Design and build functional solar panel mosaics to be used to power a kinetic sculpture.

Participants will be introduced to solar power, covering basic electronic knowledge, hardware requirements, off­-grid solar circuit design and techniques for incorporating solar power into kinetic and electronic art. We will be constructing the solar panels from scratch, using solar cells in irregular shapes, which will allow us to create designs and text. The solar panels we build will be used to power small kinetic sculptures using DC motors.

The goal of the class is to familiarize students with solar technology and to consider ways of incorporating alternative energy into our daily lives through both practical and experimental uses.

 July 22 & 23, noon – 4:00pm both days


Alex Nathanson

Alex Nathanson is an artist, curator, organizer, and educator whose work spans video, sound, performance, and interaction design. He collaborates regularly with composer Dylan Neely, performing under the name Fan Letters. His work has been featured at the Museum of the Moving Image, La MaMa, Film Society of Lincoln Center, Anthology Film Archives, PS122 Gallery, Dome of Visions (Denmark), and the Art Prospect Festival (Russia). He was one of the long-term artists in residence at Flux Factory, in Queens, NY from 2012 to 2016. Most recently, he was awarded a residency at The Watermill Center to develop an full length opera, titled Autocomplete, in collaboration with Fan Letters. As an educator, he works with students as young as 7 to post-graduates, teaching skills related to sound, light, mechanics, and electronics through creative projects. He has worked extensively as an electronic and media art specialist for many of NY’s art institutions and artists. He has been hyperbolically described as a “video effects guru” and poorly described as “difficult to describe.”www.alexnathanson.com

Design and build functional solar panel mosaics to be used to power a kinetic sculpture.
Participants will be introduced to solar power, covering basic electronic knowledge, hardware requirements, off­-grid solar circuit design and techniques for incorporating solar power into kinetic and electronic art. We will be constructing the solar panels from scratch, using solar cells in irregular shapes, which will allow us to create designs and text. The solar panels we build will be used to power small kinetic sculptures using DC motors.
The goal of the class is to familiarize students with solar technology and to consider ways of incorporating alternative energy into our daily lives through both practical and experimental uses.
Dates: July 22 &amp; 23, noon &#8211; 4:00pm both days 
Location: Classroom 
Price: $200 [$150 + $50 materials fee]

Alex Nathanson is an artist, curator, organizer, and educator whose work spans video, sound, performance, and interaction design. He collaborates regularly with composer Dylan Neely, performing under the name Fan Letters. His work has been featured at the Museum of the Moving Image, La MaMa, Film Society of Lincoln Center, Anthology Film Archives, PS122 Gallery, Dome of Visions (Denmark), and the Art Prospect Festival (Russia). He was one of the long-term artists in residence at Flux Factory, in Queens, NY from 2012 to 2016. Most recently, he was awarded a residency at The Watermill Center to develop an full length opera, titled Autocomplete, in collaboration with Fan Letters. As an educator, he works with students as young as 7 to post-graduates, teaching skills related to sound, light, mechanics, and electronics through creative projects. He has worked extensively as an electronic and media art specialist for many of NY’s art institutions and artists. He has been hyperbolically described as a “video effects guru” and poorly described as “difficult to describe.”www.alexnathanson.com

Solar Powered Art