On May 16, UCCS students unveiled their kinetic installation titled “Ascension” in the University Center. The installation is the fourth piece commissioned by Ent Credit Union for the University Center branch and developed by visual and performing arts students in Ben Kinsley’s spring 2019 Digital Art & Design course.
“On many levels, this installation represents the heart of Ent Credit Union, its future and what it stands for,” said the artists statement. “Our mission is to depict Ent as one entity made up of many members and to visualize ‘making you feel like part of something bigger.’
To conceptualize the idea that the fabric of Ent cannot be whole without the individual, we developed a work consisting of many small, hanging triangular pieces. When seen from afar they come together to form a single, unified image of Pike’s Peak and Garden of the Gods, constructing both an abstract and pictorial representation of landscape and community.”
In the first half of the semester, students met with Ent representatives to learn more about Ent’s mission, values, and identity; they studied the site and built scale, digital 3D models; they worked in small teams to develop fully realized project proposals, and presented their pitches to a committee at the Ent corporate headquarters.
The Ent committee selected a winning design, and then the class spent the second half of the semester fabricating this work, which involved laser cutting, metal work, welding, and a lot of planning and organizing. While this piece was designed by a team of three students, the fabrication and installation was a full class effort.
“Ascension” was designed by Cheyenne Griswold, Liz Bristle and Alisia Lane, and fabricated by the entire class: Ashley Andersen, Liz Bristle, Joshua Hardin, Heather Windom, Madalyn Botkin, Cheyenne Griswold, Tyler Haynie, Samantha Howell, Bradley Koerwitz, Alisia Lane, Cameron Martin, Chloe Peterson, Kyle Plutt-Bamesberger, Lindsey Rice, Alexandra Tolooee, Bryce Van Drew and Kyler Vitgenos.
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