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Nathaniel Berger is operations coordinator of the CREATE_space, an area dedicated to technological arts and entrepreneurship in graduate creative research. (Emily Harger | Staff Photographer)

The CREATE_space aims to integrate technology, art, entrepreneurship

Creative research exploring arts, technology and entrepreneurship: That’s the mission statement and acronym for The CREATE_space, formerly known as the Aesthetics Technologies Lab or @Lab during its founding in 2004.

Back then, operations coordinator Nathaniel Berger said all that could be found in the space were desks, but now, eight years later, the CREATE_space has much more.

Housed on the second floor of Putnam Hall, The CREATE_space takes up four rooms, each dedicated to different disciplines and technologies. Putnam 235 is a computer lab where video and photo editing can be done on Mac Pros placed all around the room.

Other rooms include: a new black box performance space, a room dedicated to interdisciplinary work between film and music, and a room with two large format printers for posters and two new 3D printers.

With the new name, Berger said there is a new goal, which is to add in an entrepreneurial element to the CREATE_space, and help students market their own artistic work through the use of technology.

“Not only do we offer space, I offer up my time to meet and talk about creative research,”  Berger said.

If a student wants to work on a project or use equipment, all he or she has to do is meet with Berger, submit a project proposal, and then he either accepts or denies the idea, Berger explained.

Once the student starts a project, Berger said, the student then has to trade a blog post for each instance of rental of equipment, which is free.

“The main thing that we want to do with the website is to show the processes of the fine art,” Berger said. “That idea of processes and product, we really want to highlight that.”

Julian Stapleton, an employee at the CREATE_space and a senior studying production design and technology in the Division of Theater, said he is a common user of the lab’s services, including a projector and high-quality cameras like the GoPro Hero3 to create images for the upcoming main stage play Swimming in the Shallows.

In addition, Stapleton helped create the new performance space, which can be used for dances, plays or other programs.

In the CREATE_space, it is not just students who use the lab but faculty as well, Stapleton said. He pointed out that David Russell, assistant professor of production design and technology, uses the 3D printer to create to-scale models for theater sets.

“I think the open nature of the lab is what drives our students to do what they want,” Stapleton said. “And (the lab) helps them realize what they need.”

Ultimately, Berger said, the idea behind the CREATE_space is to see others create unique pieces of art, combined with new technologies.

“I want people to make cool things,” he said.

ds834910@ohiou.edu

@drussell23

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