Happy holidays!

• Final IMLS Evaluation Report (PDF)

Wrapping up a year long project with support from the IMLS Sparks! Ignition grant, this video highlights the Museum3D project showcasing a variety of museum education programs using 3-D technologies to engage audiences with the museum’s collection. As a culminating event, the capstone celebration brought professionals from a diverse range of museums, universities, libraries, and zoos, as well as community and youth organizations at the local and regional level.

Stephanie Zhao and Jessica Hyatt photographed with Kalice’s 3-D printed sound wave from I Breathe You In.

Teen Lab at the Art Institute of Chicago is the Museum’s after-school program run in partnership with After School Matters (www.afterschoolmatters.org). Under the guidance of two teaching artists, students meet in the Ryan Education Center studios for 10 weeks, 3 days per week, to experiment with new ideas and media, meet with Museum staff and artists, hangout in the galleries, and make lots of art. Through connection with the Museum’s collection and within the context of the institution, teens investigate conceptual practices and their identities as creative producers.

In Orange Tears, Sierrah created a meticulously designed and 3D printed orange carrying 3D printed tears.

In spring 2014, Teen Lab was give access to a 3D printer supported through the IMLS Sparks Grant. The possibility of 3D printing in the studios completely transformed how we, the instructors and the 16 teen participants, thought about the definitions and intersections between production, empowerment, value, consumerism, art, and everyday objects. What happens to value when you can produce a design in mass quantity? How do objects carry meaning? How do we represent ourselves through objects? What makes an object art and is a laborious process important? Each day brought a new exploration; from screening and discussing 3D Printing YouTube videos to scanning and printing artworks in the collection to creating self-portraits with the objects from our backpacks, our research took many forms.

Teen Lab culminated with teens creating one final project about OBJECTS, informed by our weeks of 3D research. The resulting projects were vulnerable, heartfelt, thoughtful, and all deeply immersed in the critical conversation surrounding objects in this new landscape.

Taya designed a sculpture of a favorite pen she had lost years ago. Her work, titled Lost was displayed with a handmade notebook for viewers to write things they too had lost

Recently, I sat down with Stephanie Zhao, a teen and our former Teen Lab intern, to reflect on her experiences with Teen Lab 3D printing.

1. How is 3D printing different from 2D printing?
S: Well, the dimensions first of all. I saw more of a similarity than a difference between 3D and 2D printing. I remember in school I learned about how 2D printing revolutionized how images were reproduced and shared by the people. 3D printing gives the power of production to regular people like us, like students, and teachers, and anyone who has access to a 3D printer. It makes everyone an artisan.

2. What was the most memorable project to you and why?
S: Deshawn’s project where he tried to sculpt his head out of a stone block and then digitally rendered his head on the computer and then 3D printed it. It was a clear comparison between the old way of making objects and what 3D printing can do for everybody. It shows how far technology has come.

In Deshawn’s work, New vs. Old Art, he drew comparisons between traditional sculpting and 3D technologies by first scanning and 3D printing a portrait of himself and later attempting to carve a self portrait from alabaster.

3. Are 3D printed models art or not?

S: I believe 3D models are to sculpture as digital graphics are to prints. Digital graphics are designs that people create on the computer, prints are designs that some people physically carve and put together. To 3d print an object, a person has to open up a program and manipulate the digital representation of an object. I don’t see that as any different than an artist taking out clay and physically manipulating it.

4. Why is it important that teens have the opportunity to experiment with 3D printing?
S: To be familiarized with the technology early on is a great experience for people. It’s important to not be afraid of new technology, but to accept what the future brings. But teenagers also have a different perspective towards technology; we grew up in a time where tech and information was being revolutionized. This 3D printer is just the next thing that’s come, it doesn’t really blow our minds the way it does for other generations. Nevertheless, 3D printing is the technology of the future, teenagers are the adults of the future. The importance of introducing us to this technology is so that we can better adapt and grow with it.

