It’s a showcase of Indiana University of Pennsylvania student talent and innovation, with a lot of fun built in.
Students in IUP Art and Design faculty Sharon Massey and Sean Derry’s 3D Design and Digital Fabrication class will compete in the eighth annual Design Stars of IUP on May 7 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Waller Hall theater at IUP.
The event is free and open to the community.
Modeled after popular reality television competition shows, Design Stars of IUP features IUP students as contestants, a rotating group of local celebrity judges, and co-hosts Massey and Derry.
During the show, staged as a film set, 30 students in Massey and Derry’s class present their original prototypes for hanging pendant lamps that they designed and fabricated in IUP’s STEAMSHOP (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) using computer-aided design software and a large format laser cutter.
The panel of judges asks questions of each student in a series of judging rounds, and eventually two designs are chosen by the judges as the latest “Design Stars of IUP.”
This episode’s celebrity judges include Rachel Saul Rearick, the executive director of Contemporary Craft in Pittsburgh; Brian Jones, the chair of IUP’s Department of Theater and Dance; and Samantha Muir, director of Campaign Planning and Outreach in IUP’s Division of University Advancement.
Design Stars of IUP is the culminating project of 3D Design + Digital Fabrication, a course with curriculum that combines design, technology and civic engagement, Massey and Derry said.
“This course provides students with hands-on skills in prototyping as well as experience engaging with the community and is an integral part of the new Digital Design + Fabrication certificate offered at IUP,” Massey said.
“This public presentation provides students with a way to showcase their designs and speak publicly about their work, while also providing a unique cultural event for IUP students and the Indiana community,” Massey said.
“It’s really great fun and our students appreciate the chance to present their work to peers and to community members. I’d encourage anyone who appreciates design and fabrication, or who may be just a little curious about STEAMSHOP, to come out and enjoy the evening with us,” Derry said.
The winning designs will be re-cut in wood veneer and be available for purchase at the upcoming Makers Market on May 10 and 11, with all the proceeds being returned to the winning students.
The Makers Market will be held in the loft at Levity Brewing, 1380 Wayne Avenue, from 4 to 8 p.m. on May 10 and from noon to 4 p.m. on May 11.
The Makers Market reimagines the traditional art sale of work by IUP art majors traditionally held in Robertshaw. This year, it is open to makers and entrepreneurs from across campus to include work through STEAMSHOP and digital fabrication processes; the Makers Market is a product of IUP’s STEAMSHOP. For information on how to participate in the Makers Market, persons can contact Massey at smassey@iup.edu.