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CIBC announces call for submissions for second annual C² Art Program

By in Art World News

CIBC announces call for submissions for second annual C² Art Program

TORONTO, Nov. 20, 2023 /CNW/ – CIBC today announced that it is now accepting submissions for its 2024 C² Art Program. The C² Art Program is an initiative designed to help emerging artists make their ambitions a reality with a unique paid opportunity to create and curate their art. The completed artwork will then be exhibited for three months at CIBC’s headquarters, CIBC SQUARE.

CIBC Logo (CNW Group/CIBC)

Program overview:

  • Applications are open to Canadian artists with two to 10 years of experience.
  • Selected artists will each be awarded a grant of $25,000 plus an additional $5,000 for material costs, over a of six-month period.
  • During the six-month period, the artists will create a series of works which will be exhibited in a solo exhibition for each artist at CIBC SQUARE.
  • Artists will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Toronto to attend the opening reception.
  • Application due date: 11:59 am EST, January 3, 2024

“We are excited to announce the second year of our C² Art Program,” said Claudette Knight, Vice-President, Workplace Design and Experience, CIBC. “By investing in these artists and providing a space to exhibit their work, we continue to support our commitment to fostering the ambitions of the creative community.”

Last year’s winners were Toronto, ON-based interdisciplinary artist, curator and designer, Maya Skarzenski and London, ON-based artist and educator, Mike Pszczonak.

CIBC invites all artists interested in submitting their artwork for selection to learn more by visiting the CIBC C2 Art website.

About CIBC 

CIBC is a leading North American financial institution with 13 million personal banking, business, public sector and institutional clients. Across Personal and Business Banking, Commercial Banking and Wealth Management, and Capital Markets businesses, CIBC offers a full range of advice, solutions and services through its leading digital banking network and locations across Canada, with offices in the United States and around the world. Ongoing news releases and more information about CIBC can be found at www.cibc.com/ca/media-centre.

SOURCE CIBC

© Canada Newswire, source Canada Newswire English

ODDICT TWIG 2’s Near Seamless Aluminum Case Wins Grand Prize

By in Design

ODDICT TWIG 2’s Near Seamless Aluminum Case Wins Grand Prize

Korean brand ODDICT (now confusingly concurrently branded as Phiaton) won accolades and our attention with their aluminum sheathed minimalist approach to wireless audio in the form of the TWIG and TWIG PRO wireless earbuds. While not yet officially announced, the company’s upcoming sequel, the TWIG 2 appeared on our radar upon being awarded the annual K Design Awards Grand Prize.

The true wireless stereo headphones case is a cipher when closed, with a near seamless closed fit across its diameter.

Arm reaching out with hand holding the circular and cylindrical aluminum charging and carrying case of the TWIG 2 with a wooden table blurred in the background.

TWIG 2’s seamless form is realized primarily in aluminum and applied across both earbuds and case to differentiate it from standard oblong/rounded corner rectangle case designs.

TWIG 2 takes a very similar route as its two predecessors, subtracting unnecessary details for an almost impenetrably minimalist design. Where those previous earbud cases unlatched from the top to reveal its pair of stem-based earbuds, the new design’s front lid opens in entirety similar to a makeup powder case.

Inside, a gently sculpted indent invites each earbud a place for storage and recharging between listening sessions.

Inherently durable and resistant to stains, aluminum is applied across the TWIG 2’s most frequently touched surfaces. The material’s lightweight characteristics also add to the design’s portability.

Closed case of the TWIG 2 wireless earbuds shown from the back, revealing its USB-C charging port, rear hinge mechanism and a small power/reset/pairing button flush with the rest of the case.

Anticipated for global release in 2024, there’s no word yet of pricing nor the exact specs attached to these ANC wireless earbuds, but it’s likely they will be outfitted with digital hybrid noise cancellation, multiple mics to improve ambient noise blocking, IPX4 water resistance, playback personalization, and quick recharging similar to – if not better – than the current $150 TWIG PRO.

* Apparently the “K” stands for “kudos,” not “Korea,” as one might assume of the Korean-hosted jury competition.

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Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.

