experience. I couldn’t be prouder of the way that this project has fulfilled the potential of integrating science and the arts.”

Creativity plays an important role at Georgia Tech

The premiere of Step the Brain Along a Path comes as the final phase of a three-year project that included two work-in-progress showings in 2021 presented by Georgia Tech Arts. Adding to the opportunities for outreach and engagement will be a video installation in the Ferst Center lobby displayed in tandem with the performances of the ballet, offering insight into neuroscience at Georgia Tech. For this installation Georgia Tech Arts connected Atlanta-based creative artist Kimberly Binns with a Georgia Tech team led by Rozell with graduate student lead Abby Paulson, BMED, Kyle Johnsen, BMED, and GT alumnus Timothy Min, M.S. Music Technology 2022.

“We had no idea what would happen when we brought together these scientists and artists,” says Aaron Shackelford, the director of Georgia Tech Arts. “What we did know was innovation happens in these creative spaces where arts intersect with research. Throughout this three-year journey we have had the opportunity to see artists, faculty, and graduate students learn from each other and inspire each other, and been able to invite our campus and community to join in this process. The arts provide these unique experiences, these encounters that nurture new ideas and new ways to understand cutting edge research and the human condition. This is why the arts play such a critical role at Georgia Tech, and why this project embodies the possibilities for arts and research across our campus.”

Step the Brain Along a Path was commissioned in part with support from the Charles Loridans Foundation.

• 8:00 p.m., Friday, September 9, 2022
• 3:00 p.m., Sunday, September 11, 2022
• Georgia Tech’s Ferst Center for the Arts - 349 Ferst Dr NW, Atlanta, GA, 30332
• Ticket Price: $5 GT students, $10.00 public; general admission
• Direct Purchase Link: artsgatech.universitytickets.com
• Box Office Contact Information: 404.894.9600, tickets@arts.gatech.edu 

Design image (c) Sergio Mora Diaz

Dancer photo Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre (c) Felipe Barral

An innovative exploration of technological interventions into the human brain.

In what Georgia Tech Arts and Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre (TMBT) have dubbed the “Neuroethics Grand Challenge,” the two companies along with acclaimed choreographer Troy Schumacher and internationally revered new media artist Sergio Mora-Diaz explore neuroscience and the ethics of intervention with AI and other technologies.

Our brain is the path to human experience. Interacting with the adaptive brain has the potential to challenge our self-understanding, arguably more than any other scientific discipline. John Welker, TMBT’s artistic director, says “In any collaboration, there are surprises that are part of my joy for discovery, but this particular process has made me so much more aware and appreciative of the intimate connection between our minds' intention and how that is carried out through the movement of our bodies.”

The artists’ collaborative partnership extends to a team of researchers led by Christopher Rozell, professor in the School of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Karen Rommelfanger, president and founder of the Institute of Neuroethics Think and Do Tank. Other faculty who engaged with the artists by discussing their research include: Chethan Pandarinath, assistant professor, Annabelle Singer, assistant professor, Garrett Stanley, professor, and Lena Ting, professor, in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University; and Doby Rahnev, associate professor in the School of Psychology at Georgia Tech.

Rozell, who has been with the project since its inception, states:

“Science and technology research is pushing us to the boundaries of what we know about the human brain, and that forces us to wrestle with ideas that are insufficiently described by our current language. The arts can help us process this emerging understanding in new ways that go beyond language and can do it by creating something beautiful that we can celebrate as a uniquely human experience. I couldn’t be prouder of the way that this project has fulfilled the potential of integrating science and the arts.”

Creativity plays an important role at Georgia Tech

The premiere of Step the Brain Along a Path comes as the final phase of a three-year project that included two work-in-progress showings in 2021 presented by Georgia Tech Arts. Adding to the opportunities for outreach and engagement will be a video installation in the Ferst Center lobby displayed in tandem with the performances of the ballet, offering insight into neuroscience at Georgia Tech. For this installation Georgia Tech Arts connected Atlanta-based creative artist Kimberly Binns with a Georgia Tech team led by Rozell with graduate student lead Abby Paulson, BMED, Kyle Johnsen, BMED, and GT alumnus Timothy Min, M.S. Music Technology 2022.

“We had no idea what would happen when we brought together these scientists and artists,” says Aaron Shackelford, the director of Georgia Tech Arts. “What we did know was innovation happens in these creative spaces where arts intersect with research. Throughout this three-year journey we have had the opportunity to see artists, faculty, and graduate students learn from each other and inspire each other, and been able to invite our campus and community to join in this process. The arts provide these unique experiences, these encounters that nurture new ideas and new ways to understand cutting edge research and the human condition. This is why the arts play such a critical role at Georgia Tech, and why this project embodies the possibilities for arts and research across our campus.”