5. What do you think will be the coolest thing people will 3-D print in the future?
S: 3D printed food is something I’m looking forward to. It’s just a really novel idea.
3D printing in the medical field is something that I really think will transform the practice. I’ve heard of some places printing skin, I wouldn’t be surprised if they find a way to print organs or bones in the future.

6. Do you think differently about production after participating in this program? If so, how so?
S: With this technology I feel like I have the ability to create whatever form I can design digitally. When I was a kid, I would always make things out of play dough, and they were flimsy and delicate. They weren’t things that kids could turn into real toys. I depended on companies and stores to give me dolls and toy cars. Now you can just print these things in your home with a 3D printer. I feel like the means of production have shifted over to the public, and I’m really looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.

Skylar used Google Sketch-up to design Skylar’s World, based on an imaginary place she saw in her dreams.

Maura Flood is the Instructor of Teen and Studio Programs at the Art Institute of Chicago. She co-taught Teen Lab for the 2013/2014 year.

Stephanie Zhao participated in Teen Lab as an apprentice in the Fall of 2013 and as an intern in Spring 2014. She recently graduated and attends the School at the Art Institute of Chicago.

The week of Tween Camp was both exhausting and rewarding.  There were twelve participants, ages 9-12 in the class.  During the class, I helped scan the kids’ torsos using an Xbox Kinect.  We later printed these scans out so the kids could have a little “bust” of themselves.  We introduced the kids to the 3D printer, a MakerBot 2, and explained how 3D printing works.  The theme of the class was “remixes and mash-ups” through inspiration from the Art Institute’s collection. We spent a lot of time in the galleries looking at composite creatures from many cultures and artistic time periods such as Surrealism taking time to talk about the concept of mixing two seemingly unrelated ideas.  Together with Ryan Laviere, another intern from SAIC, helped mentor the tweens as they learned Tinkercad, a free 3D modeling program. We helped prep all the models for printing, and made sure the printer kept humming along.  It was really great to see the open-mindedness of the kids and their creativity in mashing up images and ideas from all over the place.

The second program I worked with–the Cutting Edge educator workshop–was also a great learning experience (and not just because it was full of educators).  I spent most of my time during the workshop helping the participants navigate SketchUp software and assisting in object modeling.  In addition, I took the participants’ finished models, prepped them for printing, and printed them.  I learned a lot about using SketchUp with 3D printing (in retrospect, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it…), but also learned how to teach 3D modeling and printing to people with different technical and artistic backgrounds.  One of the most rewarding things about this workshop was discussing the role of technology in art-making, specifically the role of 3D printing.  It was interesting to hear educators debating whether their 3D printed models could be considered “art.” The responses ranged from those who did not to those—including myself—who see 3D printing as a fully expressive artistic medium.”

 

 

In addition to helping with the Tween and Educator workshops, I also helped Carolina Kaufman, the museums Education Technology Manager, run the artist in residence program outreach every week.  We demoed 3D printing and educated museum patrons about the process and prospects of 3D printing.  We also demonstrated how to use Tinkercad and got kids and their parents excited about 3D production through their own interests!  It was a great opportunity to discuss 3D printing with people who aren’t familiar with it, or who have only heard about it in news blurbs or the media.  I think people were surprised how simple 3D printing can be, as well as how easy it was to get started modeling with Tinkercad.

 

Overall, my experience as an intern has been educational and eye-opening.  I have learned about many ways people can use and implement 3D printing, and I have developed a desire to teach others and share my knowledge and enthusiasm for this medium.

]]> https://museum3d.artic.edu/2014/09/17/intern-appreciation-meet-noah-coleman/feed/ 0 D49840_003 museum3d D49826_017 image (16) D49840_001 D49825_031 photo 4 (3) https://museum3d.artic.edu/2014/09/15/the-diwali-festival/ https://museum3d.artic.edu/2014/09/15/the-diwali-festival/#respond Mon, 15 Sep 2014 21:01:45 +0000 http://museum3d.artic.edu/?p=648 ]]> On November 9, 2013, we held the 5^th annual Diwali Family Festival, initiated to encourage family visits to the Alsdorf gallery of Southeast Asian Art in order to create a deeper, more meaningful engagement with the artwork. This was the first of the Museum3D events. We were very ambitious in our planning,

Family Festivals at the Art Institute provide a wide array of programming to engage a broad intergenerational audience. There is something for everyone. Each year for Diwali we had been offering activities in the museum’s Ryan Education Center such as Southeast Asian dance workshops, making clay lanterns, exploring Ganesha stories through Curious Corner, and floor rangoli, made from torn paper.