Generative Art

By in Art World News

Generative Art

Ohio Wesleyan Professors Weave Art and Science Together in Team-Taught Course

By Cole Hatcher

Ohio Wesleyan student Elsa Hoam ’27 of Fredericktown, Ohio, uses a digitally controlled Jacquard loom created for a generative art course team taught by professors Craig Jackson and Jeff Nilan. (Photos by Paul Vernon)

Two Ohio Wesleyan University professors have developed a unique way to weave learning into a class that combines their diverse areas of expertise – Mathematics & Computer Science and Fine Arts.

Professors Craig Jackson, Ph.D., and Jeff Nilan, MFA, have created a digitally controlled Jacquard loom. The customized, computerized device creates intricate fabrics by using up to 400 miniature “servo” motors to precisely control the warps and wefts of the weaving process. The loom allows the professors to expand their focus on textile processes in their team-taught Generative Art 200.4 course.

‘New and Exciting Area’

Elsa Hoam ’27 works with Mathematics & Computer Science professor Craig Jackson (left) and Fine Arts professor Jeff Nilan on a custom-built mechanized loom that lets computer programs design the weavings it creates.

“We believe that using woven textiles as a medium for generative art is a new and exciting area for research, teaching, and artistic practice,” the professors say. “Very few artists are working at this intersection of generative design and textiles.”

When creating generative art, they explain, artists deliberately cede control over a significant aspect of their work to an external agent.

“Having access to a Jacquard loom greatly increases the control the weaver has over their design,” Jackson and Nilan state. “What we are interested in, however, is the ability a Jacquard loom gives an artist to relinquish control over their design. The artist still sits at the loom and weaves the textile, but the computer program dictates the design. So, we are exploring the use of generative design principles made possible by having a Jacquard loom that can be digitally controlled via a computer.”

In their class, OWU students work to create generative art across a range of 2-dimensional media, including textiles produced using the Jacquard loom. Housed in Haycock Hall, the loom also provides Fine Arts students with “a hands-on example of the use of digital microcontrollers in the production and installation of art,” the professors state, “an entire area of artistic practice (previously) unavailable to our students.”

A Successful Collaboration

Their collaboration already has resulted in Jackson and Nilan presenting at two professional conferences: In-person at Generative ART XXIV in Cagliari, Italy, and online at the 20th Annual STS Conference Graz, “Critical Issues in Science, Technology and Society Studies,” held in Graz, Austria. The OWU professors also have authored a peer-reviewed paper, “A Collaborative, Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Course on Generative Art,” published by the Graz University of Technology.

They earned an OWU Thomas E. Wenzlau Grant in 2022 to design and build the loom. The project, completed this fall, took longer than anticipated because of the time required to design and build a one-off device that incorporates hundreds of moving parts, said Jackson, who installed all the motors. They are a critical component of the loom, he explained, because they can be positioned at any rotational angle between 0 and 180 degrees via remote control, allowing creation of the intricate textiles.

The team-taught course furthers goals for both Fine Arts and Mathematics & Computer Science departments, Jackson and Nilan say, adding textile design opportunities for aspiring artists while enhancing the hands-on, applied offerings available to future mathematicians and computer scientists. The digital loom project already has led to the beginning of a small weaving studio in Haycock Hall with four looms and plans for dying yarn with natural dyes.

Exploring What’s Going to Happen

Tera Berko ’27 says working with OWU’s digitally controlled loom is ‘a huge learning experience.’ Miniature ‘servo’ motors installed by professor Craig Jackson precisely control the weaving process.

Elsa Hoam ’27 of Fredericktown, Ohio, is one of the students working with the Jacquard loom. Although she’s not enrolled in the generative art class, she learned about the project from Nilan when she toured campus as a prospective student. She asked about the project this fall, and Nilan invited her to help.

“I’d done some weaving by hand and on smaller looms, and just the idea of this new exploration with a large loom and hands-on experience with it really excited me,” said Hoam, a double major in Business Administration (Marketing concentration) and Studio Art.

“I think it’s kind of interesting because I don’t really have to think too hard about what’s happening,” she said. “It’s more I’m exploring what’s going to happen. It’s kind of like finding a new place. You just don’t know what’s going to come out of it, but it’s always exciting to see what’s going to happen.”

Tera Berko ’27 of Westerville, Ohio, also is working with the digitally controlled loom. “I’ve just always liked fabric, and I sew. So, I heard about the loom project and I was like, ‘close enough,’” said Berko, a double major in Pre-Medicine and Psychology. “It’s a huge learning experience and I’m thankful for what I learn through it.”

