Art 418: Advanced Electronics and Sculpture 

Meeting times: MW 12:30-3 
Instructor: Nathaniel Stern  
Email: sternn@uwm.edu  
Office Location: KSE 535 
 Office Hours: W 3-4, and by appointment 
Credit Hours: 3 credits 
F2F Meetings: ~5 hours per week (~70 hours total) 
Independent work outside of class: ~6 hours per week (~90 hours total) 
Information for students: Please familiarize yourself with the following university policies: http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SecU/SyllabusLinks.pdf 

Catalog Description 
3 credits UG  
Advanced art production using interactive systems such as sensors, microcontrollers, motors, lights for interactivity installations & performance.

Course Description and Goals 
This production class will focus more acutely on technologies and aesthetics that incorporate electronics, sensors, motors, and other devices into contemporary art. Advanced students work work on, and document, two individual projects over the course of the semester, while also continuously doing technological and conceptual research, and incorporating the aesthetic frames of electronic art into their larger practice.

Note to graduate students in 418 who have not taken 318
418 students who have not previously taken 318 will follow the 318 syllabus and deadlines, but additionally need to meet with me twice outside of class time to discuss electronics fitting into their practice, give the 418 extra presentation at week 10, and do more advanced statements, budgets, and floor plans for the mid-term and final projects. 

Evaluation and Grading for 418 students (who have taken 318)
Broken down as follows:

Projects		
Mid-term, week 8	25%	
Final Project, week 15	30%	
		
Presentations		
Mid-term concept presentation, week 6	3%	
“Practice” presentation, week 10	3%	
Final concept presentation, week 13	3%	
		
Development meetings		
Meeting 1	1%	
Meeting 2	1%	
		
Reading responses		
TBD reading 1, week 5	2%	
TBD reading 1, week 10	2%	
		
Documentation		
Mid-term documentation, week 12	5%	
Final documentation, week 16	5%	
		
Ongoing progress	20%	

You are responsible to set up at least two 1-on-1 meetings (one in the first four weeks of class, and another before Thanksgiving), and to collectively decide, with the professor and each other, on advanced readings to respond to and discuss (1-page responses, 2 for the semester).

You will give three presentations during the semester: one each on your two projects (covering conceptual, aesthetic, and technical research, and how they all coincide), and one on your larger practice (including previous projects), and how your research this semester fits in and grows that work.

In addition to your graded projects, you will be graded on documentation for each, including an artist statement (300-500 words), photos, and if appropriate, maquette, floor plans, and/or video.

You must show ongoing progress for your work every week.

Evaluation and Grading for 418 students (who have not taken 318)
Please see the 318 syllabus for descriptions of expectations and assignments!
Per above, you have slightly more to do: your documentation and Mid-Term and Finals are expected to exceed the class standard (at a graduate level conceptually and aesthetically – though not necessarily technically), you must meet with me twice, and do the “Practice” presentation explained above, at week 10.
Grades broken down as follows:

In-class assignments		
simple circuit, week 2	1%	
digital in and out, week 3	1%	
blinking and millis, week 3	1%	
variables and loops, week 4	1%	
analog in and out, week 5	1%	
Relay with digital, week 5	1%	
Transistor with PWM, week 5	1%	
Serial communication, week 8	1%	
		
Presentations, writing, and documentation	
Paper animation, week 2	1%	
sketches for project 1, week 3	1%	
Emulation Artist presentation, week 5	1%	
sketches for project 2, week 6	1%	
Emulation aritst and Sketches for Mid-term, week 9	2%	
Reading and response, week 10	1%	
Mid-term Artist Statement Draft, week 10	1%	
"Practice" presentation, week 10	2%	
First three projects documentation, week 12	3%	
Final Project sketches, week 13	1%	
Final Project draft statement, week 14	1%	
Final Project Documentation, week 16	2%	
		
Development meetings		
Meeting 1	1%	
Meeting 2	1%	
		
Projects		
"Switching”  - week 4	10%	
"Analogies” - week 8	10%	
Midterm Project, week 11	15%	
Final Project, week 15	20%	
		
Participation		
Ongoing readiness through readings @home	3%	
In-class Participation 	15%	

Provided equipment:  
You will have access to all equipment and materials in the lab, having paid your lab fees, and may additionally participate in any and all workshop sessions. 

You are required to buy or work with your own Arduino (or other microcontroller) boards, and any art and electronics supplies NOT provided, including but not limited to larger motors, relays, and transistors, breadboards or PCBs, sculptural materials, integrated circuits, and / or machine and mechatronic needs.

Some tools, components, and supplies are provided for your use in this class, including resistors, LEDs potentiometers, soldering irons, solder, glue and glue-guns, etc. Quantities are limited, so some are merely for testing before purchasing your own. You may need to share components or make decisions about your projects based on what is available.  

