General Meeting: 11/03/94

                    Monthly Discussion Group
                        Report Number One
                    Meeting Synopsis: 3 November 1994


The STANFORD ARTS & TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE is an interdisciplinary
project organized by several faculty to stimulate experimentation
among faculty, staff, and students in projects that explore new
ways of producing art and experiencing works of art in combina-
tion withthe development or extension of new technologies.   The
INITIATIVE holds both long and short term goals:  The immediate
objective of the INITIATVE is to identify those people in the
Stanford community whose current or projected work encompasses
the aesthetic and the technological in order to form an actual
community with shared interests that can become a base for col-
laboration.  Another short term objective is the planning and
implementation of a Symposium in the fall of 1994 that would
bring artists, scientists, and theorists to the campus in a
dynamic demonstration of innovative aesthetic  work based on new
technologies.  A long term objective for the INITIATIVE is the
establishment of a center that would develop, co-ordinate and
support a wide range of projects committed to the interaction of
arts and the technological.  The ultimate objectiveof the INITIA-
TIVE is to establish Stanford University as major site
for the development of emerging modes of art production and their
practical application.

THE MONTHLY DISCUSSION GROUP sponsored by the INITIATIVE held its
first noon meeting on 3 November 1994.  Michael Ramsaur detailed
the history of the INITIATIVE.  Charles Lyons outlined its objec-
tives, summarized above, and Barbara Hayes-Roth discussed the
function of
the monthly discussion group.  The current group reached con-
sensus on three points:  (1) The need to establish a current data
base that lists the range of current projects involving the
interaction of arts and technology at the university; (2) The
need to extend the operation of the Monthly Discussion Group by
additional special interest group meetings; (3) The need to move
expeditiously in planning the Symposium.

Consequently, we ask you (as either a participant at the 3 Novem-
ber meeting or a prospective participant in the INITIATIVE) to do
four things:
   1.  Write a brief (two or three paragraph) description of pro-
jects related to the ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE in which you
are currently working.  And/Or
   2.  Write a brief description of projects you would like to
undertake if funding and collaborators were available.
   3.  Indicate a choice of one or more of the special interest
groups listed below or suggest an interest group that is not
listed that you would like to establish.  These are interest
groups proposed by one or more participants at the last meeting.
We shall put this information together and facilitate organizing
these section groups and others than emerge.
   4.  Identify those activities and participants that you would-
like the Symposium to bring to Stanford.

SUGGESTED SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS
SYMPOSIUM PLANNING

LONG TERM PLANNING FOR THE STANFORD ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY INITIA-
TIVE

INTERACTIVE, FORCE-FEEBACK ARTWORK

COMMERCIAL MODELING/ANIMATION SYSTEMS/DYNAMIC SIMULATOR SYSTEMS

MULTIMEDIA AUTHORING

EDUCATIONAL APPLICATIONS/KNOWLEDGE SHARING

AUGMENTED ENVIRONMENTS/SMART SPACES

NEW PERFORMANCE MODES/LIFE AND TELEVISUAL


Please send this information to Nancy Sherlock of the Department
ofDrama who is providing staff support for the INITIATIVE.Nancy's
e-mail address is hf.nan@forsythe; her telephone number is 723-
2646.
 It would be useful to have this information prior to our next
meeting on 8 December 1994.


One of the main purposes of our intial meeting was to share our
interests and current projects.  While not everyone at the meet-
ing had the opportunity to speak, the following represents a
briefsummary of our roundtable of current projects.  As we note
above one of the activities of the INITIATIVE will be coordina-
tion and distribution of information about current and projected
work.

TENTATIVE SUMMARY:

Sean White/Sally Rosenthal from Interval Research discussed
their electronic cafe project.  Connected by multiple sites, art-
ists will create telepresent, new media work including the pos-
sibility of poetry meetings, improvisation competitions and other
ambient audio experiences.  An electronic cafe will be located on
Alma Street in Palo Alto.

Bruce Schena, Mechanical Engineering MA/PhD with Product Design
Focus.  Bruce is developing a worldwide network of interactive
force feedback sculptures linked through high speed data networks
in various cities.

Cynthia DuVal is working to create opportunities for artists to
work together using computer tools. Her main interest is in
painting.

Larry Friedlander (English) and Barbara Hayes-Roth (Computer
Science/Knowledge Systems Lab), are jointly presenting an Inter-
active Narrative Structure Seminar focusing on Artificial
Intelligence.  Collaborators include Charles Kerns (Meyer Media
Center). Barbara Hayes-Roth is also developing an electronic
improvisational theater game for children which incorporates
artificial intelligence.

Volker Schachenmayr (Ph.D. candidate, Drama) is interested in
working collaborately on a stage performance that bases itself on
computer-generated visual images.

Charles Lyons (Drama) is working on a performative video
installation project based on Samuel Beckett's THAT TIME.  His-
collaborators will include graduate students Laura Farabough,
Phaedra Bell, Volker Schachenmayr and alumnus Ian McCrudden.  He
looks for collaborators from CCRMA and Computer Science.

Mark Scheeff (Mechanical Engineering, PhD) is building a model of
sculpture controlled by a computer.

Fernando Lopez Lezcano (CCRMA) is interested in tone-interactive
musical performances.  He has collaborated recently with San Jose
artists on a sculpture/music project shown at San Jose State.

Richard Powers (Dance) is interested in how artists can use tech-
nology.

David Hannah (Art) is interested in the evolution of new art.

RJ Fleck (CCRMA) is working with Stephanie Felton (Computer
Science, Design Division) to develop sound/sculptural forms with-
movement/space interaction.

Michael Ramsaur (Drama) is working on computer-aided lighting-
design.


WE WILL SEND YOU AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF OUR MEETING ON 8 DECEMBER,
ROOM 125, MEMORIAL HALL, CLOSER TO THE DATE OF THE MEETING.
HOWEVER,PLEASE MARK THAT DATE AND TIME ON YOUR CALENDAR NOW!

Chuck Lyons,
Chair, Stanford Arts & Technology Initiative