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School of Fine Arts Update

KU design partners with Nokia and Cingular
KU faculty collaborate to improve healthcare for Kansans
Award-winning metalsmith and KU alumnus to visit design department

 

KU design partners with Nokia and Cingular
The department of design in KU's School of Fine Arts has developed a project with telecommunication industry leaders Nokia and Cingular, now part of the new AT&T. Partnering with the School of Journalism's News and Information area as well as The School of Business Entrepreneurship Program, the design department will examine the high-end Nokia N93 and N73 camera phones.

"The significance here is the participation of two of the world's largest brands supporting KU with real products and services for educational advancements," said Gregory Thomas, chair of the design department. "Our students are in need of real-world challenges involving real-world industry, and we are extremely grateful for the opportunity to bring several schools together on one project."

Thomas has had a long-time relationship with Nokia's Design Director/Brand Experience Designer Gerardo Herrera. Shortly before the December holiday, a proposal was made for a cross-disciplinary project examining current and potential use of the sophisticated hardware. Nokia responded with a gift of up to six phones and additional hardware. Thomas then approached Cingular/AT&T and received six months' activation and call/data usage for the project. Read more.

 

KU faculty collaborate to improve healthcare for Kansans
Faculty from KU's department of design, department of music and dance and the School of Architecture and Urban Planning are working to improve healthcare for all Kansans through a new initiative, Design for Wellness.

Design for Wellness was created to enhance healing in Kansas hospitals and healthcare facilities through the use of design tools, approaches and research.

This initiative intends to develop an integrated holistic design environment, based on scientific data, clinical experience and emotional/functional requirements, to make the environment, equipment and furniture used in Kansas healthcare safer, more effective and efficient, and more satisfactory for all users. Read more.

 

Award-winning metalsmith and KU alumnus to visit design department
Robert Ebendorf, f'61, g'63, master metalsmith, returned to his alma mater March 7-8 to participate in a professional practice series, created by the KU department of design in the School of Fine Arts.

Ebendorf is a leader of the "studio jewelry movement," combining traditional goldsmithing techniques and materials with found objects. He combines precious materials such as gold, silver or diamonds with materials such as bones, animal claws or bones and broken glass. His works are in the permanent collections of the American Craft Museum in New York City and the Art Institute of Chicago. Read more.

Visit the School of Fine Arts Web site for more information.



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