Mission | Undergraduate Major | Graduate Studies | Facilities
Mission
The Digital Media area at Washington State University involves the exploration of visual and auditory culture within the context of a Fine Arts curriculum. While the area incorporates a range of digital processes including web art, experimental sound, digital video, and digital imaging, emphasis is on integration. In this regard students are encouraged to bridge traditional and digital processes and explore other media in conjunction with the computer, for example, Printmaking and Photography (for print-based explorations) or Sculpture (for installation and space-based explorations). In studio courses, theoretical and contextual explorations are woven into technical discourse.
Housed in the Fine Arts Department of the College of Liberal Arts, Digital Media courses draw from the arts and humanities to address critical social issues. Through multimedia projects, the role of digital media in culture is consistently addressed where students explore such themes as the "web as contemporary curiosity cabinet" and the "role of truth in the digital age". Students focusing in the Digital Media area are asked to deliberate beyond the tool of the computer, and explore digital processes not as a means to an end, but as a vehicle for creative expression, critical thinking, and experimentation.
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Undergraduate Major
The following courses are recommended for students interested in a digital media emphasis:
FA331 Art, Science, and Technology
FA332 Introduction to Digital Media I (print-based)
FA333 Introduction to Digital Media II (time-based)
FA385 Digital Imaging
FA434 Time Based Media
FA435 Interactive Media
FA471 Digital and Photo Processes for Printmaking
Other courses in Photography and Printmaking are also strongly encouraged.
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Graduate Studies
The Digital Media area is currently seeking MFA applicants working with digital imaging and video, online projects, physical computing, book arts and/or other experimental print media. Applicants will be considered for scholarships and teaching assistant positions to help maintain the Digital Media area and teach in the Fine Arts Department based upon the quality of application.
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Facilities
Advanced Lab Room 7086
19 - 2.6 Ghz Imacs (Intel-Based)
4 - Epson 2400 Photo Scanners
1 - Nikon CoolScan 8000 Film Scanner
1 - Panasonic Mini-DV/S-VHS VCR
1 - GCC EliteXL Laserprinter
1 - Epson 4000 Ink Jet Printer
Digital Imaging Lab Room 7084
19 - Dual 2Ghz G5 Towers
4 - Epson 2400 Photo Scanners
1 - HP 5000 Laser Printer
1 - Epson 3800 Inkjet Printer
2 - Epson 1280 Ink Jet Printers
Faculty/Graduate Lab
1 - Dual 2 Ghz G5 Tower
1 - Panasonic Mini-DV/S-VHS VCR
1 - Imacon Flextight Film Scanner
1 - Epson 9880 Large Format Photo Printer
1 - Epson 9600 Large Format Photo Printer
Software
Apple Final Cut Studio 2
Adobe Design Suite CS3
Apple Final Cut Express HD
Isadora
Peak LE
Equipment
The Digital Media area makes available to students for check-out: Canon S-200 and SD-110 Digital Still cameras, Canon PowerShot Pro Digital Still cameras, Canon ZR-series Digital Video cameras with telephoto and wide-angle lenses, Canon Optura 60 Digital Video cameras, with wide-angle lenses and video lights. For sound, the area has Condenser and Shotgun mics, as well as M-Audio Digital Recorders, for field recording. We also supply portable green screens and mac minis for installation use. Note: equipment is only available to students enrolled in digital media courses, or certified BFA students and Graduate students.
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