Each year the attendance at Diwali has grown, but it has always been a challenge to get families into the galleries on a festival day. We feel that a gallery visit is a key element in making a strong connection with the collection. There are so many things to do in the studios, some families don’t ever make it into the museum. Another challenge is that the museum has an admission fee, whereas the Education Center does not. In the past, we had offered guided gallery tours, a printed self-guide tour booklet, and a drawing station to encourage family gallery visits. We were convinced, however, that the right mix of programs, including 3D scanning and printing, would provide a good “hook” encouraging families to include gallery time as part of their Diwali festival visit, and even making it a priority.

The plan was to offer a 3D scanning activity in one of the Education Center studios which would encourage a family to visit the galleries at it’s conclusion. We would have an educator introduce the idea of posing like a sculpture, direct the family to look at poster reproductions of sculptures on view in the galleries, and encourage the child to pose like his favorite sculpture while atop a large turntable. Then, the family members would work together to move the turntable as the child was being scanned, to create a scan. We used an X Box 360 Kinect to create the scan. (link to a tutorial?)

We hoped that once families had gone through this process, they would become interested in seeing the original artwork and would go to the Alsdorf gallery. Once there, they could create a 3D scan of a sculpture using 123DCatch on an iPad or an iPod Touch, draw a sculpture, or participate in an interactive dance and storytelling session about some of the sculptures.

Diwali, 2013 was much busier than we could ever have anticipated based on past programs. In fact, we attracted almost twice as many people as we had in the previous year. We were concerned that visitors wouldn’t participate in the full process of 3D scanning and printing, and might miss the connections we were trying to make between the education center and gallery activities. We adjusted our strategy throughout the day to accommodate the large numbers of people, in an effort to help encourage deeper engagement with the gallery objects. For example, in the Ryan Education Center we stationed several staff with iPads near the room’s entrance to provide an overview of 3D scanning. These staff showed visitors a 3D scan that had been captured in the galleries earlier in the day, and moved the digital image around as they watched—to show a 360 view. In addition, the staff explained the activities taking place in this room and also encouraged them to visit the Alsdorf gallery scanning station.

In addition, we set up an area where children could create clay sculptures from 3D printed molds made by artist Tom Burtonwood while their parents talked to the artist or while they waited their turn to be scanned. We initially planned to have 5 people staffing the room in the Ryan Education Center, but when we adjusted our plan, we needed 7 people for this one room alone, to effectively work with the crowd.

Throughout the day, families bounced from one activity to another, not necessarily experiencing the activities in the linear sequential order as we had hoped. The idea would have worked better in a workshop format in which an educator guides a small number of families through a series of gallery experiences and art activities.

In the end, however, the 3D scanning and printing room in the Ryan Education Center served 532 people, more than any other single activity that day. In addition, the programs held in the Alsdorf gallery (which included the 3D sculpture scanning activity) accounted for 30% of the total attendance, compared to 15% in the previous year. We felt that we did encourage a much larger percentage of people to visit the galleries than we had in the past. Perhaps that was at least partly due to the inclusion of the 3D scanning and printing activities.

We learned a great deal about the best ways to engage family visitors in 3D scanning and printing through this program, and incorporated those learnings into a subsequent artist-in-residency in which we hosted artist Tom Burtonwood, from late January through mid-August, 2014 and in the planning for the Tween Art Camp, also planned by the Family Programs division of Museum Education.