Learn more about these Ohio Wesleyan areas of study at owu.edu/FineArts and owu.edu/math.

Marie Tomanova’s raw, unfiltered portraits of New York youth

By in Photography

Marie Tomanova’s raw, unfiltered portraits of New York youth

In her new exhibition, 5 East Broadway, the image-maker brings together still photography and film to revive the optimism of the American dream

20November 2023

It was during a cold New York winter that Czech-born photographer Marie Tomanova first rented out a small studio space in Chinatown from a good friend. Over the next few months, the cluttered room – located on the fourth floor of an old walk-up building – would become the backdrop for her latest project 5 East Broadway, which opens this month at Prague’s Fotograf Gallery.

Growing up, Tomanova would spend much of her school days daydreaming and scribbling in notebooks. Despite always wanting to be an artist, her remote upbringing on a farm in the small rural border town of Mikulov meant that Tomanova didn’t have much confidence. “I was just looked on as a girl and of course the value in that really was as a sexual being, and really not much more than that,” she tells Dazed. She went on to graduate with an MFA in painting, and – unsure of her next step – moved to the United States to work as an au pair.

Moving to New York marked the start of a new dream for Tomanova. “That was the first moment when I actually felt like I could be something,” she remembers. She began documenting young people in the city, and published her debut photo book Young American in 2019. It’s a spirit she recaptures in 5 East Broadway, which sees her invite dozens of young people to talk about their experiences growing up in New York. As well as featuring her classic photography, Tomanova also includes short films in the exhibition, which show the young people dancing to a song of their choice. Below we talk to the image-maker about 5 East Broadway, what it was like moving to New York, and how the young people she’s met have inspired her. 

When you were talking to the young people about their dreams, was there anything that surprised you or that stood out?

Marie Tomanova: The thing that stood out to me and touched me deeply is the direct, raw and unfiltered honesty. The other thing is that these kids seem so sophisticated to me in a way. I don’t know that I would be able to talk about myself like they are able to talk about themselves. The opinions they have. The things that they stand for. The consideration of others. These are all things that stand out to me.

For me, talking about dreams is really an extension of what I have been doing since Young American and New York New York. I would go to peoples’ houses or I would meet up with them, and we would talk about our dreams, fears, anxieties and hopes. I came to New York with a dream and all of these kids either came for their dreams, or are staying here for their dreams. For me, that is really the basis of my photography, that interaction. It’s that connection with others. It’s about them being who they are. And it’s about me being who I am. It really is about connecting. And then, of course, it’s about the audience also connecting with my photographs, the people in them, and ultimately with themselves. When I take a picture of one of these kids what I’m really hoping is that somebody sees themselves in it or understands themselves better. My photographs do not simply show you another person, they also show you me, and they also show you yourself.

How was the connection you made with them an important part of the process?

Marie Tomanova: Connection is everything. In the show’s dreams film, Fourteen Dreamers (I Want to be the Next Courtney Love…But Better), Manavi says, ‘I’ve noticed that people are happiest when they are free, but I think that what makes me happiest is just connection”. I relate to that. I probably shouldn’t even say this, but for me the photographs are not as important as the experience itself of taking the photograph – the experience and the connection, that is everything, or almost everything. That’s why I took colour photos, black and white photos, made the films and asked about their dreams. [I wanted to talk about] the dreams we wish for and also the dreams we have at night – mixing the real and unreal, the subconscious night dreams that reveal our fears and deeper identity and the dreams we create for ourselves during the day as aspirations. The films are in a sense a very Freudian landscape and we are allowed to peek deeper into the inner, private world of these people. Through this work, I wanted to expand the nature of portraiture to create a deeper connection. 5 East Broadway is special in this way – it is like a super condenser. In this project, there is a super honesty, a super directness, a super rawness. People show who they really are – and that is profound.

“My photographs do not simply show you another person, they also show you me, and they also show you yourself” – Marie Tomanova

What is it like to live in New York and why did you decide on moving to New York in particular?

