April 28, 2011
Northwestern University, School of Education
Chicago, Illinois
Leah will give a talk to the School of Education at Northwestern University on “Arts, Crafts, and Technology”.
Abstract
Arts, Crafts, and Technology
The aim of my research is to engage diverse audiences in designing and building their own technology. To achieve this goal my students and I combine computation and electronics with new or unusual materials and, by extension, new cultures. More specifically, we focus on blending computation with traditional arts and craft materials like textiles, paper, and wood. We then share these developments with students, teachers, and hobbyists via toolkits, tutorials, workshops, and curricula. In this talk I will demonstrate examples of artifacts that combine arts, crafts and technology, including embroidered computers and hand-painted electronics and I will describe how these developments are helping to broaden and diversify technology culture.
