WINSTON-SALEM -- What do you get when you mix the arts, design, and technology?  The keys to the future!   

Come and learn how the Piedmont Triad can unlock its talents and open the door to dynamic economic growth at the 2006 Digital Arts Symposium, scheduled for Friday, April 7, from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Main Theatre of the North Carolina School of the Arts School of Filmmaking, 1533 S. Main St., Winston-Salem.  The event is sponsored by the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts, a privately funded program of the North Carolina School of the Arts.    

The purpose of 2006 Digital Arts Symposium is to build awareness in the community and demonstrate the economic development and entrepreneurial potential of the arts, design, and digital technology; expose attendees to leading-edge exploration at the intersection of the arts and science; and demonstrate how diverse collaborations yield innovative ideas. 

The North Carolina School of the Arts, Winston-Salem State University and Forsyth Technical Community College are collaborating to build an economic development engine by creating the Center for Design Innovation and participating in the regional National Institute of Design.  The presentations will illustrate the potential of these initiatives to transform the Triad. 

Attending 2006 Digital Arts Symposium from the Piedmont Triad will be corporate and business leaders, city and county officials, local design firms, faculty and students from our area institutions of higher education, and many others who are interested in the contemporary digital arts. 

Registration will begin at 8 a.m. in the film school’s BB&T Lobby, followed by welcomes by NCSA Interim Chancellor Gretchen M. Bataille and Kenan Institute for the Arts Executive Director Margaret Mertz.

The keynote speaker will be Jean-Marc Gauthier, assistant professor at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in its Interactive Telecommunications Program. An architect by training, Gauthier will speak on “The Marriage of the Virtual and the Real.” Gauthier is currently involved with designing "interactive skins" for tall buildings, immersive environments for visually impaired people, and a 3D visualization browser for the human body called the "Dynamic Virtual Patient."

Also scheduled to speak are:

• Robby Barnett, artistic director of Pilobolus, a major American dance company of international influence currently celebrating its 35^th anniversary. Pilobolus has developed a collaborative problem-solving approach that benefits from the power of group thinking without losing the essential idiosyncrasy of individual intent.
• Steve Rundle, owner of In Art Designs, specializes in scenic design, art direction, 3D digital modeling, digital illustration, 3D visualization and animation.  Rundle is a former Paramount design supervisor with over 20 years experience designing themed entertainment attractions.
• Jerry O’Flaherty, art director for Epic Games, knows every aspect of the artistic process involved in game making from conceptual drawings to final 3D renderings.  O’Flaherty co-founded Ion Storm and transitioned into the world of animation production for television and the Internet.       

A question-and-answer session with the speakers, followed by lunch and an opportunity for networking, will wrap up the day’s activities.

For more information, visit www.kenanarts.org or call 336.722.0030.

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Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts
 1722 South Main Street
Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27127