Step the Brain Along a Path was commissioned in part with support from the Charles Loridans Foundation.

• 8:00 p.m., Friday, September 9, 2022
• 3:00 p.m., Sunday, September 11, 2022
• Georgia Tech’s Ferst Center for the Arts - 349 Ferst Dr NW, Atlanta, GA, 30332
• Ticket Price: $5 GT students, $10.00 public; general admission
• Direct Purchase Link: artsgatech.universitytickets.com
• Box Office Contact Information: 404.894.9600, tickets@arts.gatech.edu 

Design image (c) Sergio Mora Diaz

Dancer photo Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre (c) Felipe Barral

In an interview for the 75^th Anniversary of the Institute, Mead said, “I’ve enjoyed my relationship with the Institute tremendously. I’m proud of it and I hope to see it continue to thrive in its own way. It’s been a huge contributor to the industry and a huge contributor to my own success and, as such, I feel obligated to continue my support.” He went on to say, “Our industry was pretty technologically inept when the Institute was first formed. While I don’t think the Institute or its graduates can take the credit for having created the technolical upsurge that has taken place since 1928 or so, the fact is that it couldn’t have taken place without the Institute graduates out there to implement it, to help put it into place. The Institute’s influence on the industry is probably as great as any institution could have possibly had.” He served as Board Chair of the Institute in 1989 – 1990, when the Institute moved to Atlanta from Appleton, Wisconsin. Mead received an honorary doctorate from the Institute of Paper Science and Technology in 2004.

Mead was born October 11, 1927 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His great-grandfather, J. D. Witter was a cofounder of Consolidated Water Power  and Paper Co. His grandfather, George W. Mead I, and father, Stanton Mead, both served as president of the company. In 1966, George Mead II became president of the company. Mead was named Man of the Year in 1986 by the Paper Industry Management Association, and in 1998 he was inducted into the Papermakers International Hall of Fame. He served as the director of the American Forest and Paper Association, director and chairman for the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, and was a director of the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry.

Mead’s philanthropy included the Mead Witter Foundation, which has given over $100 million in support of education, environmental causes, civic organizations, and local scholarships. He also supported the Mead Wildlife Area, a 33,000 acre preserve in Wisconsin. He was active in his community, from the library to the hospital association to the Rotary Club.

Mead is survived by his wife, Susan Feith, three children, two stepchildren, four grandchildren, four step-grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

The Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking extends condolences to the family and to his community on his passing.

On July 29 and 30, the museum is co-hosting with ASIFA-South the ASIFAC 2022 Animation Festival and Conference. The event is free, but registration is required. Join like-minded people to discover more about animation: what people are working on and opportunities in the field of animation. ASIFA members have shared extensive knowledge at past Fast Film Fests sponsored by the museum, so we are looking forward to learning more about animation!

https://www.asifa-south.com/asifac-festival

The partnerships continue into August, as the Paper Museum participates in the Educator Expo hosted by the Atlanta History Center. On Saturday, August 13 from 9-noon, educators are invited to discover how some of Atlanta’s most popular cultural institutions can be part of school experiences. Throughout Atlanta are numerous places to visit, with and without school groups, and the paper museum is pleased to be part of this exciting opportunity.

https://www.atlantahistorycenter.com/event/educator-expo/   

On Tuesday, July 26, the museum’s virtual talks continue with renowned paper artist Helen Hiebert sharing about her research into spherical paper forms in a talk and demonstration called “Illuminating the Paper Sphere.” Hiebert is the author of five how-to books on papermaking, runs a blog called The Sunday Paper and a corresponding podcast Paper Talk, and is a practicing artist as well. Her annual, week-long retreat at Red Cliff in Colorado is well-known for being an inspiring experience for papermakers and paper artists alike. Online registration is available now!

Group tours and papermaking workshops are also happening this summer! Space is limited, so book yours now. These 90-minute, hands-on tours include visiting the museum gallery and making paper to take home. Suitable for groups of 10 or more, program fees are $8.50 per person. Contact Education Curator Anna Doll for more information and to book. Anna.Doll@rbi.gatech.edu or 404-894-7840

“The Global Media Festival helps students become global citizens by teaching them about sustainability issues across languages and cultures,” said Amanda Weiss, assistant professor of Japanese and festival director. “By introducing students to an international group of scholars, filmmakers, and artists, we explore the diverse cultural, social, and linguistic frameworks that inform sustainability issues around the world.”

