New Media Caucus
Encyclopedia
The New Media Caucus is a non-profit, international membership organization formed to advance the conceptual and artistic use of digital media, and it is an affiliated society of the College Art Association
. The Caucus represents academics and artists whose media are expanding with developments in digital technology and artists working in newly emerging media such as robotics, virtual reality, interactive and installation environments as well as artists working in established digital areas of video, sound and graphics. By providing a forum for the critical review of new media practice, the Caucus increases the visibility and presence of new media practitioners. The Caucus has 650+ members, many of whom are based in North America. It organizes panels, exhibitions, forums, and maintains a peer-reviewed journal, media-N.
. At the time, panels and exhibitions focusing on new media art
were rare at academic conferences despite significant growth of the field in galleries, museums, and universities. Professor Maloney served as President of the New Media Caucus from 2003 – 2006 and was followed from 2006 - 2009 by Gwyan Rhabyt, Associate Professor of Multimedia at California State University, East Bay
. The current president (2009 – 2014) is Paul Catanese, Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Arts at Columbia College Chicago
.
In addition to CAA related events, the New Media Caucus has also organized panels at SIGGRAPH
and the International Symposium for Electronic Arts
College Art Association
The College Art Association of America is the principal professional association in the United States for practitioners and scholars of art, art history, and art criticism...
. The Caucus represents academics and artists whose media are expanding with developments in digital technology and artists working in newly emerging media such as robotics, virtual reality, interactive and installation environments as well as artists working in established digital areas of video, sound and graphics. By providing a forum for the critical review of new media practice, the Caucus increases the visibility and presence of new media practitioners. The Caucus has 650+ members, many of whom are based in North America. It organizes panels, exhibitions, forums, and maintains a peer-reviewed journal, media-N.
History
The New Media Caucus was founded in 2003 by Doreen Maloney, Associate Professor of New Media at the University of KentuckyUniversity of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
. At the time, panels and exhibitions focusing on new media art
New media art
New media art is a genre that encompasses artworks created with new media technologies, including digital art, computer graphics, computer animation, virtual art, Internet art, interactive art, computer robotics, and art as biotechnology...
were rare at academic conferences despite significant growth of the field in galleries, museums, and universities. Professor Maloney served as President of the New Media Caucus from 2003 – 2006 and was followed from 2006 - 2009 by Gwyan Rhabyt, Associate Professor of Multimedia at California State University, East Bay
California State University, East Bay
California State University, East Bay is a public university located in the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The university, as part of the 23-campus California State University system, offers over 100 areas of study...
. The current president (2009 – 2014) is Paul Catanese, Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Arts at Columbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago is one of the largest art colleges in the United States with nearly 12,000 students pursuing degrees within 120 undergraduate and graduate programs...
.
Conferences
The New Media Caucus organizes discussion panels and exhibitions in association with each conference of the College Art Association. These have expanded to venues beyond the conference itself, and has also extended to partnerships with organizations beyond CAA.- At the 2011 CAA Conference in New York, the NMC organized two onsite panels, two offsite panels, two roundtable discussions, an offsite performance event, as well as a installation and exhibition in partnership with Video in the Built Environment (v1b3), onsite at the Hilton conference hotel. Additionally, the NMC organized an artist showcase featuring presentations of work by 18 artists and reception hosted by the School of Visual Arts MFA Computer Arts Department.
- At the 2010 CAA Conference in Chicago, in addition to one panel onsite at the conference hotel, the NMC organized three additional panels, two professional development roundtables and a unique 6-hour Live-Cinema performance hosted at Columbia College ChicagoColumbia College ChicagoColumbia College Chicago is one of the largest art colleges in the United States with nearly 12,000 students pursuing degrees within 120 undergraduate and graduate programs...
. Additionally, the NMC organized an artist colloquium / meet & greet event was hosted at the Illinois State Museum in Chicago. Also, in the Fall of 2010, NMC partnered with the International Digital Media and Arts Association (IDMAA), which resulted in a sponsored panel at the 2010 IDMAA Conference in Vancouver, BC. - During the 2009 CAA Conference in Los Angeles, in addition to one panel onsite at the conference center, three panels and an exhibition were co-sponsored by the Southern California Institute of ArchitectureSouthern California Institute of ArchitectureThe Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles , California, is an independent, nonprofit school offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in architecture. It offers community design and outreach programs, and free public access to frequent exhibitions and lectures by leading...
- For the 2008 Conference in Dallas, four panels and an exhibition were held, largely in association with the Dallas ContemporaryThe Dallas ContemporaryThe Dallas Contemporary, founded in 1978, is situated on the edge of the city center of Dallas, the ninth largest city in the United States and fourth largest metropolitan area with Fort Worth...
. - In 2007, panels were hosted at the New York conference center and by the New School'sThe New SchoolThe New School is a university in New York City, located mostly in Greenwich Village. From its founding in 1919 by progressive New York academics, and for most of its history, the university was known as the New School for Social Research. Between 1997 and 2005 it was known as New School University...
Vera List Center for Art and Politics. - In 2006, three panels were hosted at the Boston conference center, including one, Asia Effects, in association with the 6th GwangjuGwangjuGwangju is the sixth largest city in South Korea. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister...
Bianniale 2006. Another was offered at Art Interactive, a prominent CambridgeCambridge, MassachusettsCambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
gallery, where there was also an exhibition, New Media, New Work. - In 2005, the NMC hosted two panels as part of the CAA conference in Atlanta.
In addition to CAA related events, the New Media Caucus has also organized panels at SIGGRAPH
SIGGRAPH
SIGGRAPH is the name of the annual conference on computer graphics convened by the ACM SIGGRAPH organization. The first SIGGRAPH conference was in 1974. The conference is attended by tens of thousands of computer professionals...
and the International Symposium for Electronic Arts
Inter-Society for the Electronic Arts
ISEA, or Inter-Society for the Electronic Arts is "an international non-profit organization fostering interdisciplinary academic discourse and exchange among culturally diverse organizations and individuals working with art, science and emerging technologies." ISEA was founded in the Netherlands...