Back to School: Learn Something New
New teachers, new friends, new Trapper Keepers, and new classes at Flux Factory in September! Back to School is a tech-centric continuation of Flux Factory’s 2011 Summer School program, with each Fall workshop focusing on the combination of art and technology. Learn how to use Twitter for nefarious purposes or create beauty and functional objects from computer code.
Build a Twitter Bot
Instructor: Jason Eppink
Dates & time: Saturday 9/10, 2 pm – 6 pm
Class fee: Free!
Novelty Twitter accounts are all the rage, netting book deals and even prime time TV shows. The only thing better than a novelty Twitter account is one you don’t have to update yourself. In this Twitter bot-building workshop, Flux Artist-in-Residence Jason Eppink will teach students how to make an automatic Twitter feed to be used for good…or evil. Students should bring a laptop and a basic knowledge of programming. This class is free, but you must RSVP to christina[at]fluxfactory[dot]org
DIY Manufacturing
Instructors: thefuturefuture (Brandt Graves+Carrie McKnelly)
Date & time: Sunday 9/25, 2-5 pm
Class fee: $25
The recent surge in DIY culture and increasing availability of digital fabrication technologies has expanded the field of homebrew design and desktop manufacturing. Would-be makers have the option of using readily available online services like Ponoko or Shapeways, as well as low-cost 3D printers and CNC tools being developed by the Open Source community. In this class, students will be introduced to open source 3D modeling softwares and the online resources to produce almost anything. With a focus on 3D printing and flat cut CNC milling, thefuturefuture will guide students through an exercise to digitally model a light fixture. Mimicking digital fabrication tools, we will build up the fixture in sectional layers until the final form is achieved.
Students will leave with their custom designed lamp, a basic understanding of 3D modeling, and knowledge of the readily available resources to make things at home. Students should bring a laptop and cutting utensils (x-acto/ box cutter).
Introduction to Generative Systems with Processing
Instructor: Marius Watz
Dates & time: Tuesday 9/27, 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Class fee: $40
This class will introduce students to the conceptual and practical principles of generative systems and creative coding practices using Processing software. Building from essential computational concepts to more complex parametric processes, code will be discussed as a creative material. Digital artist Marius Watz will demonstrate how to go from abstract code to real-world outputs, whether for use on screen, print media or with 3D printing. Programming experience not a prerequisite, but some coding or scripting knowledge is helpful. Participants should bring laptops capable of running Processing.