Read the entire story on the School of Modern Languages website.

https://youtu.be/vKBpOol6ayI

The ACCelerate Festival, a celebration of creative exploration and innovative research happening at the intersection of science, engineering, arts, and design, this year featured 12 teams from universities and colleges across the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). 31,527 people attended this year’s event, held April 8 – 10, 2022 at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. Votes were cast for all 26 projects, and a remarkable 48% of the votes supported this Georgia Tech project.

Walking in the Footsteps of History

The multidisciplinary team, led by Danielle Willkens, assistant professor at the School of Architecture, included graduate and undergraduate students in Architecture and Urban Design. The team developed a unique approach to understanding the import and impact of what came to be known as Bloody Sunday, when, on March 7, 1965, armed Alabama State Troopers attacked peaceful civil rights activists. To achieve their mission of developing physical context and an experiential timeline, the team created an installation that introduces patrons to the vast landscape of the people and places who were pivotal (and until now, often unknown) in this historical event.

Team member Patricia J. Rangel, a graduate student in Architecture, noted the remarkable connections that emerged when sharing the exhibition in the Smithsonian. “The entire experience, from being selected to the team, to working alongside such talented people, to engaging with people of all ages and backgrounds, was a privilege. The ultimate audience member we had in mind while designing our pieces were the descendants of the foot soldiers and participants of the marches. The highlight of the entire weekend was the visit from Tracey Todd-Coleman and her two boys, Tyson and Todd. The twins are the great-great-great grandsons of David Hall, a Black farmer in Dallas Country, AL who offered his land to the movement as the first campsite of the Selma-Montgomery march. When Tracey, who is not a crier, got emotional when she saw her grandfather's image at the Smithsonian and photographed the monitor to send to her grandmother, Mr. Hall's daughter, there was a sense we may have done something right. Places and people's stories are significant. The Smithsonian and the experience of exhibiting there reinforced that people of all ages are eager to learn and be inspired by others who made sacrifices for future generations.”

Heart Sense: Reflections on Physiology and Embodiment

The second Georgia Tech team that was invited to present at the 2022 ACCelerate Festival was led by Nassim Parvin, associate professor, School of Literature, Media, and Communication (LMC). Participating faculty included Lewis Wheaton, associate professor, Biological Sciences, Georgia Tech, and Anne Pollock, previously associate professor, LMC, Georgia Tech, now at King’s College London. Student researchers included a postdoctoral fellow at LMC along with Digital Media graduate students.

Upon the team’s return from D.C., Parvin reflected on how the experience had moved the project forward. She noted that the current installations reflect how our bodies are in and of the environment. After the team’s interactions with patrons at the ACCelerate Festival, they began to consider how to expand and extend the project. She said, “In our future installations we would like to explore creative ways that we might collectively shape the environment through reflection upon and reorientation of our bodies. For example, what if you could enter a dance floor and be able to change the light and music together with other dancers by changing the intensity of your movements and your breath? What can we learn from feeling our heartbeats alongside others?”

These were just some of the questions that arose from the team’s observations of, and conversations with, the students, teachers, school administrators, and general public who enjoyed the installation. The experience led Parvin to also consider the educational potentials of the project, and ways that it can be made accessible to educators, researchers, and artists.

The ACCelerate Festival of Creativity and Innovation is programmed by Virginia Tech’s Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology and the Smithsonian Institution’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation.

Those parental influences sparked a lifelong dream to be a professional singer. But starting in her 20s, auditions for top Atlanta-based producers, plus many demo tapes, and several opportunities to show off her vocal talents at local events — including the 1994 Super Bowl at the Georgia Dome, where she was part of Natalie Cole’s backup choir — didn’t result in the stardom she sought. 

“I'm in my forties, and I've been trying to do this, and dropping it, and picking it back up, and I’m thinking, it's gone, it's dead,” she says.

Her hopes for breaking out of the ultra-competitive Atlanta music scene are alive again, thanks to a Friday night in January 2021. Shortly after Platt landed a new job as an administrative manager in the School of Psychology, where she leads a team that oversees human resources and operations, she recorded a video of herself singing half of a cover song and posted it on her Facebook page. 

“Everybody loved it,” she recalls — including the two producers who called her asking if she wanted to record an album. 

