The fall season of West Virginia State University’s (WVSU) Creators Program includes events featuring a variety of well-known West Virginia musicians, including “Mountain Stage” host Larry Groce and guitarist Michael Lipton, and offers a session for artists interested in 3D animation.
The series will begin with “3D Animation 101” on Saturday, Sept. 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the WVSU Economic Development Center (EDC) in Charleston. A Creators Program staple, the hands-on workshop will introduce beginning animators to a powerful, open-source 3D software called Blender.
“The 3D animation session has become a fan favorite, so we’re glad to have it back on the fall schedule” said Daniel Boyd, Creators Program coordinator and artist in residence at the EDC. “And we’re introducing some exciting new sessions that features West Virginia’s thriving and growing music scene.”
On Wednesday, Oct. 4, Boyd and Groce will be joined by Mark Scarpelli and Dan Kehde for a panel discussion called “Creating Musical Theater.” The event promises an informative and enlightening conversation on the creation of original musical theater in West Virginia.
Lastly, on Tuesday, Nov. 7, Lipton, director of the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame, will host a Creators Talk entitled “Making a Living in Music in West Virginia – A Unique Odyssey,” described as a “whacky trip down memory lane.”
The Creators Program launched in 2012 as a series of community workshops focusing on skills and knowledge essential to creating for mass media and art. The EDC partners with WVSU Cultural Activities and the West Virginia Film Office on the series. Workshops are designed for people of all skill levels, including students and others interested in expanding their creative endeavors.
The 3D animation session costs $20 and is free to WVSU students with a valid ID. All other sessions in the fall line-up are free. Space is limited for all events, and registration is required. To register, visit wvsuedc.org or call 304-720-1401.
The WVSU EDC is located at 1506 Kanawha Blvd. W. in Charleston. Follow West Virginia State University on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @WVStateU.
West Virginia State University is a public, land grant, historically black university, which has evolved into a fully accessible, racially integrated, and multi-generational institution, located in Institute, W.Va. As a “living laboratory of human relations,” the university is a community of students, staff, and faculty committed to academic growth, service and preservation of the racial and cultural diversity of the institution. Its mission is to meet the higher education and economic development needs of the state and region through innovative teaching and applied research.