About New Media
The New Media department at The University of North Carolina Asheville guides students to create, innovate + transform with art + technology.
We focus on creativity + innovation in new media within a liberal arts context.
Through a balance of theory, criticism + practice, students develop an understanding of art + design principles in the dynamic field of New Media. We encourage our students to take risks, think critically + collaborate across disciplines. Foundational course work in the first and second years prepares students to select a focus area in video, interactive, or animation.
We prepare our students to be new media artists and designers while encouraging their creativity + self-discipline. Upon graduation with a Bachelor of Arts degree, students will have the theoretical background, technical experience, and problem-solving skills to succeed in future endeavors in a new media career or in graduate school.
Sample Artworks + Designs
Here you can view sample works by New Media students, faculty + alumni.
Mission Statement
Computer-based technology informed by code and inspired by traditional art & design practices.
The New Media curriculum includes opportunities to practice digital media, animation, digital fabrication, interactive art and design, web development, video art, virtual reality, and creative applications of internet art, sound art, performance and installation.
Utilizing cutting edge software, our tools include audio, video, motion, text, the internet, code and more. UNC Asheville New Media alumni work as practicing artists and secure employment in computer art, design, animation, education, software development, and related fields.
Concentrations
The New Media (NM) major at UNC Asheville offers a Bachelor of Arts degree. New Media has 3 areas in which students can concentrate their studies within the major.
2D/3D & Stop Motion
Software used: maya + mudbox + fusion + zbrush + renderman + unreal engine + blender
Our animation track is designed to give you a solid foundation in animation history and its “12 Principles,” story development, character design, rigging, digital modeling, and lighting. The needs of the animation industry are ever-changing. We research emerging technologies and incorporate these trends into our curriculum.
Students in the animation track are encouraged to make use of the Undergraduate Research program to further hone their skills, developing projects that will better prepare them for employment in the animation industry or continue their education in graduate school.
Video Art, Installation + Sound
Software used: final cut pro + after effects + premiere pro + max msp jitter
The video art + design track fosters individual creative expression. You will learn current video and sound art practices and build a solid foundation in the culture, techniques, and process of digital filmmaking. Our classes address fundamental technical issues and introduce you to the work of contemporary video artists and their relationship to traditional media.
We encourage experimentation and support a range of film and media production genres: narrative, experimental live-action, experimental animation, documentary, live projection performance, installation, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Web, Interactive + Performance
Software used: photoshop + illustrator + html + css + javascript + brackets + arduino + processing + unreal engine
On the networked + interactive media track, your ideas come to life as they are demonstrated through web design, interactivity and performance. You will learn how to create and publish responsive content across devices, combine HTML and CSS with Javascript, and activate physical computing to create real-world responsive experiences.
If you are passionate about web design or fusing technology with the physical world through performance and installation, this track will excite your creativity.