Please note:  
Many electronic components are small and need to be tracked closely so that nothing is  lost.  Be gentle with the equipment; make sure that it is on a secure surface or embedded into  works in a secure way. Consider the environment; moisture and dirt are especially bad for most components. For performance or wearables, make sure that your wiring has room to accommodate your movements.  

Put everything away when you’re done with it. Don’t take out more than necessary. Let the instructor know if you are experiencing any technical problems with the equipment.  
Equipment that leaves the classroom must be signed out. This will be done on a limited basis, depending on the needs of the student and the class. Talk to the professor if you have a need to work with class equipment outside the classroom. 

 Policies on Participation & Absences  
Attendance: Due to the nature of studio classes and the emphasis on group discussions, critique, in-class demonstrations, and presentations, attendance is mandatory. You will be allowed two unexcused absences; each additional absence after that will lower your grade by a full letter. Unless negotiated with me in advance, doctor’s notes or letters regarding emergencies are required for excused absences. Excessive absences due to illness require you to contact the chair’s office regarding your situation. 

Tardiness: Students must have the necessary materials and be ready to work when class begins. 3 lates = 1 unexcused absence (see above). If you are late, you are responsible for alerting/reminding me after class, so that I can update my attendance sheet; otherwise you may be marked as absent and it will affect your grade further. 
 
Participation: Participation is more than listening, and active involvement is expected. This means that effort should be put forth to engage in the class discussions, offering your thoughts  and opinions when appropriate, and sharing the knowledge you have with others. The classroom is a place where everyone can teach as well as learn. 

Preparedness and Expectations: Important information for class will be disseminated via email and updates on D2L. It is highly recommended that you check email at least once per day, and use the new content alerts available for D2L, or check D2L on a regular basis. 

Deadlines and Critiques: When a project is assigned, the due date will be announced. The project will be due at the beginning of class on the due date, and we will start our critique when class starts. Projects not available for critique will be considered late and downgraded one full letter grade for each class day it is late. An “F” is given after two weeks. Unexcused absences on due dates still require you to turn in your assignment that day, via email, a classmate, or the D2L course site. 

Project Assignments: Each project will be presented in class and will receive a written evaluation and a letter grade. Projects are judged based on your description, with a concentration on interactive or generative technique, conceptual framework and aesthetic interest. You will receive comments during the critique as well as afterwards. You are encouraged to take notes during the critique so you maintain a written record of the comments. Late assignments get a full mark-down of a letter grade for every class they are late, and absences do not excuse lateness. Extensions can be granted, but only if negotiated with me in advance of the due date. 

Missing Projects: All projects must be turned in. Not fulfilling this requirement will result in failing the class. 

Cancelation of Class: Classes are sometimes canceled due to weather conditions or emergencies. This information will be on the university web site, and/or in your email inbox. I will be in touch over email regarding changes to the syllabus, including due dates for assignments, should this occur. 

What is copyright? 
Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U.S. Code) to the authors of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works. Section 106 of the 1976 Copyright Act generally gives the owner of copyright the exclusive right to do and to authorize others to use their materials. You must get permission to use copyrighted original works of authorship if you plan to make your project available to the public in any way. For more on gaining permission see: http://www4.uwm.edu/ltc/copyright/getting-permission.cfm 

Lab Fee Opt-out
Federal law requires that all students have the option to get up to a full refund on lab fees if they wish to procure their own materials and supplies. For this class, we buy bulk paper, ink, wire, resistors, motors, LEDs, solder, and much more. It is difficult to break these down into individual components. If you wish to opt out, therefore, it will be done for everything, and you will be opting out of access to all materials offered in our lab. You will be required to bring in your own supplies for each project and workshop, and you will not be granted extensions for any missing or late projects because of material needs. This is only recommended for students who have their own electronics lab, or have taken a class like this before, and even then, the inconvenience should be seriously considered. If a Student wishes to opt-out of the College acquiring their program materials, the Student may contact me on or before 9/15/2017; if no contact is made by that time, the Student will be deemed to have opted-in. Students opting out of this process will be reimbursed for the cost of program materials and will be personally responsible to acquire these materials. Note that materials may cost significantly more when not obtained through the College.

Ideas Challenge Courses build on a growing effort at UWM to make the entrepreneurial experience broadly available to UWM students.  Ideas Challenge Courses – offered in a variety of UWM schools and colleges – are anchored in the curriculum of the hosting school or college, but share common attributes that enhance entrepreneurial thinking.  

These courses are:

•	Experiential – in keeping with engaged learning models, IC course are project-based and experiential, offering students the opportunity to apply their learning to real-world projects.
•	Flipped – delivering content outside the classroom with technology and reserving precious class time for student interaction where they share their results (from the front of the class) with their colleagues and instructors.
•	Linked – connecting together IC courses and instructors helps enrich the student experience – bringing in elements of science, business, engineering and arts thinking and offering students the opportunity to connect with students in other disciplines.

This syllabus and schedule is under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. You are free to:
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