North Bank Artists Gallery teamed up with Washington State University for this month’s digital arts show.

Tired of the same old static art? North Bank Artists Gallery, at 1005 Main St., opened the new mediartZ showcase on October 2nd that offers both innovation and interaction.

mediartZ runs till Oct. 30th and features interactive art, video, animation, sound installations and social media performances by internationally renowned academic artists. Many of the works will be shown on vintage Macintosh computers from the local collection of Jeff Grisso.

Pieces will be presented by North American artists Mark Amerika, Alan Bigelow, Jim Bizzochi, Brian Evans, Hooliganship, Doug Jarvis, Doug Gast from WSU-Tri-Cities, Will Luers, Reza Safavi from WSU-Pullman and WSU-Vancouver’s Jeannette Altman.

The ground-breaking exhibit is sponsored by the Washington State University-Vancouver Digital Technology and Culture (DTC) Program, and is curated by Dr. Dene Grigar of WSU-Vancouver. DTC student work will also be presented at the gallery via the online Yellow Cat Gallery and Media Lounge.

“This is the second year in a row that [WSU-Vancouver’s] DTC [program] has launched, hosted and highlighted electronic art,” said Dr. Grigar, in reference to last year’s Electronic Literature Organization Conference ‘Visionary Landscapes’ showcase.
“This is 100 percent electronic and nobody else is doing this,” said Grigar. The cutting-edge art, shown on TV’s, Mac computers and via video projection, is experiential, participatory and electronic. Grigar indicated that the DTC’s ‘art’ serves a practical business-related purpose because the program is educating students to work in the I-5 tech corridor. “If we’re going to play in any space,” she said, “it’s going to be in electronic space.”

The showcase coincides with the launch of the online Hyperrez Journal which will be available for access at the gallery. The October 2nd Kick-off party featured live improv performances by the Willamette Radio Project and hip-hop mixes by DJ Matt Wright, a DTC student.

WSU-Vancouver’s Dr. Harrison Higgs will have a show of his own at the gallery opening November 1st featuring his photography and digital imaging.

North Bank hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call 360-693-1840 for more information or visit the website at http://web.me.com/dgrigar/mediaartZ/Welcome.html.

Greg Zschomler is a freelance writer for The Voice.