All of a sudden, every face in ART103 TB – Creative Technology lit up.

For adjunct art instructor Charlie Thacker, turning photos into light shows for his students is already an intrinsic part of his personal studio art practice.

“I’m always enthusiastic about working on interdisciplinary projects,” Thacker said. “For this class I’ve enjoyed both teaching the skills and helping students build the confidence to undertake complex projects.”

As a week-long segment in Thacker’s “Translational Tools” approach, the class project introduced students to working with Rhino 7 (CAD software) and Glowforge laser cutters to make technology similar to exit signs and other industrial signage. 

Thacker assigned his students to choose two images from their camera roll or the internet. Then, they traced and combined outlines of those to create a ‘hybrid silhouette,’ which transformed into a 2-dimensional vector drawing.

Finally, everyone etched their pictures onto Plexiglass and illuminated the panel with an LED light and put them up in their home!

ART103 TB is a foundational course for students pursuing a degree in art and design.

For any other prospective student artists at Miami, Thacker recommends registering for art courses right away, because the technical and creative skills learned serve any ambition one may have. 

Students can also visit the King Library Makerspace to experience unique tools, machines, software and media. 

But best of all – if they enroll in ART103 TB, they get to find their artistic radiance.