Diwali Family Day Program Schedule PDF

]]> https://museum3d.artic.edu/2014/09/15/the-diwali-festival/feed/ 0 Diwali_3D museum3d D49684_044 IMG_0498 D49684_239 family_scan_collage 3D_clay https://museum3d.artic.edu/2014/09/12/getting-through-the-glass-getting-hands-on-new-tour-experiences-using-3d-printing/ https://museum3d.artic.edu/2014/09/12/getting-through-the-glass-getting-hands-on-new-tour-experiences-using-3d-printing/#respond Fri, 12 Sep 2014 19:42:07 +0000 http://museum3d.artic.edu/?p=612 ]]> “Maybe I’m not an artist or artistically inclined, but touching the piece wakes something up inside of you.”

The Art Institute of Chicago serves a broad spectrum of diverse and intersecting audiences in an array of approaches and opportunities for engagement. Technologies such as 3D printing open up new ways for visitors with disabilities to experience and engage with the collection. Repeat visitors like Rose say:

“I’m so used to going to the AIC (Art Institute of Chicago) and everything is glassed up. Hands-on opens up your other senses and makes your heart putter, even though its not the actual piece. Knowing that someone can duplicate this piece is thrilling.”

She is speaking of a new form of “hands-on” engagement that museum educators like Lucas Livingston are beginning to implement through the use of 3D printing. Lucas invites audiences to take a journey with works of art framing them in their original context and putting them in the hands of museum visitors—in particular museum visitors with low-vision and Alzheimer’s.

With a profound dedication for inclusive lifelong learning, Lucas has expanded access to the museum for audiences with disabilities and has crafted unique experiences for visitors with low vision and adults living with Alzheimer’s disease. Working with audiences with disabilities presents a host of challenges that foster new ways of thinking about the gallery experience and the collection. Ultimately, the goals of these tours remain the same for all audiences: to participate in creative discussion and walk away with an enjoyable, positive, and lasting experience.

“Touching isn’t something we are able to do when we are here. Having a replica is our way of getting through the glass and ‘seeing’ an object.”

This year, through the support of the IMLS Sparks! Ignition grant, a great opportunity arose in the Museum3D project to augment visitor participation through the use of 3D printing. Lucas and the Museum3D team set to select works of art that would be scanned, 3D-modelled, and printed for participants to hold and touch. Integral to the success of this project was the relationship between the museum and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, through which the 3D scanning and modeling talents of SAIC-student and Museum3D spring Co-Op intern Mark Kamish were made available. Furthermore, debt is owed to the curatorial departments of Asian Art, Ancient Art, and African Art and Indian Art of the Americas, who not only permitted, but enthusiastically supported the efforts to temporarily de-install, scan, and reproduce the selected objects.

Critical to the project’s objective and tour’s theme were the criteria that the original works of art selected for 3D reproduction be reproduced at a 1-to-1 physical scale and that they were originally created with the intent of being touched or manipulated in some manner. The rationale behind this was that the aesthetics of touch may have been a factor in an artist’s execution of the work of art. Perhaps this aesthetic might translate to a modern audience, given the opportunity to touch the work of art—if not an original, than at least the scale replica. Beyond the satisfying sense of touch for the participants, whether with or without low vision or Alzheimer’s, the freedom to handle the replicas helped to contextualize the works of art as useful object that formerly served a purpose.

“When something is described, you’re taking someone else’s impression/perspective. But if you give me the delicious pastry, then I can make my own decision about what it is.”

Susan holds an ancient Greek drinking cup to her mouth with an excited grin. Steven lifts a pre-Columbian, iguana-shaped whistle to his lips, poised to blow. Martha caresses an early Japanese Jomon period figurine noting where the former owner deliberately broke it in half. Perhaps even in some way the 21st century visitor to the Art Institute is transported to the time, place, and culture of the people who owned, used, or made these objects.

“The object becomes a part of you, becomes a friend, much more intimate.”

“Touching is how we know everything, even for sighted people.”

