Technology as a Creative Medium
For decades, artists have engaged with—and developed—technology to remix, augment, and interrogate structures within arts and culture. These artists often pioneer new artistic forms and increasingly embody diversity, equity, and inclusion as foundational principles and themes in their practices. For these reasons, the National Endowment for the Arts conducted an Art & Technology Field Scan, a national research project in partnership with the Ford Foundation and Knight Foundation with a purpose to raise visibility and leverage further support for this field of practice. During this talk, the Arts Endowment’s Media Arts Director Jax Deluca will provide a sneak preview of Tech as Art: Supporting Artists Who Use Technology as a Creative Medium, a soon-to-be-released publication based on this research which provides insight into the existing creative ecosystem, challenges, and opportunities facing artists and organizations working at the intersection of arts and technology.
Jax Deluca oversees a national portfolio of federal grants for US-based arts organizations supporting artistic practices in film, video, audio, immersive media, and other emergent technological forms, and leads strategic field-building initiatives to support the greater creative ecosystem for contemporary artists and art professionals. As the Arts Endowment’s Media Arts Director, she has focused on strengthening regional infrastructure supporting independent storytellers and the broader independent film and media arts field through initiatives such as the Independent Film & Media Arts Network, a collaborative initiative co-hosted by the Arts Endowment and Sundance Institute with a collective focus on equity and sustainability (launched in March 2020).
Our lecture series is made possible by generous support from the MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, and MIT Transmedia Storytelling Initiative.