Now she’s putting the finishing touches on “IAMTIKICA,” a five-song EP that she’ll soon drop and shop to record companies. The album’s feature single, “Lost in Your Vibe,” can be heard on Apple Music, Spotify, and HearNow.

“All my life, I feel like I've been searching for the perfect place to put my gift, how to carry it,” Platt says. “So I started this out of a need to just sing. I had gotten out of the church choir that I was in, and I literally felt like I had no place to sing, and I said, ‘I'm doing it tonight.’ You can see on the video, my hair is up in a bun. And I'm just going for it. Because what do I have to lose?”

Determined to blaze her own path in music

Whenever Platt searched the groups that her father, Alford J. Cooper, played drums for, she couldn’t find his name on their albums. “He said in those times, groups had (backup musicians) they went on the road with, but weren’t in the studio.”

While her mother, Cheylon L. Bradford, gave her the chance to show off her vocal talents early in church choirs, she credits her father with passing along a desire to perform in front of audiences. 

Platt says she was determined at a young age to make her own mark in the entertainment world. Yet as she was trying to get noticed for her vocal talents, Platt was also starting a family (she has two children) and working on a business career. She received her BBA from Clark Atlanta University and an MBA from Piedmont College’s Athens, Georgia campus. She then spent 22 years as a financial administrator for the University of Georgia before landing her present job at Georgia Tech.

“Even though I'm a creative, I'm extremely organized, and I'm a planner,” Platt says. Along with operations and IT, she and her team handle all human resources needs for staff and faculty at the School of Psychology. “I used to handle finance and human resources for the department at UGA. But here, you have your admin or HR manager, and you have your financial manager. Together we handle everything outside of academics.”

Platt has spent 23 years in the University System of Georgia, and she would love to be able to continue working at Georgia Tech while pursuing her dreams of being a professional singer. “Singing has always been the ultimate dream. But I also love that I’ve found what I’m good at in the world, all this time that this dream has not fully come to fruition.”

She credits her supervisor in the School of Psychology with supporting her efforts to become a singer. “I have crazy support, all of that. I absolutely love Georgia Tech.”

“It's wonderful that all the members of our community actively explore options to reach their full potential and fulfill their dreams,” says Tansu Celikel, professor and chair of the School of Psychology.

Platt says she sang more in 2021 than in the last 10 years. She’s been interviewed on Athens radio, recently sung the national anthem at a sporting event, and more. “If I could sing the national anthem at a Tech game, that would be great,” she adds with a laugh. 

It’s all part of her longtime plan: to not let rejection get the best of her, and to create her own opportunities. It’s advice that she believes could also help Georgia Tech students. “As long as you have the gift, do the work and fit it in wherever you can,” Platt says. “You just keep at it, and then just trust that God will provide the timing. And don’t ever give up, because you can have whatever you desire, if you just keep at it.”

What is Bark Paper?

Bark papers, tapa, and amatl are a paper-like material made by cultures around the world and have a history closely intertwined with papermaking. Known by different names depending on where in the world it is made, these objects share characteristics in production and materials. The inner bark of a mulberry plant is beaten into a pulp by hand using a tool—either stone or wood. Some of the tools have grooves, others are smooth. Sheets are formed by flattening the pulp into a thin layer. Decorative elements can be included in manufacture by flattening the pulp over raised designs on boards or mats. Scholarly interest in tapa, amatl, and other kinds of bark papers have grown in recent years, which was a motivating factor in reviewing the condition of the collection and determining how to best take care of it for the future.

The Survey Process

The museum worked with conservator Stephanie Watkins to perform the condition survey of objects in the collection. Watkins has been a paper conservator for over 35 years and has familiarity with the museum’s collection since she was on the collection survey team before the museum moved to Atlanta in 1989.  She brings a wealth of knowledge as well as real-world understanding of resources available for the collection to the project.

To prepare for the condition survey, museum staff pulled records from the collections database, which resulted in about 100 records. Staff then began gathering objects into a staging area in museum storage. While pulling objects, additional bark paper pieces were identified and included for review by the conservator. The total number of pieces surveyed ended up being just under 350: 277 bark papers, 27 tools, 10 plant samples, 4 copies of Primitive Papermaking by Dard Hunter, 24 objects on exhibit, and 15 objects of undetermined nature. Museum director Virginia Howell worked with Stephanie to create a workflow that would enable her to review all the pieces in a timely manner. The result was to look at the tools first, since they are small and not too many to observe. Then the books by Dard Hunter, followed by the actual bark paper samples, from smallest to largest.

