Constellation
October 25 - November 15, 2025
Constellation is a four-part, transdisciplinary workshop led by Oregon State University art instructor Johnny Beaver and Corvallis artist Zoe Farrell. Designed for a small cohort interested in the intersection of technology, sound, and visual art, participants will collectively explore the electromagnetic fields that permeate OSU’s campus. Working together, we will detect and sonify ambient electricity before transforming this material into a collaborative visual artwork that can be indefinitely reconfigured.
Conducted entirely in the field, this workshop is highly experimental and sensory. Although it will touch on many aspects of the creative process, transduction—the conversion of one form of energy into another—serves as the guiding principle that will enable participants to see new possibilities in their future creative projects (whatever they may be).
Throughout this workshop we will:
- Explore site specificity and plein air art-making.
- Deepen our understanding of texture as both a sonic and visual phenomenon.
- Play with an EMF sniffer (a device that makes electromagnetic fields audible), isolating interesting signals and recording them as a basis for drawings.
- Work collaboratively to create a single, modular artwork comprised of cubes (3D drawing!) that can be rotated and repositioned to create new narratives.
- Muck about with the nature of abstraction through acts of collection, transformation, and recomposition.
This workshop is FREE, all materials are provided. We will keep things simple, working only with graphite.
Dates and Times: We will meet at a central location on the OSU campus over the four Saturdays that span October 25 - November 15, 12p-3p.
Limited Seats Available (accepting just 6-8 positions)
Requirements: Students must be enrolled at OSU for Fall Term 2025 -- that's it! Open to all students, regardless of major.
While this is an advanced studio practice workshop and a creative vocabulary may be an advantage, no experience with the subject matter, materials, or hardware is required.
To Apply: Send an email to johnny.beaver at oregonstate.edu (with your OSU email address, to avoid the junk filter) with a 500-800 word statement summarizing your creative work (what you do and why) and why you’d like to attend this workshop (most specifically, how you think it might benefit you?). Totally informal is just fine! You can absolutely include images and links, but that's optional.
Applications are open through October 9th, 2025. Selections will be made by 5pm on the 12th. If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to send an email!
Constellation is a four-part, transdisciplinary workshop led by Oregon State University art instructor Johnny Beaver and Corvallis artist Zoe Farrell. Designed for a small cohort interested in the intersection of technology, sound, and visual art, participants will collectively explore the electromagnetic fields that permeate OSU’s campus. Working together, we will detect and sonify ambient electricity before transforming this material into a collaborative visual artwork that can be indefinitely reconfigured.
Conducted entirely in the field, this workshop is highly experimental and sensory. Although it will touch on many aspects of the creative process, transduction—the conversion of one form of energy into another—serves as the guiding principle that will enable participants to see new possibilities in their future creative projects (whatever they may be).
Throughout this workshop we will:
- Explore site specificity and plein air art-making.
- Deepen our understanding of texture as both a sonic and visual phenomenon.
- Play with an EMF sniffer (a device that makes electromagnetic fields audible), isolating interesting signals and recording them as a basis for drawings.
- Work collaboratively to create a single, modular artwork comprised of cubes (3D drawing!) that can be rotated and repositioned to create new narratives.
- Muck about with the nature of abstraction through acts of collection, transformation, and recomposition.
This workshop is FREE, all materials are provided. We will keep things simple, working only with graphite.
Dates and Times: We will meet at a central location on the OSU campus over the four Saturdays that span October 25 - November 15, 12p-3p.
Limited Seats Available (accepting just 6-8 positions)
Requirements: Students must be enrolled at OSU for Fall Term 2025 -- that's it! Open to all students, regardless of major.
While this is an advanced studio practice workshop and a creative vocabulary may be an advantage, no experience with the subject matter, materials, or hardware is required.
To Apply: Send an email to johnny.beaver at oregonstate.edu (with your OSU email address, to avoid the junk filter) with a 500-800 word statement summarizing your creative work (what you do and why) and why you’d like to attend this workshop (most specifically, how you think it might benefit you?). Totally informal is just fine! You can absolutely include images and links, but that's optional.
Applications are open through October 9th, 2025. Selections will be made by 5pm on the 12th. If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to send an email!