Students at Kildare College have put the A in STEM and are STE(A)Ming ahead of the pack by incorporating an arduino, a microprocessor and controller based technology, into their latest artworks.
The learning task was to create a masterpiece that considered organic versus mechanical (man-made) environments. With this broad topic, students were required to narrow down this scope to a simple, precise and meaningful idea, with many exploring environmental issues such as poaching, littering, water conservation and urbanisation.
The use of the ardunio’s literally brought their ideas to light, with vegetable oil applied to the canvas so the light could reveal the meaning of the artwork. Without the light, you would not have been able to see the mechanical element.
Students selected which areas to illuminate with specific light sources, and were required to engineer a light circuit and program their Arduino to cycle on and off to create the final masterpiece.
Margaret Rouggos, Principal, says “we incorporate STEM into the curriculum in many different ways, to build the critical and creative thinking of our students. Coupling STEM with Art has resulted in some striking and creative art works that the students are incredibly proud of”.
The art faculty have big plans to continue to use STEM in their classes, exploring ideas like sensor or touch operated lighting, with the aim of making future projects that are more interactive and interesting for the viewer.
