All Over Albany

Opalka Gallery 2015 fall season

Here's the slate of events for this fall at Opalka Gallery on the Sage Albany campus. One of the things that caught our eye about the lineup is that it includes a bunch of events about video games.

Without any further ado....

Blurbage via the Opalka Gallery.

September 4: Exhibition: From Concept to Console: Art and Aesthetics in Video Game Design
"With the focus on the artist's inspiration and process, this exhibit will include not just finished pieces but work as it progresses from early concept art to final in-game imagery. Some of the best work and artists of the last ten years will be showcased, including the singular talents behind the games Machinarium, Botanicula, Skylanders: SWAP Force, The Dream Machine, The Unfinished Swan, Transistor, and Tengami."

On display September 4-December 13. Opening reception Opening Reception: Friday, September 4, 6-8 pm. Curator's tours: 5:30 pm on October 2, November 6, December 3.

September 8: Artist lecture: Dave Phillips, concept artist on Skylanders: Swap Force
"Focusing on concept art and art direction at game studio Vicarious Visions (Activision/Blizzard), Dave Phillips was a lead artist on Skylanders: Swap Force. He also illustrates for editorial, young adult, and children's literature." 6:30 pm

September 24: Film: IndieGame: The Movie
"This Sundance award-winning documentary follows the underdogs of the video game industry, indie game developers, who sacrifice money, health and sanity to realize their lifelong dreams of sharing their visions with the world." 6:30 pm

October 6: Artist lecture: Virginia Durruty, exhibition designer and architect
"Virginia Durruty, an architect and art exhibition designer based in Boston, designed the Opalka Gallery's exhibition 'From Concept to Console: Art and Aesthetics in Video Game Design.' Before starting as an independent consultant, she spent six years at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, where she was responsible for the overall design concept and installation of temporary exhibitions." 6:30 pm

October 8: Film: GTFO: The Movie
"Sparked by a public display of sexual harassment in 2012, the film pries open the video game world to explore a $20 billion industry riddled with gender discrimination and misogyny." 6:30 pm

October 16: PechaKucha
"Short talks by interesting people. PechaKucha is a format in which speakers present 20 slides for 20 seconds each. Contact the gallery if you're interested in presenting." 6:30 pm

October 22: Film: Tron (1982)
"The original cult classic, starring Jeff Bridges as a computer programmer who is abducted and transported into the digital world of a video game." 6:30 pm

October 25: Panel discussion: Women in Video Game Design
"Women make up almost half of all video game players yet sexism thrives in the gamer world, as evidenced by last year's "Gamergate," in which female game developers were subjected to online sexual harassment. Moving beyond the headlines, how do women in game design envision the future of gaming? A panel of women from across the gaming industry, from art and design to engineering, will discuss their careers and the issues facing women in gaming." 3 pm

Panelists include:
+ Arzu Fallahi, Concept Artist at Vicarious Visions
+ Danielle Godbout, User Interface Artist at Vicarious Visions
+ Kathleen Ruiz, Associate Professor of Integrated Arts, RPI
+ Tobi Saulnier, Founder and CEO, 1st Playable Productions

Co-moderated by Opalka Director Elizabeth Greenberg and Jennifer J. Goodall, Director of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Women in Technology Program at UAlbany.

November 6 + 20: Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company
"In response to the current exhibit, Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company uses a unique mixture of technology, video game design and music with live dance to generate a performance experience for both dancer and audience that is filled with vitality, intrigue, unpredictability, interaction and expectancy." 6:30 pm

November 10: Artist lecture: Matt McElligott, author and illustrator
"Matt McElligott is the award-winning author and illustrator of fourteen books for children of all ages, including the new Mad Scientist Academy series, Even Aliens Need Snacks, Even Monsters Need Haircuts, and the Benjamin Franklinstein series."

November 19: Film: Us and the Game Industry
"This documentary film explores the motivations and processes of computer game designers at the frontier of experimental game development. According to the Los Angeles Times, 'It should absorb gamers and non-gamers alike."' 6:30 pm

December 8: Artist lecture: Fernando Orellana, new media artist
"New media artist Fernando Orellana has collaborated with robots for over twenty years to make artwork. As a machine designer, a technologist, and a user, Orellana has blurred the line between himself and machine in the creative process." 6:30 pm

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Earlier on AOA:
+ EMPAC fall 2015 season
+ Massry Center 2015-2016 season