Marie Tomanova: I moved to New York to be free. I came from the Czech Republic and it was really sexist and oppressive and I was lost. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t even really believe in myself. I had not been supported in any sort of way in terms of being an artist. And so I came to New York City in search of something that I didn’t even really know that I could have. My first glimpse of what I could be came when Ryan McGinley came to see my Young American exhibition in 2018 and spoke to me like a peer. That was the first moment when I actually felt like I could be something. I mean, I guess I knew deep in my heart that I could be. But it really took that support and that love that Ryan showed me to believe that I could. It opened a whole new world of possibilities for me in my own head. But it took a long time to shake off that self-doubt. I like what Alex says in the video: ‘I love New York, I come every day. I love how big it is, how no one cares who you are, and that is a good thing. Because you can be the wildest, most spontaneous, yourself version there is and no one is going to judge you, no one cares’. I have found this to be amazingly true. In New York, I can be myself. That was the most important message in the New York New York work, and Kim Gordon talks about it, too, in her Foreword to the book. 

What message do you hope people take away with them after seeing the show?

Marie Tomanova: Be yourself. Be whoever you want to be. Be.

What are some of your own dreams?

Marie Tomanova: My dream is to continue working with people like this. My dreams are already my reality, in that sense. But I also want to share all of this with others. And I dream of inspiring people – there is a feature-length HBO documentary [about me] in the making, directed by Marie Dvořáková and set for release next year. I am super excited but also a bit terrified, as I will get to relive the past five years of my life on the big screen in cinemas and HBO (they started filming in 2018 before my first solo show Young American). I will expose myself and bring you into my life like never before. It’s a magnificent project and I don’t think I can fully process the whole impact of it yet. I haven’t seen the final cut yet, either – the first time I will see it is this December. It will be a big moment. Also, I am getting a puppy – a Brussels Griffon, maybe named Truffle? – and that’s always been a huge dream. 

Otherwise, I want a solo show at MoMA. How is that for truth? Can I really even say that? I am almost scared to be that honest, but I have to be. That is what my work is all about. Feel it. 

5 East Broadway runs at Prague’s Fotograf Gallery until December 16, 2023 

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2023 Shaw Contract Design Awards Best of Region Winners + Looking Ahead to 2024!

By in Design

2023 Shaw Contract Design Awards Best of Region Winners + Looking Ahead to 2024!

We’ve had the pleasure of sharing the Best of Globe Winners of Shaw Contract’s 2023 Design Awards, and now we’re turning the spotlight to shine on the 39 Best of Region Winners. Selected from more than 650 submissions and spanning 40 countries, a diverse panel of judges from around the world meticulously analyzed each project. These are the multiple winners chosen as the best of the best in each region represented: Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Canada, Greater China, India, Latin America, Middle East & Africa, UK & Continental Europe, and USA. Each project optimistically invents spaces that intentionally – and unintentionally – inspire new ways of working, learning, healing, and thriving. This type of design mindset gives way to how the industry as a whole can positively impact the communities and environments that surround us all.

Seen above is one of the Best of UK & Continental Europe winners, “Hudson River Trading (HRT) is a quantitative trading firm with over 900 employees across six countries. The firm partnered with us to create an office in London that supports collaborative work and reflects HRT’s culture and identity. Hudson River Trading’s culture is focused on people who love what they do. So, for its office design in London, we kept branding subtle and focused on designing for people.”

See and experience all 39 Best of Region Winners in the short video below!

[embedded content]

The Shaw Contract Design Awards give us reason to celebrate international designers who share the brand’s commitment to creating a positive impact on all interiors. Over the years, we’ve seen numerous examples of how design can transform these spaces and enrich lives as a result, inspiring us all along the way.

With the 18th annual Design Awards now behind us, the focus turns to 2024! What will next year’s competition hold? More of the best work from conscientious designers who uphold Shaw Contract’s ideals of Material Health, Circular Economy, Carbon Impact and Diversity, and Equity and Inclusion. The 2024 Shaw Contract Design Awards will open submissions soon, submit this form to be notified!

“The Ford Experience Center is the embodiment of Ford’s leadership role in the future of mobility and their data and human science-driven approach to workplace design: a place where visitors can experience the company’s future by seeing, feeling, and being. It feels as innovative and rich as the company story and energizes everyone present with the brand’s clear visual impact.”

Ministry of Tourism HQ, KSA by Allen Architecture Interiors Design (AAID), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Best of Middle East & Africa Winner Photo: N/A

“The Ministry of Tourism Office project in Riyadh has positively impacted both people and the planet through the power of design. The design venture of this project aimed to align with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and create a workspace that caters to the needs of a large number of employees and visitors.”