 

]]> https://museum3d.artic.edu/2014/09/12/getting-through-the-glass-getting-hands-on-new-tour-experiences-using-3d-printing/feed/ 0 Lucas_Action museum3d Cup_ID copy Ocarina https://museum3d.artic.edu/2014/09/09/join-us-museum3d-capstone-event/ https://museum3d.artic.edu/2014/09/09/join-us-museum3d-capstone-event/#respond Tue, 09 Sep 2014 21:16:37 +0000 http://museum3d.artic.edu/?p=606 ]]> Museum3D Capstone Celebration

The Art Institute of Chicago cordially invites you to participate in the Museum3DCapstone Celebration highlighting a year-long IMLS Sparks! Ignition grant led by the Department of Digital Experience and Access and the Department of Museum Education.

Please RSVP for this event:

1)     Tell us a little about yourself:

My name is Mark Kamish. I’m an undergrad at SAIC studying Architecture and Emerging Technologies. I have strong interests in biomimicry and robotics.  Biomimicry involves is the study of natural systems to use as influence for design.

2)     Describe your co-op job, any cool projects?

My current co-op internship is at the Department of Digital Information and Access at the Art Institute of Chicago. I am part of a group exploring the capabilities of 3D printing technologies as tools to engage audiences with the museum’s collections. Among the five public programs experimenting with 3D technologies, my involvement in the project has been focused in supporting two programs, the HandsOn! Tours program geared to low-vision and audiences with Alzheimer’s and also working closely on a second program dedicated to teen audiences participating in the Museum’s after-school Teen Lab program.

3)     What are your responsibilities in these programs?

I have several responsibilities within the team, including: helping prepare, prototype, and produce 3D printed materials for public programs; assisting during scheduled 3D programs including but not limited to documentation, organization of program activity materials, assisting participants (such as teenage students in Teen Lab) on individual projects; assisting in 3D equipment maintenance and troubleshooting; training museum staff in the use of 3D technologies; and attending team planning meetings.

Mark working on a 3D model of an ancient Greek vessel.

4)     What are some of the interesting things you have learned or encountered?

I have learned a lot about educational programing and the power of professional communication that is required for a large collaborative project such as this. I’ve also been exposed to new career paths previously unknown or considered such as museum roles of art handlers, gallery curators, collections management, teaching, professional 3d modeling and more! However, one of the coolest things I encountered during my internship was the opportunity to work directly with Curatorial Department staff that collaborated with the project team allowing us special access to actual works of art!  With guidance and supervision by art handlers of these departments, arrangements were made to take objects off view in order that I may begin the photogrammetry scan of the objects to be modeled for the HandsOn program. I especially was excited to be able to go to areas of the Museum normally not accessed by the general public such as the storage and studio areas dedicated to the preservation and storage of art works.  It was like being Indiana Jones! A crusader for the protection of priceless works of art!

Mark completing the 3D scanning process of an ancient Greek vessel with assistance by a museum art handler. Attributed to the Painter of Leningrad 955. Rhyton (Drinking Vessel) in Shape of Sheep’s Head, 340/330 B.C. Greek; Apulia, South Italy. Terracotta, red-figure technique; 21 x 10 cm (8 1/4 x 4 in.). Bequest of Chester D. Tripp, 1986.883.

5)     How has your Co-Op experience enriched your own work and education at SAIC?

This co-op experience has made me more aware of sensations involved in the tactile use of objects. Sensation in architecture is a very serious topic and, through this co-op experience, I’ve been able to see how atypical audiences experience environments and objects. This was a vital to my experience because many aspects of architecture influence sensation and perception. For people with low vision and Alzheimer’s participating in the tours, to be able to touch and feel objects brings those things from abstract ideas to tangible realities. The hope was that in touching these objects they would not only bring life back to these ancient artifacts, but also possibly bring back memories they might have. The same thing can be said about the material selection chosen in architecture. Through material, one can create new sensations or bring back old ones. I can proudly say I will be able to take these peoples’ experiences into consideration for future architectural-based projects.

Tour participant with low vision touching the 3D printed Rhyton (Drinking Vessel) in Shape of Sheep’s Head for the first time.

6)     How has this internship changed or influenced the direction of your future career?