When the actual condition survey happened in November, the procedure was adjusted to examine the largest pieces midway-through, rather than at the end. This change was made for adequate time to unroll and closely examine large pieces from their storage rack. An additional preparation step was to indicate which storage box pieces were removed from so the return would be simple. Creating written documentation for every step allows museum staff to tie objects to records and to locations. Watkins created a checklist to speed the process of evaluating pieces: double-check dimensions, describe appearance, and indicate any marks or tears on the piece. Condition issues, such as evidence of insects, dirt, fading from light exposure, and other issues were also documented. Accession numbers were double-checked, and all information was entered into a large spreadsheet.

After reviewing all of the pieces, Watkins created an extensive document for the museum that contaned her analysis of the objects and broke down conservation needs. While no piece is in immediate danger of destruction, there are pieces needing additional supports and more secure housing. She also provided suggestions for alternative pieces to exhibit in the museum gallery. Some artifacts have been on exhibit for many years and are brittle and fragile as a result. Museum staff is using Watkins’s recommendations to determine what will be the best outcome for these pieces. Thorough documentation for rolled storage and flat storage takes into account space limitations in collections storage, as well as the necessity to have cost-efficient solutions.

Discoveries

The most important take-away from the project is that the collection is in stable condition: there is no evidence of insect damage or mold, and the pieces are currently housed in a safe manner. The second observation is that the Paper Museum has a much larger collection than the electronic database suggested. By bringing all the pieces together and focusing on them, staff were able to see connections between pieces: beater marks visible on bark paper samples matched the lines carved into tools. Large examples of bark paper had samples cut out—which were then found in Primitive Papermaking. Some of the tapa pieces are very large, approximately 6 feet wide and 12 feet long or 18” wide and 21’ long. We were able to fully unroll them and see them in a single view, an action which has not been done in at least a decade. Watkins also identified several bark papers that were housed in different locations that belong together—we could re-associate pieces that had been separated over time. The full picture of the collection is much clearer to museum staff, and we are able to share more about what we know with the public. The historic legacy of the collection is also in clearer view. Being able to trace the tool that created a particular piece to the object to its description and inclusion in Primitive Papermaking is a complete story.

Next Steps

From here, museum staff plan to follow through on the suggestions from the report. New housing for large objects will be constructed, and smaller pieces will be stored in suitably -sized archival boxes in a single area in collections. We are also developing an online exhibit to show the objects in the collection. The condition reports will augment the known history of the pieces. Museum staff are now more knowledgeable about bark papers, and are able to translate this content into programs and exhibits. An additional benefit is the outline of the survey steps will be utilized for reviewing further selections in the museum collection.    

A Georgia Tech team exhibit, which won a People’s Choice Award while on display in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History recently, will be on display in the School of Architecture. Willkens leads the team of student researchers who created the exhibit.

The exhibit, “Walking in the Footsteps of History,” immerses visitors in the spatial and cultural context of Selma, Alabama, around the time of “Bloody Sunday,” March 7, 1965. Willkens’ team put the exhibit together for this year’s Accelerate Creativity and Innovation Festival.

“This exhibit explores a geospatial timeline of the marches in the region, largely focusing on the time between the prayer vigil held in Marion, AL on the evening of February 18th, 1965, resulting in the death of Jimmie Lee Jackson, to the arrival of the marchers to the Alabama Capitol Building on March 25, 1965,” Willkens said.

Although focused on the past, the exhibit serves as part of an ongoing effort to preserve and restore historically significant places that have been ignored.

“Our exhibit hopes to prompt a deeper inquiry into the city of Selma,” Willkens said, “advocating for the preservation of sites frequently ignored in the conversation: Good Samaritan Hospital (the only site that treated Black patients in the region), Brown’s Chapel and the surrounding complex known as the George Washington Carver Homes, and the area around the Bloody Sunday conflict site that is in a precarious state of decline.”

Contemporary digital reconstructions such as this offer visitors the chance to connect with history more directly than previously possible. Viewers can explore documents too fragile for public access, or tour sites which are hard to access or no longer exist.

“In many ways, this is a visualization of civil rights conflict archaeology, and we hope that our project’s methods for capturing contemporary digital documentation of associated sites (3D scans of sites, aerial photogrammetry, and 360 videos) and melding this content with rich historical narratives and archival images, videos, oral histories, and documents can become a reputable workflow for other sites, bringing history to life in new ways.”

