Art You Need Microscope to See

Seems a bit like there's a trend for small things in Durham right now.  First, The Smoffice competition where the winner will get the world's smallest office rent free for 6 months, and now art so small it can't be seen with the naked eye.

Cutting-edge artists from across the world will participate in the “Art of the Small”, a juried exhibition held in conjunction with the Nanotech Commercialization Conference, April 4-5, 2012 at the American Tobacco Campus, in Durham, NC.  The art exhibition is open to the public on Wednesday, April 4, 2012 from 5 to 7pm at Bay 7 of the American Tobacco Campus in Durham, NC.

Amyloid

Nanotechnology is rapidly transforming industries from medicine to manufacturing to energy.  Since the passage of the 21st Century Nanotechnology R&D Act by the U.S. Congress, billions of dollars have been invested in the science of nanotechnology.  That science is rapidly becoming the business of nanotechnology.  Thousands of new start-ups, bolstering nearly every industry across the globe, are creating jobs, and bringing life changing innovations to market.  The field has also inspired a new category of art, whereby the forms and images of the atomic world are being transformed into new forms of art by the scientific and artistic communities.

The show will be curated by artist and NanoBusiness Alliance founder, F. Mark Modzelewski, an installation artist, who has shown at galleries around the world and curated numerous shows in Boston, Washington DC, and New York.  A panel of expert judges drawn from the worlds of art, science, and science communication will select the winning entries.  The art will be judged on three key criteria:  depiction and representation of the theme, creativity of image representation and innovation in style or technique.

“It’s inspiring to see these inventive and expressive worlds collide to create new art forms,” said Griffith Kundahl, Executive Director of The Center of Innovation for Nanobiotechnology (COIN).  “We are delighted to support and showcase this artwork at this nanotech conference in Durham, a city well-known for both the arts and sciences.”

“My career has combined duel passions for art and technology,” noted curator F. Mark Modzelewski.  “I am excited by this opportunity to work with COIN to expose leaders in the nanotech and biotech communities to leading artists from around the world that are taking science and transforming it into art.”

Dozens of entries have flooded in from leading figures in the art and science fields, from countries ranging from the United States to Cyprus to South Korea.  Following the conference, images of the works from the exhibition will appear in an online gallery supported by COIN for a period of 36 months.

Don't Fear the Feed

As technology grows and expands, so does the collective vocabulary of the world. It can be difficult to keep up with changes and technology can become overwhelming if the correct tools are not utilized. "RSS Feeds" and Readers are tools that can make following blogs simpler.

The Durham News Service encourages fans to subscribe to the feeds for each section of information in order to stay up-to-date on all the happenings in Durham. Each section of information features a button on the right hand side which says, “Get RSS Feed.” By clicking this button fans can download the feed to the platform of their choice by following the given instructions.

What does “getting the RSS Feed” mean? Feeds simply allow websites to distribute their content to subscribers who are interested in regular information updates. Likewise, RSS Readers are aggregators that pull Atom and RSS Feeds from selected sources to one place for ease and organization. Visit this article for more in-depth information on Atom, RSS Feeds, Readers, and how to make a webpage a homepage.

So, don’t be left behind in the world of technology, take advantage of the tools that are offered to have Durham’s news delivered right to you.

Where Are Your Customers and Why Geolocation Applications Matter

Geolocation. Say the word and expect a puzzled look, stunned silence, and the question “Who would ever need to know about such a thing?”

Simply answered: everyone.

The speed at which internet-technology-created opportunity presents itself is stunning…and it isn’t letting up or slowing down. The latest trend is geolocation applications for mobile devices like the iPhone, Android, and Blackberry. Because the need to understand and engage this platform is so critical, Durham News Service will feature several articles helping Durham businesses understand these tools in addition to learning how to “claim” one’s online real estate.

These applications are simultaneously social media and wildly powerful business tools. They allow a business to deliver and target messages to people who want to receive them AND to those close by in real-time. Think of it like this – as a geolocation application user gets physically closer to a business, a notification (and possibly an ad) for that business pops up on the user’s phone or mobile device. This is coming – soon.

These applications also permit users to see where their friends are in real-time so long as they “check in” using the application. Doing so earns users points and wins them badges. Scvngr, a relatively new mobile app, has created games where players earn points by checking in and completing tasks. Savvy businesses that befriend their patrons on these services can see who is close by – which opens the door to a host of marketing possibilities.

These services are all part of the so called “online real estate” spectrum. Business owners need to stake their claim on these by ensuring posted information is correct, by loading tips and images, and by utilizing other features that permit further personalization.

DCVB will host a series of seminars this fall on how to engage services like these. Additional information will be forthcoming soon.