Michael Burton is looking for innovation, imagination, creativity in motion.
Burton, an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, has been hired to bring digital art to the city’s Cube, that very big screen in the West Haymarket.
Burton is designing a biannual competition, with amateur and professional categories, with the first show and kickoff event planned for July 21.
He’s looking for a mix of digital art, work that is fun, cool, unconventional. Some with serious content; some involving humor.Ìý
"But it is hard to say what you will get in a competition," he said.
He expects work from professionals and amateurs. And people interested in creating art for the Cube can participate in a three-day workshop in June.Ìý
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Burton’s work as curator of digital art for the Cube is funded by Railyard developers WRK and Chief Industries. It is overseen by Lincoln Partners for Public Art Development, the public-private group established by Mayor Chris Beutler to bring public art to Lincoln.
The art on the Cube now is primarily screensaver-type images, which are interesting but have not been updated, said Lori Thomas, director of LPPAD.
Burton hopes to replace the current still images with innovative pieces. And Thomas expects to see a variety of digital art.
“It’s videos; it’s animation, it’s video mapping. We are open to a wide genre of different types of art that can be shown on the screen."
"It could be a narrative, a story. It could be an old-fashioned cartoon, stop-motion animation, where you turn a page to make it move,†she said.
LPPAD members will help judge the competition.Ìý
"In addition to bringing the art, we want to highlight the Cube as a unique art venue around the world," she said.
The Cube’s licensing agreement with the city requires display of digital art. So this effort is partly to fulfill that agreement, said Hallie Salem, manager of downtown redevelopment for the city's Urban Development Department.
Though the digital art is paid for by private business, the city still wants to maintain control over it, Salem said.
There is prize money for the competition. "Right now it is fairly small prize money, $100 to $500," said Burton, whose company ColorKey Media has a contract with the city for the curator work. And Burton, himself a digital artist, has invited some artists he knows, both local and international, to participate.
Already he’s gotten entries from Brazil, Argentina, Iran, Rome, Germany.
He's also invited artist Jamie Burmeister of Omaha, known for his interactive art.
Burmeister once parked a van in front of the Lux Center for the Arts and projected a little boy who looked like he was throwing rocks across the street with the sound of a rock hitting a trash can. "It was quirky and fun. He looks at ordinary things in an odd way."
Robert Derr, director of the UNL School of Art, Art History and Design, is doing some very interesting interactive pieces. One will incorporate looking at the Cube from different camera angles, Burton said.
All the videos will be short, between 30 to 90 seconds. “They have to be short and quick and to the point,†he said.
Burton has participated in a similar film festival in Alys Beach, Florida, where artists projected their videos on the side of buildings painted white.
Burton is also looking for amateurs, including students and people from the community.
"This is art for everybody. You don’t need a degree in new media to understand it," he said.Ìý
Information about the competition: .