The exhibit uses multiple media interfaces to stimulate viewer engagement. “This is an interactive exhibit, where the model with projection mapping, the touchscreen interfaces, VR experiences, and interpretive column complement each other to tell a broader story about Selma, the marches in 1965, and the ongoing struggle to protect voting rights,” Willkens said.

Willkens has been working in Selma since 2015, collaborating with researchers from Auburn University. “Our collaborations also expanded to include city officials, museum professionals, librarians, archivists, and teachers from Selma, as well as people from the Department of Transportation, tourism offices, the local interpretive centers for the National Park Service, and local entrepreneurs,” Willkens said.

“Amid all of our project partners, it has been most enlightening and rewarding to collaborate with a few of the remaining foot soldiers and their descendants who have been working so hard to preserve and disseminate the full story of Selma.”

Research and exhibit design team
•    Danielle Willkens, PhD, Assistant Professor
•    Junshan Liu, GT Visiting Scholar and Associate Professor 
•    Sydnee Henry, M.Arch candidate
•    Sean Li, BS Architecture candidate
•    Sakshi Nanda, MS in Urban Design candidate
•    Patricia J. Rangel, M.Arch candidate
•    Christian Waweru, BS Architecture candidate
•    Eden Wright, M.Arch candidate
•    Thomas Bray, BS Architecture 2021
•    So Min Park, BS Architecture 2021

GT Arts 
-    Aaron Shackleford, Director 
-    Kara Wade, Student and Artist Engagement Coordinator 
-    Nathalie Matychak, Assistant Director - Producing & Residency

Georgia Institute of Technology students, faculty, and staff are proudly taking part in the 2022 ACCelerate Festival, a celebration of creative exploration and innovative research happening at the intersection of science, engineering, arts, and design. Featuring teams from universities and colleges across the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the Smithsonian Institution, the Festival promotes cutting-edge creative work from a new generation of thinkers. This year’s event, to be held April 8 – 10, 2022, will be the third time the ACC institutions have gathered in DC, and Georgia Tech is honored to have been represented at each Festival to date.

“The ACCelerate Festival is an opportunity to showcase the incredible possibilities that await us at the intersection of art and technology,” said Georgia Tech Provost Steve McLaughlin. “We are proud to once again send teams from Georgia Tech and participate alongside our ACC peers. The arts have an undeniable power to teach, heal, and transform us, and this festival gives great visibility and a new way to experience the innovative and impactful education and research that is taking place on our campuses each day.”

The two Georgia Tech teams participating in the 2022 ACCelerate Festival come from the School of Architecture at the College of Design, and the School of Literature, Media, and Communication at the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts. Georgia Tech’s participation in ACCelerate is managed by Georgia Tech Arts, a department in the Division of Student Engagement and Well-Being.

Walking in the Footsteps of History

On March 7, 1965, at the south side of Edmund Pettus Bridge, armed State Troopers attacked peaceful civil rights activists attempting to march to the state capital of Montgomery in an incident that became known as Bloody Sunday. Despite access to vivid archival material, little interpretation addresses the physical context and experiential timeline. To digitally record this significant civil rights site and to make the specific context of the event more experientially engaging to the public, this project’s multidisciplinary team of designers, architectural historians, civil rights historians, cultural resource managers, and construction technology specialists are pairing collected 3D digital data of Selma’s extant structures with digital reconstructions to recreate the site.

By melding the physical and virtual, Walking in the Footsteps of History presents a broader understanding of the events of 1965 in and around Selma through enhanced historic interpretation by animating famous photographs through immersive visualization, creating interactive digital platforms for exploring fragile archival content such as the Good Samaritan Hospital logbook, and affording virtual tours where visitors can safely explore the Bloody Sunday conflict site that is bordered by a busy highway.

The team is led by Danielle Willkens, assistant professor, School of Architecture, who commented “This project has encompassed more than 6 years’ work with civil rights foot soldiers and their descendants with the intention of enabling visitors to translate the visceral experience to an understanding of the tenets of what was being advocated for - voting rights and civil rights – in the 1960’s through present time.”

Participating staff include Aaron Shackleford, director of Georgia Tech Arts. Georgia Tech student researchers include Simran Bajaj, Thomas Bray, Sydnee Henry, Carly Langsdorf, Sean Li, Sakshi Nanda, So Min Park, Patricia J. Rangel, Aishwarya Somasundaram, Christian Waweru, and Eden Wright. This project is the result of an ongoing collaboration with Junshan Liu, associate professor at Auburn University's McWhorter School of Building Science and Georgia Tech Visiting Scholar and the Auburn University team including faculty (R. Burt, K. Hébert, and E. Gaddis) and students (C. Brown, A. Davis, M. Gibbs, and S. Page). The team is currently completing a Historic Structures Report on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, sponsored by a National Park Service African American Civil Rights Grant.