Being able to see the skills I’ve learned in school actualized in a professional environment has opened the door towards new career paths. In my work with Teen Lab participants, it was interesting to view 3D design from a young person’s point of view and mentor them to develop a concept idea into an object realized. Not only have I gotten the experience of teaching, but I’ve also been able to see what it would be like to work in a 3D modeling industry. Up until this point, I’ve only been considering working in the architectural field, but the experiences I’ve had at The Art Institute of Chicago has opened my eyes to jobs I never even knew existed.

7)     Discuss the mentoring relationship with your supervisor? How does this differ from the relationship with your professors?

Honestly, there isn’t that big of a difference. I’m generally good friends with most, if not all my professors at SAIC. So I’m not surprised that I have the same relationship with my supervisors here. Carolina, my primary supervisor, has been watching over my schedule and workflow very closely. As a professional, she understands the division between work and life that is usually unrecognized in academia. She’s very invested in my development as an individual and young professional, instead of just as an archetype. This type of recognition is extremely refreshing coming from a highly competitive architecture program where work comes before all else.

8)     How important do you think co-op has been in your professional development and why?

I think it’s been pretty crucial. I’ve gotten so much exposure through this position. Recently, I was involved in an interview with AutoDesk, the creator of pivotal design programs such as AutoCad, Maya and Revit. That was very exciting! I’ve also gotten to meet several curators and department heads at the Art Institute that each contribute so significantly to the Museum’s mission and vision. If I had to sum the benefits down to two things, they would have to be networking opportunities and exposure. It also looks incredible on the resume and that does not hurt at all.

9)     What tips would you give to future Co-op students?

Make sure you are applying for an internship you’ll be more than happy to go into every day. I love my job, not only for the interesting projects I get to work on, but because the environment and community have been rewarding on so many levels. Everyone I’ve met has been extremely supportive of my schoolwork and work as an intern. I’m more than happy to go in any day they call me, because they make it an enjoyable experience.

Some of the Museum staff Mark has worked with during his internship. From left to right: Museum3-D Project Director, Elizabeth Neely, Intern, Mark Kamish, Education Technology Manager and Mark’s supervisor, Carolina Kaufman, Teen and Museum Partnership Programs Coordinator, Hillary Cook, Assistant Director, Museum ISC, William Robertson, Senior Programs, Lucas Livingston

10)  What was your greatest Challenge during my internship?

The biggest difficulties I encountered were the crashes within the scanning program. The scans were such high resolution; it would take what felt like an eternity to finally export them out of the program correctly. Other than this, I would have to say learning the free 3d modeling program, Blender. I’d used it once before prior to this internship, but never this intensely. My Blender know-how has definitely expanded, ha-ha!

From object to model and from 3-Dmodel to a 3-D print. Whistle with an Iguana, c. A.D. 1300. Tairona; Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. Ceramic and pigment; h: 4.5 cm (1 3/4 in.). Gift of Mrs. Everett McNear in memory of Everett McNear, 1986.1083.

11)  Most favorable memory so far

Oh my Gosh, I’ve got so many! But by far, I truly enjoyed watching the low vision folks interact with the hands-on objects. It touched my heart to see life being brought back into those ancient objects.  On a lighter note, one co-worker on the team brought in some delicious donuts; I still can’t stop talking about them!

12)  Were there any surprises?

Yes! It was my first time working in a completely professional environment. I was also not aware of how much work is involved in the role of the art handler to move an object out of its museum display case. There were also so many departments, each with its own concerns and hopes for each object. The second thing that surprised me was of how large of a community the museum has. When I say ‘community,’ I mean everyone knows each other and are very helpful. The first day of work, my supervisor, Carolina, took me around the entire office and introduced me to just about every one! Occasionally, Elizabeth Pope, from the Amerindian Curatorial Department, would stop by and provide new knowledge to me about the Ocarina object, an ancient Colombian whistle I was working on. She would leave me really cool articles to read, print out related images for me to get inspired by, or just stop by to have a friendly conversation excited about the work I was doing. I really enjoyed how tight knit of a community the museum is.

