Computational Arts News

A compelling bioart project leverages climate geoengineering in an unlikely way: It introduces poetry into a plant’s biology through dew and in the process makes a profound statement about climate change, biodiversity and the interconnectedness of humans and the environment.

It's the end of 2019, a momentous year for AMPD. As we amp up for a new decade ahead, we want to celebrate the moments that you appreciated most on our social media feeds this past year.

Do you want some money you don’t have to pay back? In 2018-19 AMPD students received over 2.2 million dollars in scholarships, awards and bursaries, set up by York’s incredible community of generous supporters! The vast majority of eligible students who apply receive an award.

The history and foundation of the AMPD community is what propels us forward, emboldening us to pose new questions, devise new methods, and test new limits. This spirit of experimentation and improvisation found throughout our faculty is the difference between keeping up with today and leading the way into tomorrow.

Nine new faculty members will join the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD): Shital Desai, Tammer El-Sheikh, Jennifer Jimenez, Susan Lee, Aaron Kelly, Gavin McDonald, Yifat Shaik, Ingrid Veninger and Holly Ward.

“Welcoming new colleagues is always a pleasure, and these new faculty members bring exciting new dimensions to programs throughout AMPD,” said Sarah Bay-Cheng, dean of AMPD. “Their diverse talents, experience, and dedication to teaching will support our students to develop their own visions and skills as they prepare them to transform our world.”

A new, full-year capstone course is being pilot tested this fall at York University. C4: The Cross-Campus Capstone Classroom brings together third- and fourth-year students from different faculties into multidisciplinary teams focused on solving pressing, real-world challenges posed by organizations operating in both the for-profit and not-for-profit worlds. C4 partners include the Yonge Street Mission, the Al and Malka Green Artists’ Health Centre, Glendon’s Globally Networked Learning Project, and Panoplo Inc.— among many others.

Professors Erika Batdorf (Theatre) and Mark-David Hosale (Computational Arts) team up with Kate Digby, a dance professor at Kansas State University, and Alan Macy, co-founder of BIOPAC Inc., in creating and presenting Search for Simurgh, an immersive, interactive performance installation workshop August 1-3 at the Toronto Media Arts Centre (32 Lisgar Street).

Paul Gross, an eminent Canadian actor, writer, director, producer, musician and arts supporter, received an honorary doctor of laws from York University on June 17 during afternoon convocation ceremonies for graduands of the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design and the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.