This week an inflatable version of , a creation of the Chicago-based, internationally recognized artist , is on display in the south quad of the Engineering Center at 蜜桃传媒破解版下载.听
Hoffman, who became famous for the project, was invited to CU Engineering as part of the Art is Engineering program run by STEM educator and lecturer Elisabeth Stade.听
Art is Engineering is a program that offers spontaneous experiences of art in the engineering complex. Stade, along with Noah Finkelstein at the CU Center for STEM Learning and Bud Coleman of Theater and Dance have been collaborating since 2017 to host public, creative experiences.听
Monday afternoon, students passing through the Engineering Lobby expressed interest听about the installation, wondering where it came from and what it means. Sophomore Nayef Bourisli, (ECEN 鈥�21) said, 鈥淚 like the red鈥攊t really stands out in its surroundings.鈥� Mechanical engineering students Aaron Zetley (鈥�20) and Maya Rudd (鈥�21) agreed 鈥渋t鈥檚 nice to see听art in the building.鈥�
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Breaking Stereotypes
鈥淭he stereotype of the nerdy engineer hides the rich creative experiences of our [engineering] faculty, staff and students. Art is Engineering is a place we allow our creative identities to come out, not because it gets us an A in class, but because it expresses who we are,鈥� Stade said.听
The idea came several years ago during a summer mentorship program that Stade ran for underrepresented students in STEM. She asked a Latina girl what had surprised her most about the various labs on campus and she replied, 鈥渢he colors!鈥�, referencing the artistry and creativity she saw in Mike Eisenberg鈥檚 .
This conversation sparked the idea to offer spontaneous art experiences in the Engineering Center. During the 2017-18 academic year, Art is Engineering hosted seven pop-ups in the Engineering Lobby. Everyone was welcome to stop by for a cupcake plus time and space to engage in simple art projects like upside-down drawing.听
Initially, the Art is Engineering team expected non-traditional students to be attracted to the projects. According to Stade, however, the team found that, 鈥渢rue to the ideals of universal design, when we consider the needs of underrepresented populations, we find solutions that benefit us all. It turned out that all kinds of engineers love to do art.鈥澨�
Stade鈥檚 team thought that they might need cupcakes to bribe participants to do an art project for 15 minutes. As Stade recalls, 鈥溾�榩asserbys would say, 鈥業鈥檇 love to make some art, but I鈥檓 no good at it.鈥� We鈥檇 say 鈥榡ust do it for the cupcake,鈥� and sometimes they鈥檇 stay for 27 minutes, or 46 or an hour and 17 minutes. The cupcake gave them permission, but it鈥檚 not about the cupcake.鈥�
The 2018-19 pop-ups are being organized by undergraduate engineering students Mary Hansen and Daniel Crook.听
鈥淚t was Hansen鈥檚 idea to bring Hoffman鈥檚 work to the Engineering Center, and I鈥檓 so glad that we could make it happen,鈥� Stade shared.听
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Where to go
Go For It is open to the public Feb. 25-26, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Engineering Center鈥檚 south quad. The Engineering Center is located at 1111 Engineering Drive in Boulder.
Art is Engineering receives support from The BOLD Center鈥檚 Innovative Inclusion Ideas program, which supports faculty and staff to test projects that support a more inclusive engineering environment.
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What鈥檚 Next
Denver poet will be joining CU Engineering in March for activities around visual storytelling, poetry and being a 鈥渟uper nerd.鈥� Dates and times will be published soon. Cruz is a Latin queer poet born in Idaho, raised in Texas and polished in Denver. The has performed his spoken work at University of Denver, the Denver Art Museum throughout the southwestern United States. His work embodies self-love, transformation and science and depicts life as a child of immigrants.
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Maria Kuntz is the assistant director for communications, inclusion and community in the College of Engineering & Applied Science.