Michael Century, recently named chair of the Department of Arts, brings to RPI knowledge of traditional art, electronic arts, and music. As a classical musician, social scientist of art and technology, and producer and director of cultural events, Century brings many skills to RPI. In addition to his work as chair, he is currently working on his doctoral dissertation on the history of computer animation. In the field of new media and art since 1987, he has a lot of experience combining art and technology. He has directed art programs at the Banff Centre for Continuing Education in Canada, and has consulted for the Rockefeller Foundation to direct the Foundation in how it should set
priorities in art.
When President Jackson told Century about her plans for the school, he felt that he would fit in perfectly “like a hand in a glove into The Rensselaer Plan.” The commitment RPI has made to the arts and the foundation RPI has provided for interdisciplinary performance and art made coming to RPI attractive to Century. He feels that Rensselaer has continuously improved the quality of the art program and as the chair of the department he would like to keep improving the quality. Century hopes to add a doctoral program within the next few years in addition to the already existent masters of fine arts program that contains 20 students.
According to Century, his role is to facilitate the art department’s mission of merging the “creativity of the arts and the creativity of engineers and scientists.” He also serves as a co-director of the EMAC program with approximately 200 students. Through electronic art, Century breaks the division between art as research and the average perception of art. He feels that artists should have common technology added to their palettes so that the quality of people’s artistic experiences will improve.
Referring to art’s influence on society, Century said, “We speak about art in general … in western society … art has always provided people with a kind of vision or view of beauty and also how to look at the world in ways that are not yet obvious.”
Century’s expertise in combining art and technology make him an asset in collaboration with other departments. For example, research collaborations in the field of haptics between the engineering and art department will lead to, as Century said, “new performance interfaces.” Century’s department will also play a special role in providing assistants, technicians, and artists to EMPAC. Century hopes to start a workshop, jazz festival, and performances of improvisational music in Summer 2004 in conjunction with EMPAC.
Even though RPI is primarily seen as a technical school, Century sees it possible for an engineer also to be an artist. His efforts in merging traditional art with electronic media, science, and engineering fit well into the diversity of skills that RPI emphasizes. With very contemporary ideas about art, Century plans to lead the arts department into an era where technology and electronic art are the norm.