Visit the ACCelerate website for more information about the team’s work and exhibition.

Heart Sense

“How can the very creation, rendering, and experiencing of biological data contribute to a more nuanced understanding of our bodies?” This is the question at the heart of this project. Heart Sense is a series of installations that visualize biometric data such as heart rate and breath as participants engage in a variety of listening and viewing activities. Our bodies are often conceived as separate autonomous entities, disjoint from the physical and social environments that they inhabit while in fact we are deeply connected with the material and social world around us.

The first installation tracks a participant’s heart rate, galvanic skin response, and breathing as they watch a short, emotionally engaging video. This data input produces flower-like visualizations that illustrate the physiological responses. The second installation engages the social dimension of embodiment through the mediation of the physical environment. Participants are invited to sit around a table and are given headphones to listen to music.

A floral visualization representing the collective heart rates of the participants will be projected onto the table, the size and the colors of each petal shifting with changes in each participant’s body. The visualization showcases how our bodies come into relation with each other and are in and of the environment, as they respond to our surrounding conditions even when we are not aware of it.

The team is led by Nassim Parvin, associate professor, School of Literature, Media, and Communication, who states “This project has catalyzed interdisciplinary collaboration across natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, and it has been a privilege to work with talented students in imaginative world-building.”

Participating faculty include Lewis Wheaton, associate professor, Biological Sciences, Georgia Tech, and Anne Pollock, previously associate professor of Literature, Media, and Communication at Georgia Tech and now professor of Global Health and Social Medicine at King's College London. The interdisciplinary team includes post-doctoral researcher Aditya Anupam alongside Georgia Tech student researchers Pooja Casula, Shubhangi Gupta, Sylvia Janicki, Michelle Ramirez, and Mohsin Yousufi.

Visit the ACCelerate website for more information about the team’s work and exhibition.

Visit the LMC website for detailed Heart Sense documentation and Heart Sense demonstration.

Working at the Intersection of Art, Learning, and Research

“The faculty and students at Georgia Tech have embraced the role of art and creativity as a way to engage with people and share their research with a wide audience,” said Georgia Tech Arts Director Aaron Shackelford. He explains that Georgia Tech Arts selected each project because of the way they bring together art, learning and research. “Both projects show what happens when you bring art and creativity into every step of the process,” he notes, “and the results are these innovative approaches to conducting important work that can be experienced by anyone visiting the Smithsonian.” Each project also supports the well-being of the community. “Heart Sense invites us to have a better understanding of our own bodies, while Walking in the Footsteps of History pushes us to have a better understanding of our nation’s history. Both are important for cultivating the well-being of our community, which is a central goal for Georgia Tech as a whole and one of the most important benefits of the arts.”

ACCelerate is programmed by Virginia Tech’s Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology and the Smithsonian Institution’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. Hosted at the National Museum of American History, the multi-day festival is free and open to the public. The 2022 Festival features 24 projects from 12 ACC schools; the most recent Festival drew public attendance of more than 30,000.

For more information about the 2022 ACCelerate Festival, visit their website.

“The ACCelerate Festival is an opportunity to showcase the incredible possibilities that await us at the intersection of art and technology,” said Georgia Tech Provost Steve McLaughlin. “We are proud to once again send teams from Georgia Tech and participate alongside our ACC peers. The arts have an undeniable power to teach, heal, and transform us, and this festival gives great visibility and a new way to experience the innovative and impactful education and research that is taking place on our campuses each day.”

The second Georgia Tech team participating in the 2022 ACCelerate Festival is from the School of Architecture at the College of Design. Georgia Tech’s participation in ACCelerate is managed by Georgia Tech Arts, a department in the Division of Student Engagement and Well-Being.

Heart Sense

“How can the very creation, rendering, and experiencing of biological data contribute to a more nuanced understanding of our bodies?” This is the question at the heart of this project. Heart Sense is a series of installations that visualize biometric data such as heart rate and breath as participants engage in a variety of listening and viewing activities. Our bodies are often conceived as separate autonomous entities, disjoint from the physical and social environments that they inhabit while in fact we are deeply connected with the material and social world around us.

The first installation tracks a participant’s heart rate, galvanic skin response, and breathing as they watch a short, emotionally engaging video. This data input produces flower-like visualizations that illustrate the physiological responses. The second installation engages the social dimension of embodiment through the mediation of the physical environment. Participants are invited to sit around a table and are given headphones to listen to music.