“The company in charge of coordinating the distribution of energy throughout Chile decided to regroup in one place after years of being fragmented in different locations in the city of Santiago… We had to promote the union of the company, however, the most important thing for us as architects was to combine technology with improving the quality of life within this space, lowering cortisol levels (stress hormone), lowering anxiety, and building a space where collaboration, the healthiest types of groups, and balance are promoted.”

interior commercial lounge space with white furniture, large windows, and greenery

Naelofar Office by SWOT Design Group, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, Best of Asia Winner Photo: David Yeow

“Naelofar, a brand re-known for Muslim modest-wear has grown exponentially in the recent five years. They intended to move to a new office space of over 7,000 square feet with a bright facade to provide a more welcoming environment for staff and to better convey their brand… the interior design aimed to capture the essence of nurturing relationships, with a space that is polished and creative, whilst also conveying the brand’s professional and personalized approach.”

interior gathering space with large windows and lots of seating

Pfizer, Inc. by Steven Leach & Associates, Hong Kong, China, Best of Greater China Winner Photo: Steven Ko

“[The] Pfizer Hong Kong office is located in one of Hong Kong’s prime CBD, Quarry Bay, it is prepared to continuously deliver pharmaceutical solutions driven by science. Alongside the new logo, many of Pfizer’s core values are also integrated into the new office design. In addition, to deepen a sense of local community, unique local elements are subtly incorporated throughout the new office.”

“Riley’s Fish & Steak took over a previously rundown restaurant space located beside the cruise ship harbor of downtown Vancouver, surrounded by hotels, office towers, and convention centers. Our goal was to be as environmentally-friendly as possible with designing this new restaurant concept.”

interior commercial gathering space in hot pink, yellow, and blue

Bosch Pune by adrianse*, Bengaluru, India, Best of India Winner Photo: Prajwal S + Rizwan

“Changing the mindset from a traditional work culture to agile ways of working was a big achievement for us. Multiple stakeholders, engagements, and alignment were streamlined [throughout]. This was a design only project, but we faced a lot of coordination challenges, which we would have overcome if the same was a D&B project for adrianse*.”

Newmont by Rezen Studio, Perth, Australia, Best of Australia Winner Photo: Jack Lovel

“As the world’s leading gold miner, Newmont is widely recognized for its principled environmental, social, and governance practices. The Newmont workplace reflects the culture and aspirations of the business and is a functional, flexible, and forward-looking tenancy for the future that supports a ‘remote first’ approach.”

Explore all 39 Best of Region winners in the short video above, or visit shawcontract.com to learn more!

Kelly Beall is Director of Branded Content at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based writer and designer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, from Fashion Plates to MoMA and far beyond. When not searching out the visual arts, she’s likely sharing her favorite finds with others. Kelly can also be found tracking down new music, teaching herself to play the ukulele, or on the couch with her three pets – Bebe, Rainey, and Remy. Find her @designcrush on social.

Remarkably Realistic Marine Invertebrates Made of Glass Surface at the Mystic Seaport Museum

By in Art World News

Remarkably Realistic Marine Invertebrates Made of Glass Surface at the Mystic Seaport Museum

All photos by Joe Michael, courtesy of the Mystic Seaport Museum, shared with permission

From the mid-1800s to the 1930s, father-and-son artist duo Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka crafted thousands of glass models of flora and fauna (previously) in exquisite, scientific detail. Sea creatures were an area of particular fascination, as delicate spines, tentacles, and frills rendered in lifelike color extend from the bodies of squid and sea anemones. And at the Mystic Seaport Museum, a major exhibition of more than 40 of the remarkable specimens come to life in Spineless: A Glass Menagerie of Blaschka Marine Invertebrates.

Spineless dives into the history of the Blaschkas’ extraordinary contributions to scientific education, starting with the elder artist’s fascination with ocean life. Leopold was inspired to recreate specimens he saw in the wild and successfully completed a commission for a nearby natural history museum in the 1850s. He realized there was a demand for lifelike versions of creatures that scientists found challenging to preserve and document, and the glass variety required no special jars or chemical treatments to keep them looking as good as new.

