Graduate Assistant Nick Morr in the Performance in Artificial Space class – Photo: Nick Sagan

Interarts professor Paul Catanese, Technical Coordinator Matt Harris, students Nick Sagan and Michael St. John and Alum Kevin Valentine worked over the summer to transform the Raw Space on the second floor of 1104 S Wabash into a Black Box Performance Venue. The space has been significantly rejuvenated – the floor has been re-finished and is now a smooth surface of overlapping masonite with taped seams; the whole entire space has been painted black, including the floor; the stage lighting dimmers have been upgraded so that we now have twelve 2.4K circuits on the ceiling, as well as four portable 2.4K dimmers that can be arranged as sixteen additional mobile circuits in the room; we have purchased a two-scene twenty-four channel Leprecon Lighting board, a LanBOX (which allows all of the stage lighting to be controlled from a computer via Isadora or MaxMSP), a twelve foot square green screen, and even upgraded the room accessible from the Raw Space into a fully functioning electronics laboratory (more info about that upgrade to come!).

The first public event in the space will be a free live cinema performance by visiting artists David Stout and Cory Metcalf who perform as Noisefold on Friday, October 15th. Doors open at 7PM, performance begins at 7:30PM. Full details can be found on our blog.

Students Jenny Garnett, Nic Ruley, Don Widmer and Michael St. John. – Photo: Nick Sagan

Additionally, the Raw Space is the site for three classes this fall; Media Performance, Interactive Media and the weekend intensive Performance in Artificial Space. This last weekend the Performance in Artificial Space class met for an intensive three-day workshop and learned about the wide range of possibilities this space now provides.

Professor Paul Catanese and Graduate Assistant Nick Morr – Photo: Nick Sagan

The Performance in Artificial Space class will meet for an additional intensive weekend workshop later this semester and conclude with a live public performance in the Raw Space on December 10th! In short, its an exciting time for the Raw Space – and for the Interarts Department!