Meredith Scheff-King is a writer, hardware hacker, cartoonist, sculptor, and kinetic artist.  Scheff-King is adept at interlacing modern technologies with traditional methods of creation.  She utilizes every possible medium at her disposal to create immersive environments, interactive museum exhibits, and wearable tech.  She has worked with many museums, fabrication studios, and interactive projects including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The Exploratorium, Popular Mechanics, MAKE:Magazine, and Wiley Media.  All programs are free and open to the public and take place in Allen Hall, 1005 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana.  Free parking in the garage across the street. 

Monday, February 20

7:00 p.m. - Making spaces: from installation art to the pillow fort (South Rec)

Our surroundings have an impact on us - whether it’s our home, or school, our work, or out in our community.  We’ll go over some concepts around the spaces we inhabit- the non-space, the third space, and immersive installation art.  As we’re doing this, we will collaboratively ‘create’ (or change) a section of the South Rec room that can serve as a unique place for the remainder of the residency, using materials on hand.

9:00 p.m. – tea time:  come chat in the South Rec “pillow fort” or add to it (South Rec). 

Tuesday, February 21

7:00 p.m. - Collaboration and improvisation in storytelling and art (South Rec)

From stage improv, to Dungeons and Dragons, to exquisite corpse, to virtual reality, we'll talk about why improvisational storytelling is an important tool both in and out of the story line, and then we’ll make different types of collaborative improvisational art and stories.

9:00 p.m. – tea time:  inclusivity in STEM and tech (guest apartment) 

Wednesday, February 22

7:00 p.m. – Building on the fly:  masks, props, and sculpture (South Rec)

Meredith will lead and teach building techniques for props, masks, and sculpture.

9:00 p.m. – tea time: dark lines, dark water (guest apartment)

Inking and watercolor demo and talk about what it means to be a career artist.  Also, cookies. 

Thursday, February 23

7:00 p.m. – Hack your food (South Rec)

We have to eat, usually multiple times a day.  Why not make it interesting?  From inexpensive experiments to molecular gastronomy, we can change the way we interact with our food and how the food interacts with us.  We’ll talk about some of the chemical and physical reactions that happen when we cook, as well as some ways to cook great food on the cheap.  Then we’ll experiment with molecular gastronomy techniques!

9pm – tea time: balancing the things you love and staying inspired (guest apartment) 

Thanks to Laura Haber of Unit One/Allen Hall for this information item.

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