Leopold found his audience in universities and museums around the world, establishing a mail-order business to ship the fragile pieces to institutions where they were used for teaching or put on display. Eventually joined by his son, the two “relied on their relationships with scientists, along with observations of live specimens held in aquariums, wet specimens, books, and scientific journals,” the Mystic Seaport Museum says in a statement.

The Blaschkas are also known for their fifty-year endeavor to make 4,300 models that represent 780 plant species, comprising the Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants, which you can visit at Harvard Museum. Spineless continues in Mystic, Connecticut, through September 2024. Plan your visit and discover more on the museum’s website.

 

A realistic glass model of a sea creature with antennae and colorful soft spikes.

Two images side-by-side. The left image shows three glass models of sea creatures or coral with stout trucks and colorful frills on top. The right image shows a glass model of a squid.  A glass model of a sea creature with numerous tentacles.

A composite image of three realistic glass sculptures modeled after sea creatures, like coral. They are viewed from above and show symmetrical flower-like shapes.

A realistic glass model of a sea creature, showing a gray body with fin-like legs and arms.  A composite image of three realistic glass sculptures of sea creatures, all resembling slug-like shapes with long bodies and antennae.

A glass sculpture of a long, snake-like sea creature with a purple and gold body and spikes along its back.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Remarkably Realistic Marine Invertebrates Made of Glass Surface at the Mystic Seaport Museum appeared first on Colossal.

Apple could be planning a game-changing M1 moment for iPhone photography

By in Photography

Apple could be planning a game-changing M1 moment for iPhone photography

When Apple launched its M1-equipped MacBook Air in 2020, we called its in-house chip a “game-changer” – and the tech giant might be planning an equivalent move for iPhone cameras, according to the latest rumors.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple “is eyeing an in-house strategy for camera sensors”. In other words, making its own camera sensors in much the same way as Apple Silicon. And while there’s no rumored timescale for this, it would be a big moment for mobile photography and videography.

The benefits of Apple making an in-house camera sensor – beyond the business benefits of moving into an expanding sector – are potentially many. But the main one for the iPhone would be a much better-optimized image processing pipeline, which could unlock image quality and performance improvements when combined with Apple’s Photonic Engine. It could also put Apple at the forefront of spatial photos and video.

Apple introduced its Photonic Engine – a computational photography development of Deep Fusion – in the iPhone 14 series. Its main advancement was that it applied Apple’s multi-frame processing earlier in the image development process than Deep Fusion, this time on uncompressed (or raw) images. This gave Apple more control over detail, color, and exposure – and adding an Apple-made sensor to this mix could again unlock more computational processing advancements.

A series of photos in the iPhone's image processing pipeline

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple doesn’t disclose the image sensors used in iPhones, but the iPhone 15 Pro’s 48MP sensor is strongly rumored to be the Sony IMX803 (also used in the iPhone 14 Pro). Sony dominates the CMOS camera sensor market (according to The Elec, it had a 51.6% market share by the end of 2022), so most iPhone cameras (and their Lidar scanners) are based on Sony sensors – this means an in-house Apple camera sensor would deliver a sizable earthquake through that market.

This rumored move also wouldn’t just be about iPhone cameras. As Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported, image sensors are also “core to future developments in the mixed-reality and autonomous-driving industries” as well. That means the Apple Vision Pro and, potentially, the long-rumored Apple Car would also benefit from the tech giant taking on image sensor giants Sony and Samsung.

Analysis: A distant but likely Apple move 

The iPhone 15 Pro Max's periscope zoom camera

(Image credit: Apple)

If Apple does decide to pursue this rumored in-house strategy for camera sensors, it won’t happen anytime soon. The iPhone 16 Pro is already rumored to be packing a stacked sensor (most likely Sony’s IMX903), so the prospect is likely at least a few years off.

But it would also make strategic sense for Apple. Recently, we heard rumors that Apple could be making its own batteries for future iPhones. And this year, the Apple M3 made us rethink the whole concept of integrated graphics on processors and could even turn Apple into a gaming force to be reckoned with.

Today’s iPhones aren’t exactly being held back by Sony’s excellent image sensors and computational processing is now the most important part of the image pipeline for smartphones. 

It also isn’t uncommon in the professional camera world for Sony rivals to use its sensors – the flagship Nikon Z9, for example, is built around a stacked Sony sensor (the Sony IMX609AQJ), despite the fact that Nikon is competing with cameras like the Sony A9 III for the title of best professional camera.

