Viz student work displayed in Bryan at Viz-a-GoGo 23 May 4-7

Time-based work screening at the Palace Theater 7:30 p.m. May 7

Visit the Viz-a-GoGo 23 [website] (http://vizagogo.tamu.edu)

Viz-a-GoGo, the 23rd annual showcase of digital wizardry conjured by [visualization] (http://viz.arch.tamu.edu/) students from the Texas A&M College of Architecture, was staged in downtown Bryan May 4-7, 2016.

Highlighting this year's event was a public screening of time-based work May 7 in the Palace Theater, [105 S. Main St] (https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Palace+Theater,+South+Main+Street,+Bryan,+TX&hl=en&ll=30.673298,-96.369914&spn=0.010049,0.015171&sll=42.655076,-73.750247&sspn=0.016886,0.01796&oq=Palace+Theater+Bryan&t=m&z=17) . This year’s Viz-a-GoGo theme, “The Vizzening,” was accentuated in student-produced segments woven into the show.

“The theme was a play on words of the occult genre, referencing film titles that invariably involve ‘conjuring, happening, or summoning,’” said Brittany Wolfe, Viz-a-GoGo production manager and undergraduate visualization major.

“It was meant as a description of the Viz Lab’s ambience in terms of a pseudo-horror story — students spending all their time there, making references people don’t understand and speaking in technical terms that appear to be a foreign language. To an outsider, Viz can appear rather cult-like,” she said.

Viz-a-GoGo also included exhibits of multimedia installations, interactive games and still work in two downtown Bryan locations — the Amity Building, [300 W. 26th St] (https://maps.google.com/maps?q=300+W+26th+St,+Bryan,+TX&hl=en&ll=30.674211,-96.375439&spn=0.009661,0.00898&sll=30.672966,-96.372585&sspn=0.009662,0.00898&oq=300+W.+&hnear=300+W+26th+St,+Bryan,+Texas+77803-3233&t=m&z=17) , and VizNorth, [419 N. Main St] (https://www.google.com/maps/place/419+N+Main+St,+Bryan,+TX+77803/@30.6772078,-96.3746577,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x864681a479884ce7:0xb4f6323d20c85a46?hl=en) .

The May 6 viewing hours were part of downtown Bryan’s [First Friday] (http://www.downtownbryan.com/play/1stfriday/) arts celebration featuring live music, artist demonstrations and happy hour specials at the numerous restaurants and bars throughout the historic district.

Presented by the Texas A&M [Department of Visualization] (http://viz.arch.tamu.edu) , Viz-a-GoGo sponsors included the [Arts Council of Brazos Valley] (http://acbv.org) , [AdventGX] (http://adventgx.agxdev.com) , the [Downtown Bryan Association] (http://downtownbryan.com) , and the Texas A&M College of Architecture.

Visualization studies at Texas A&M

Since 1989, the [Master of Science in Visualization] (http://viz.arch.tamu.edu/graduate/ms-viz-curriculum/) program at Texas A&M has provided a steady stream of aspirants for the burgeoning field of digital and electronic visualization. Visualization students are true Renaissance men and women, gifted with a unique left-right-brain ambidexterity, facilitating a mastery of both art and science.

The program's graduates have achieved success as creative directors, computer animators, university professors and software designers, with the majority working in the animation, visual effects and electronic gaming industries. Aggie Viz students can be found among the creative talent at [Pixar] (http://www.pixar.com/) , [Blue Sky] (http://blueskystudios.com/) , [Walt Disney Animation Studios] (http://www.disneyanimation.com/) , [Industrial Light and Magic] (http://www.ilm.com/) , [Dreamworks Animation] (http://www.dreamworksanimation.com/) , [Electronic Arts] (http://www.ea.com/) , [Rhythm & Hues Studios] (http://www.rhythm.com/home/) , [Reel FX] (http://www.reelfx.com/) and [Sony Pictures Imageworks] (http://www.imageworks.com/) .

The department’s stature is augmented by its regular rank among the top [animation] (http://viz.arch.tamu.edu/about/news/2016/4/12/top-animation-schools-us/) and [video game] (http://viz.arch.tamu.edu/about/news/2016/3/24/videogame-rising-national-rankings/) programs in the nation.

After almost a decade of outstanding achievement in visualization education in its Visualization Laboratory, the College of Architecture established the Department of Visualization at Texas A&M, and in January 2009 the undergraduate [Bachelor of Science in Visualization] (http://viz.arch.tamu.edu/undergraduate/bachelor-science/) program was introduced, followed in 2012 by Texas A&M's first graduate-level fine arts degree, the [Master of Fine Arts in Visualization] (http://one.arch.tamu.edu/news/2012/8/7/viz-mfa-programm/) .

The Department of Visualization nurtures a unique, synergetic studio environment combining academic rigor with creativity, fun, camaraderie and collaborative problem solving.

posted April 15, 2016