A floral visualization representing the collective heart rates of the participants will be projected onto the table, the size and the colors of each petal shifting with changes in each participant’s body. The visualization showcases how our bodies come into relation with each other and are in and of the environment, as they respond to our surrounding conditions even when we are not aware of it.

The team is led by Nassim Parvin, associate professor, School of Literature, Media, and Communication, who states “This project has catalyzed interdisciplinary collaboration across natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, and it has been a privilege to work with talented students in imaginative world-building.”

Participating faculty include Lewis Wheaton, associate professor, Biological Sciences, Georgia Tech, and Anne Pollock, previously associate professor of Literature, Media, and Communication at Georgia Tech and now professor of Global Health and Social Medicine at King's College London. The interdisciplinary team includes post-doctoral researcher Aditya Anupam alongside Georgia Tech student researchers Pooja Casula, Shubhangi Gupta, Sylvia Janicki, Michelle Ramirez, and Mohsin Yousufi.

Visit the ACCelerate website for more information about the team’s work and exhibition.

Visit the LMC website for detailed Heart Sense documentation and Heart Sense demonstration.

Walking in the Footsteps of History

On March 7, 1965, at the south side of Edmund Pettus Bridge, armed State Troopers attacked peaceful civil rights activists attempting to march to the state capital of Montgomery in an incident that became known as Bloody Sunday. Despite access to vivid archival material, little interpretation addresses the physical context and experiential timeline. To digitally record this significant civil rights site and to make the specific context of the event more experientially engaging to the public, this project’s multidisciplinary team of designers, architectural historians, civil rights historians, cultural resource managers, and construction technology specialists are pairing collected 3D digital data of Selma’s extant structures with digital reconstructions to recreate the site.

By melding the physical and virtual, Walking in the Footsteps of History presents a broader understanding of the events of 1965 in and around Selma through enhanced historic interpretation by animating famous photographs through immersive visualization, creating interactive digital platforms for exploring fragile archival content such as the Good Samaritan Hospital logbook, and affording virtual tours where visitors can safely explore the Bloody Sunday conflict site that is bordered by a busy highway.

The team is led by Danielle Willkens, assistant professor, School of Architecture, who commented “This project has encompassed more than 6 years’ work with civil rights foot soldiers and their descendants with the intention of enabling visitors to translate the visceral experience to an understanding of the tenets of what was being advocated for - voting rights and civil rights – in the 1960’s through present time.”

Participating staff include Aaron Shackleford, director of Georgia Tech Arts. Georgia Tech student researchers include Simran Bajaj, Thomas Bray, Sydnee Henry, Carly Langsdorf, Sean Li, Sakshi Nanda, So Min Park, Patricia J. Rangel, Aishwarya Somasundaram, Christian Waweru, and Eden Wright. This project is the result of an ongoing collaboration with Junshan Liu, associate professor at Auburn University's McWhorter School of Building Science and Georgia Tech Visiting Scholar and the Auburn University team including faculty (R. Burt, K. Hébert, and E. Gaddis) and students (C. Brown, A. Davis, M. Gibbs, and S. Page). The team is currently completing a Historic Structures Report on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, sponsored by a National Park Service African American Civil Rights Grant.

Visit the ACCelerate website for more information about the team’s work and exhibition.

Working at the Intersection of Art, Learning, and Research

“The faculty and students at Georgia Tech have embraced the role of art and creativity as a way to engage with people and share their research with a wide audience,” said Georgia Tech Arts Director Aaron Shackelford. He explains that Georgia Tech Arts selected each project because of the way they bring together art, learning and research. “Both projects show what happens when you bring art and creativity into every step of the process,” he notes, “and the results are these innovative approaches to conducting important work that can be experienced by anyone visiting the Smithsonian.” Each project also supports the well-being of the community. “Heart Sense invites us to have a better understanding of our own bodies, while Walking in the Footsteps of History pushes us to have a better understanding of our nation’s history. Both are important for cultivating the well-being of our community, which is a central goal for Georgia Tech as a whole and one of the most important benefits of the arts.”

ACCelerate is programmed by Virginia Tech’s Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology and the Smithsonian Institution’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. Hosted at the National Museum of American History, the multi-day festival is free and open to the public. The 2022 Festival features 24 projects from 12 ACC schools; the most recent Festival drew public attendance of more than 30,000.

For more information about the 2022 ACCelerate Festival, visit their website.