But aside from making business sense, it’s clear from Apple Silicon that Apple has the technological might and financial muscle to optimize and rethink the architecture of chips that have been traditionally outsourced. 

If it does the same with image sensors, that could give it far greater control over the future of our pocket cameras – moving them into new spaces, like the spatial video that’s already possible on the iPhone 15 Pro. And also helps promote the concept of ‘spatial computing’ that Apple is so keen to push into the mainstream with the Apple Vision Pro.

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Native youth theater finds home at Seattle’s King Street Station

By in Native

Native youth theater finds home at Seattle’s King Street Station

The five youth-arts organizations that occupy Station Space — RES, Totem Star, The Rhapsody Project, Jackson Street Music Program and Whipsmart — are all part of the Office of Arts and Culture’s Creative Advantage program to increase student access to the arts. 

“We know that art saves lives,” said Olisa Enrico, executive director of CSA, in an interview with Crosscut. “And that starts in the most crucial point of youth.”

“Plus,” Erin Jorgensen, digital media specialist for ARTS, wrote in an email, “it’s just fun to walk in the building and hear theater vocal warm-ups or hear drum solos coming through the floorboards.”

Around 300 people attended the grand opening and ribbon-cutting event, including homegrown rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot as the keynote speaker. (Among his other remarks, he noted, “Sixty-year lease! Impressive.”) When Enrico introduced RES director Brooks, the audience cheered loudly. 

“RES as an organization has embodied the survival resiliency that our Native communities are legendary for,” Brooks said during the opening. “RES has never had a theater space of our own to call home,” he said. “To say that having this new black box-style theater workshop space in the heart of Seattle is one of the most significant events in our history would be an understatement.” 

Also at the opening day ceremony, RES youth performed the finale track from their original musical Dracula Spectacular. “Like an eagle soaring above, we move forward with love, always knowing the light will lead us home,” they sang. 

A creative outlet for Indigenous youth

Over its three decades, RES has worked with Indigenous youth from various tribes and backgrounds, presented almost 200 productions and performed on stages at ACT Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Intiman Theatre and The 5th Avenue Theatre. They’ve also worked closely with other local Indigenous organizations such as the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center.

Every year RES holds an intensive two-week summer camp that culminates in a performance. In the fall and winter, it hosts workshops — acting, filmmaking, playwriting — often led by local theater artists of Native heritage. The youth also put on a big spring production that’s free to the public (as are all of RES’s performances). The students’ age range is typically 10 to 19, with about 120 kids annually. 

The original stories that RES performs are rooted in the cultures of Indigenous peoples with an eye toward contemporary social relevance. Many originate from traditional stories passed down from tribal elders and others in the Native community. 

Created in-house, the plays are written by people in an RES alumni program called Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow: Urban Native Performing Artists. Youth also collaborate with the playwrights and directors to create the productions. 

Several of RES’s past shows have direct connections with the Pacific Northwest. In 2011, A Right to Justice (by local Native teaching artists Drew Hobson and Hannah Victoria Franklin) was a response to the police killing of John T. Williams (Nuu-chah-nulth) in Seattle the year before. The musical As Long as the Rivers Run (2013), by local writer and UW lecturer Roger Fernandes (Lower Elwha S’Klallam Tribe), focused on fishing rights and the importance of salmon to local tribes.

More recently, RES youth brought attention to the incidence of missing and murdered Indigenous women with the 2019 production MISSING, directed by local actor, director and producer Josephine Keefe (Nez Perce).

“Native people are the original artists and storytellers of this land and of this continent,” Brooks said. “Mainstream arts and theater are starting to notice that they need to catch up with what our Native communities have been doing.” 

This past year, RES performed the more lighthearted play-turned-musical Dracula Spectacular by alum and staff member Dylan Elwood (Turtle Mountain Chippewa) and jazz vocalist Julia Keefe (Nez Perce). Two RES students — 14-year-old twin sisters Sophia and Olivia Vann (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma), who performed at the opening — described it affectionately as “campy.” 

“RES deserves this [space],” said Olivia Vann at the November 11 event. She and her sister are excited about the new location, and described the move as “reclaiming” and “decolonizing” Indigenous land.

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