The Shemer Art Center Presents “Materialize: 3D Printing & Rapid Prototyping” in Phoenix

Chosen by the Phoenix Pride Commission as a Point of Pride for the City of Phoenix, The Shemer Art Center in Phoenix, AZ,  is also a “home for the arts” that nurtures creativity and imagination through art.

With their Materialize: 3D Printing & Rapid Prototyping exhibition, The Shemer Art Center endeavors to give area artists, residents and patrons an education and immersion into the digital age of art, with an emphasis on 3D printing.

With a growing contemporary art scene in Phoenix, it makes sense that the Shemer Art Center would want to put on a show highlighting a new medium that allows artists to expand their creative visions further, while learning about a new printing process that a multitude of today’s artists are using successfully–to make art, jewelry–and news headlines. 3D printing allows the artist to create many things they would not be able to with just the standard tools and their hands.

Running from October 16 through November 27, works of art created with 3D printing will be on display “in hopes to educate artists and the public about new digital tools used to create art.” Phoenix citizens will be able to view original 3D printed works by artists who exemplify the inspiration provided in today’s artistic arena through use of digital tools and additive manufacturing technology.

One of the highlighted artists is David Van Ness, who has been using 3D printing to produce art since 2005, and since then his 3D-printed works of art have been exhibited all over the world. Van Ness is also coordinator of foundations at Northern Arizona University’s School of Art, and is on a mission to introduce students there to the world of art through 3D printing. His 3D printed Stacking Cows and Black Bulls will be on display at the exhibit.

To fully round out the exhibit, there is a lecture, panel discussion, ‘Artist’s Café,’ film and lecture, as well as a workshop.

On October 23, 2014 Meredith Hoy, of Arizona State University (ASU), will be giving the lecture, “Digital Materiality: Expanding Sculpture Through 3-D Printing,” which examines the connection between digital art and modern painting. Dr. Hoy has authored numerous articles about art and she teaches courses on modern and contemporary art, visual culture, and media studies. Dr. Hoy will also moderate the panel on October 30, with the discussion at hand being “Exploring the New Materiality of 3D Printing.”

On November 13, The Artist’s Café will feature sculptor Kevin Caron’s discussion of “The Improbable and the Impossible: One Artist’s Journey With 3D Printing.” He explains his entry into 3D printing, how he learned, and how it applies to his work as a jeweler and sculptor.

On November 20, Max Chandler will present a lecture and film on generative art, discussing making marks and shapes from mathematical processes to create paintings. He will also discuss the use of robotics in artwork, and will display several of his robot artworks.

The painting workshop, to be held on a Friday and Saturday (date still to be disclosed) in November, will be led by Violet Zilman, who will emphasize digital painting’s expressive capabilities, reminding attendees that the “artists inner emotions are at the heart and soul of any painting.”

Stressing how connected 3D printing is to sculpture, the exhibit is a wonderful accent to their new sculpture garden where works are on loan by artists and for sale, with portions of the proceeds going to the Shemer Art Center.

Art Center Hours: Tuesday–Saturday from 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.. A donation of $7 is suggested as admission. They also offer evening classes, with pre-registration, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-9:00 p.m.

How do you think digital art and 3D printing have affected ‘fine art?’ Are you an artist who uses 3D printing? Join the conversation at 3DPB.com.