iDMAa

International Digital Media and Arts Association

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VOL. 1 NO. 2 FALL 2004

Published: October 15, 2004
V1N2 Cover

Editor’s Note

This is the second issue of the International Digital Media and Arts Association Journal. It signals the beginning of efforts to sustain the vision that established a place where academics from emerging areas of study can exchange their expertise and participate in critical collegial discussions.

Digital media and art programs are complex initiatives that represent a merging of various academic disciplines. The goal of the iDMAa editorial and advisory boards is to make the Journal a useful tool for iDMAa members. It should facilitate networking among peers and initiates, encouraging the sharing of experiences and changing perceptions as they work to create and maintain viable digital media and art programs. These programs are rich and full of potential, and rather than attempt to oversimplify, the Journal intends to reinforce the diversity and complexity of the fi eld.

The online publishing of the Journal affords some important opportunities. Besides the obvious cost savings, an online journal can provide illustrations, references, links, sound and motion graphics that fulfi ll the promise of web-delivered content. In addition, the online Journal is available at the website (www.idmaa.org/journal) for download as a PDF fi le. It has been formatted as a layout for offset or copy machine printing and can be output as a bound copy similar to printed issues. It makes for easy reading and documents participantsʼ professional activity in a way that a solely online version cannot.

In this issue the Journal is publishing papers in three categories. The fi rst category presents two papers selected from the refereed submissions accepted for the 2003 conference. The second and third categories are program reviews of a wide range of digital media and art initiatives and reports from several workshop sessions held during the iDMAa 2004 conference. These two categories will be regular features and are meant to promote the development of digital media and art through sharing experiences and dialog.

Creating and maintaining a digital media program always begins and lives at the edge. Although the vision of the potential for digital media is easy to see, the vision of how to make it fi t and grow among the silos of the academic landscape requires more savvy. Itʼs usually an uphill climb and there is a certain militancy, in the form of dedication and perseverance, thatʼs required to put the ideas into motion. But how do you plan for what may be on the other side of the hill? Reviewing the examples offered by colleagues who have established successful digital media and arts programs is one of the best means for planning new program initiatives currently in the works.

Jeff Rutenbeck reviews the history of Digital Media Studies at the University of Denver and gives us insight into how faculty from different departments asked the hard questions that would eventually lead to an undergraduate and graduate program with more than 120 students. And while many obstacles have been overcome, there are even more challenges on the horizon.

James Oliverio and Patrick Pagano of the Digital Worlds Institute at the University of Florida provide us with an in-depth sequence of events that led to the establishment of their program. They also describe how the facility supports multiple disciplines from within the university and from around the world to become collaborators and innovators in digital media and art.

Mat Rappaport and Jonathan Adams have given us their refl ections and insight into the process of maintaining and growing digital programs that are part of established departments. One in a School of Communications (FSU) and the other in an Art Department (UWM).

Two other programs, one described by David Ferguson, The Center for Media Design at Ball State University and the other by Michael Schmidt, The Center for Multimedia Arts at the University of Memphis, offer an overview of how collaboration is a critical component of digital media. Partnering with corporate, professional and community participants is the basic rational for exploring and defi ning new and engaging paradigms.

In keeping with the perception that talking and sharing our ideas is the most important thing about a conference, iDMAa 2004 created a set of intensive workshops that offered an alternative to the usual sit-in-the-dark-and-listen sessions. To reinforce the conference design this is sue of the Journal includes reports that summarize the session work. The documentation will give non-attendees an idea of the results of the workshop and, in some cases, will provide an incentive to develop research topics that could become special issues of the Journal in the future.

Session leaders have reported on the discussion and resolutions from workshops on fi nding money, professional development and digital media education. Scott Olson and Mat Rappaport led the session “Finding Money for Digital Media Projects.” Roughly 80 people attended, and together they developed a list of attributes that make digital media attractive to potential funders.

Professional development is a critical issue for many new faculty and will likely be a regular conference workshop topic. Some of the reasons were reviewed and listed in a report from Gail Rubini and Conrad Gleber. The session participants contributed their ideas to create a list of responsibilities that faculty should be obligated to fulfi ll whenever their digital media projects are under scrutiny. In addition the group put together an action list for iDMAa that would help achieve standards for professional development.

A survey answered by 35 attendees from 25 institutions before the conference helped to prepare Chris Blair and Jeff Rutenbeck for a workshop that explored in-depth the way media and art programs were evolving. Questions and discussions about curriculum development, professional development and pedagogy overlapped to provided a revealing look at the myriad ways digital media and art is taught.

A special thanks is due to all the authors for their efforts at making this the fi rst online issue. We are excited about our organization and this journal and invite you to share in its evolution. Your comments ideas and participation will always be welcome.

Conrad Gleber
Editor

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About the Journal

The Journal of The International Digital Media and Arts Association responds to the rapidly developing field of digital media and arts in a variety of settings—academic, educational, artistic, political, and social. Membership in iDMAa includes a subscription to the journal. Get more information on becoming a member.

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