Whistle with an Iguana, c. A.D. 1300. Tairona; Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. Ceramic and pigment; h: 4.5 cm (1 3/4 in.). Gift of Mrs. Everett McNear in memory of Everett McNear, 1986.1083.

13)  You worked with teens, right? What was that like?

I’d never had the opportunity to teach before and, now that I have, I’ve considered going into an educational position. Working with the teens was incredible. They were all really lively and interested in digital fabrication and conceptual art. Every now and then one of the teens would put on their favorite song, and, before I knew it, half the class was synchronized dancing. It was really fun to learn some new dance moves and see teens comfortable in the museum. Other than that, I was really interested in how every teen approaches their project differently.  I enjoyed connecting them with each of their projects, which required a different technique and approach in mentoring and guidance. I’m glad I have a wide knowledge of art styles and techniques to inspire or introduce them to things they’ve never seen. I remember one teen was really into fashion and everything she made prior was made out of recyclable material. I showed her a few of my favorite fashion shows and designers to encourage her to expand her style. I’ll never forget the twinkle in her eye and the smile of amazement. I knew that she’d just been exposed to a new world, one that she’d take great inspiration from.

14)  What was the coolest thing about Teen Lab?

The coolest thing was seeing these projects come to life. I worked closely with the students on developing concepts and techniques. Everyday in teen lab, a student and I would try to print or digitally model something. My favorite parts were the hurdles you had to jump through while teaching new programs. At first, 3D modeling programs are so difficult to pick up, but once they got the hang of it, WOW, they really did some amazing work!

3D printed artwork by a Teen Lab participant

15)  If you could have scanned anything in the museum, what would it have been?

It would probably be a sword or suit of armor from the Medieval European section. That would be incredible and not to mention fun trying to 3D print. If not those, I’d probably want to recreate models from architectural plans found in the Architecture and Design Collection.

16)  How has this experience changed the way you think about museums?

Prior to this experience, I thought of museums as just institutes to exhibit work and educate society about art in general. Now that I’ve spent a little time here, I finally get to understand how everything works. I never knew a museum could be so innovative! The Art Institute is always thinking about ways to improve the visitors’ museum experience. It doesn’t want visitors to just look at art, but to experience it in a unique way unlike any other type of museum. The AIC has this incredible iPad program (LaunchPad) that allows viewers to get closer to an object’s history and view details digitally. In the application, museumgoers can zoom in on object details, as well as learn interesting trivia about the object. I think that’s incredible! And now, they have the hands-on program, which I believe is a gigantic step towards interactivity with art.

17)  As you complete your internship and your final year at SAIC what are your plans after graduation?

I plan to move back to Los Angeles and apply for similar internships there. The experience I’ve had here at AIC has sparked a new love for teaching, so I am very interested in getting more experience in that field. Other than that, I will be studying for the GRE’s and prepping my portfolio for grad school applications. School may be over but the work won’t stop. Aside from work there are a few events I’m looking forward to in the summer. My sister is having her wedding, so that will be fun. I also just purchased my tickets for my very first San Diego Comic Con. Summertime is also the best time for mud runs and triathlons. So I’m really looking forward to a number of exciting events.

Museum3D would like to thank Mark who has significantly made a positive impact on the program.  With Mark’s contribution to the project both creating superb 3D models for us to replicate with 3D printing technologies we are finding more ways than one to continue using his models to engage audiences further in the collection bringing new meaning and interpretation in the museum experience.  We would like to extend our appreciation and gratitude to SAIC’s Co-Op Internship Office, who partnered with us to provide such wonderful and incredibly talented students.  Museum3D has brought in a new Co-Op Intern for the summer semester supporting the Tween and Educator programs.  We look forward to highlight their experiences on the Blog soon!

Pippa Hough works with the Exhibitions team at the Science Museum and was a key collaborator in the 3D Summer events and the exhibition development. She shared her experiences with the Museum3D Advisory team January 22nd, 2014.

Due to connectivity issues trading data across the pond, this is not a ‘heads up’ Hangout, but we’ve tried to add relevant visuals.