Electric Sky 2018 — The Digital Frontier from Shelly D. Farnham, Ph.D.
Our fourth Electric Sky was a swimming success, and we can’t thank everyone enough for all their great participation in making this special event happen! Be sure to check out our slides from 2018 to get a sense for what it was like.
For Electric Sky 2018, our collaborative installation will be oriented around the theme “The Digital Frontier”, celebrating the pioneering spirit of those who push the bounds of possibility by innovating on the frontier of technology.
For this group installation, our basic framework is to provide an overarching design theme “Explore recurring historical themes of human progress on the frontiers of innovation, layering the past with the future”, and then recruit artists, technologists, scientists, and designers to take on aspects of that theme, playing with technologically-infused, sensing, interactive and self-illuminated sculptural elements. Learn more about the Digital Frontier here.
If you are excited by the idea of creating an individual or collaborative project around our theme “the Digital Frontier” we invite you to apply to be a supported participating artist or creative technologist, to receive free tickets and funds to support your project. Participating artists and technology creatives may include visual art, sound, video, performance, landscaping, architectural elements, and so forth, however all projects should incorporate an electronic or interactive component consistent with the theme. Learn more about our requirements and find instructions to apply here. Application date is April 30th, 2018.
Please note that Electric Sky is designed as a cross between a hackathon and an artists’ retreat, so it is a great place to incubate new work in our Creativity Lab, with the help and expertise of fellow artists and creative technologists. We strongly encourage you to participate whether or not you apply for a grant. This is the place to explore very experimental projects that you are still figuring out.
Save your spot! Registration is required for anyone spending the night to save your camp spot. If you are just there for the day or for the Saturday night show, registration is not required.
Each year, we orient our collaborative projects around a theme. This year, that theme is “The Digital Frontier”, celebrating the pioneering spirit of those who push the bounds of possibility by innovating on the frontier of technology.
Our basic framework is to provide an overarching design theme “Explore recurring historical themes of human progress on the frontiers of innovation, layering the past with the future”, and then recruit artists, technologists, scientists, and designers to take on aspects of that theme, playing with technologically-infused, sensing, interactive and self-illuminated sculptural elements.
As a central orienting piece for the larger group collaboration, we will create three to-scale facades of historic frontier buildings similar to those in the town of Skyomish, with a boardwalk animated by controllable LEDS and the facade surfaces animated with projected videos of life-sized “ghosts” of pioneering figures. The goal is to create the experience of walking on the boardwalk with these historical figures in a “digital frontier” – where the audience participant becomes a part of the community of innovators along the walk. Please see concept design.
In the past two years our group projects focused on leveraging technology as a creative medium to create life-like interactivity embedded in nature. In brainstorming for 2018, we decided to engage more with the history of Skykomish as a frontier town, and turn our attention to the transformative impact humans have on nature as they expand new frontiers through technology. We seek to layer new creative technologies for innovation such as controllable LEDs, laser cutters, and projection mapping, over turn of the century technologies such as trains and telegraphs, to evoke an awareness and interest in the recurring historical themes of human progress on the frontier. We further seek to celebrate the intrepid spirit of pioneers who have created new territories for exploration and human progress in the Pacific Northwest over the past century, and will continue to do so in years to come.
Reactive Path
Ripples
creativity lab
CNC Workshop
Bluuume
Time Vortex
The Lordly Ones
The Lordly Ones Closeup
Opening Night party
Electric Sky
In the Lab
Life-long Learning and Mentorship
Path Lighting
Borealis Break
Electric Sky is shaping up to be fabulous event! Find our lists of participating people and projects in the ArtsTechNW Spokin community. (Spokin is our networking tool for creative, collaborative communities.)
You can add yourself and your project(s) to the community and join the conversation by requesting to join ArtsTechNW.
Sensor Mote Swarm
Call for Artists & Tech Creatives “Wondering Woods” Grant Proposals
We our focusing this years’ group collaboration around the theme “The Wondering Woods”. Help us explore the question: what if the trees could talk? What if the forest was a living, conscious, interactive being? We have small grants (200$-1000$) and free tickets to support participating creatives. If interested, please learn more about the theme and check out our application. Due date is May 1st.
Seeking Workshop Proposals
What would you like to learn? What would you like to share? If you want to propose a workshop please email shelly at totallylegitllc dot com.
Seeking Volunteers
Get involved! We are looking for help with our group meal, signs, promotion, reception, opening party bar, path layout, and so forth. You’ll meet great people, and active volunteers get a free ticket! please email shelly at totallylegitllc dot com to ask about how you might want to volunteer.
We are very excited to announce our third Electric Sky will be in the Skykomish Ball Park this summer June 8-11th. Can’t wait to see you all there!
