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State of the Arts

New immersive tech fuels next act for UNCG visual arts

UNC Greensboro has long been a destination for arts students. Now it’s also a portal into virtual arts careers in the gaming, media, and technology industries.

Innovate UNCG – the university incubator for entrepreneurship – is helping lay the groundwork for tech-forward growth in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, or CVPA.

“To have a viable career as an artist in the 21st century, you need a broad and dynamic skillset,” says one of Innovate UNCG’s leaders Dr. John Borchert. “UNCG is a place to learn and create things in an advanced technological space.”

Getting Animated

Inside the Gatewood Studio Arts Building, a state-of-the-art studio provides animators with equipment for 2D, 3D, and interactive projects. The new lab, part of the BFA Studio Arts Animation Concentration, gives students an industry-standard workspace.

The animation concentration, just two years old, has 35 students and adds about 10 students each semester. As the program grew, faculty pushed for a dedicated lab.

“Everything we have now is what you would experience at an animation or game studio,” says School of Art Associate Director Heather Holian. The Disney and Pixar scholar, along with professors Dan Hale and Rodgers Dameron, is expanding the program and facilities to meet growing demand.

That includes bringing in advanced game and animation software like Unreal Engine and the high-performance PCs it requires. “These computers are absolute workhorses,” says animation undergraduate Finley Lewis.

“Animation is everywhere – in film, gaming, medical fields, and beyond,” Hale says. “There is profound interest, and our classes are full – with waitlists.”

This spring, Innovate UNCG also installed an LED Volume wall in the Department of Media Studies to train students in the latest video techniques. The top-of-the-line virtual production technology located in Carmichael Building is 3D, animated, and interactive — the game engine powering it moves the background with actors’ movements. The technology is used in everything from local news to Disney productions such as The Mandalorian.

Story highlights

With immersive new tools like Unreal Engine and a state-of-the-art animation studio, UNCG visual arts faculty and students are pushing creative boundaries – and creating a launchpad for exciting, next-gen careers.

A professional video production studio with a large camera mounted on a rig in the foreground, aimed at a wide screen displaying an image of a cityscape and orange panels. The setup includes multiple studio lights hanging from the ceiling, a monitor on a stand, and several orange sandbags on the floor for equipment stabilization. The environment is dimly lit with overhead lights and cables visible, creating a controlled filming space.
Three individuals sit at a workstation in a computer lab, looking at a large monitor displaying a digital illustration of a stylized character with flowing hair and intricate line art. The desk has multiple monitors, keyboards, and a small pink case. In the background, additional computer stations and equipment are visible, suggesting a collaborative digital art or animation environment.
A close-up of a hand using a digital pen on a touchscreen monitor to create or edit artwork. The screen displays a grayscale image being drawn or refined, and the workspace includes another monitor and a keyboard in the background, suggesting a digital art or animation setup.
A film production studio setup with multiple people standing around a central table, preparing for a shoot. The scene includes professional video cameras on tripods, large studio lights, and overhead rigging with cables and equipment. In the background, there is a large screen displaying an image with orange panels and a green backdrop on one side, suggesting a mixed-use space for filming and virtual production. The floor has sandbags for stabilizing equipment, and the overall environment is well-lit with a controlled studio atmosphere
A person wearing headphones uses a stylus on a large drawing tablet to create digital artwork of a seated character in a design program. A smartphone rests on the desk, and multiple computer monitors are visible in the background, indicating a digital art or animation workspace.
A film production setup with two large LED panel lights on stands and a person operating a professional camera rig mounted on a stabilizer. Another person stands nearby, appearing to discuss the shot. In the background, there are additional crew members, cables, and a monitor displaying a scene with two people outdoors. The environment is a dimly lit studio with equipment arranged for filming.

Students using the LED volume wall and new animation lab at UNCG

“Animators and digital designers develop virtual environments to display on the curved screen of linked LED panels — which can be 50 by 20 feet in the movie industry,” explains Borchert. “With tracking technology, when actors in front of the wall move, the scene moves, casting real lighting on the actors and making it seem like they are moving in the virtual space.”

Holian envisions UNCG as a destination school for animation. “We provide a top-notch education. Our students deserve and are getting access to this industry.”

INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIPS

This winter CVPA launched an Innovate UNCG Impact through Innovation – ITI – Hub to foster innovation and entrepreneurship within artistic disciplines. 

Four faculty fellows from each of the college’s departments – art, music, dance, and theatre – are building a business and entrepreneurship skills course, for launch this fall.

“If we are training students in the arts, we need to give them business skills as well. Otherwise, we’re sending them out unprepared,” says Hannah Grannemann, Director of Arts Administration and CVPA ITI Faculty Fellow. “Artists can’t get their work seen and sold in the world without entrepreneurial skills and confidence.”

The CVPA hub joins recently established ITI hubs in the School of Education and the School of Health and Human Sciences. The goal: an interdisciplinary network of innovators across campus.

“Every discipline has its own set of priorities and curriculum,” says Borchert. “The newest hub is designed to create platforms unique to the ambitions of CVPA students.”

The hubs also bring innovators across campus together to explore strategies for scaling ideas. The aim is for all disciplines to consider entrepreneurship and social innovation as they work to address challenges in their fields.

UNCG has also become one of just 36 U.S. universities with an Unreal Academic Partnership with Epic Games.

The Cary-based company developed the Unreal Engine 3D computer graphics tool and Fortnite, one of the world’s most popular video games. Faculty in UNCG’s Unreal Fellows program will integrate the tech into teaching and research, leveling up interactive and simulation media at UNCG.

“Uses for engines like Unreal began in the gaming industry but extend far beyond that now,” Borchert says. “Now we’re looking at biotechnology, aviation, and more.”

A ribbon-cutting ceremony inside an art gallery or exhibition space. Two individuals hold large scissors and cut a bright blue ribbon stretched across the doorway. Several people stand behind them, and colorful artwork is displayed on the walls in the background. An exit sign is visible above the door.
A crowded classroom or computer lab with multiple people standing and sitting around workstations. Several desktop monitors are visible, including one displaying a blue login screen. The setting appears to be an academic or training environment, with a mix of individuals gathered for a presentation or group activity.
A classroom presentation where a person stands near a whiteboard and gestures toward a large projection screen displaying a digital illustration of a character labeled “JUNO ROSE” with descriptive text. In the foreground, computer monitors show design software, and another individual wearing headphones works at a desk. The setting is a modern computer lab with a collaborative learning environment.
A classroom setting where several people are working collaboratively. Two individuals are writing on a large whiteboard filled with notes and lists, while others sit at desks with computers and notebooks. One person is standing and holding a tablet, and another is seated wearing headphones at a computer station. The room has gray walls, a tiled ceiling, and fluorescent lighting, creating an academic or workshop environment.
A classroom setting with a large whiteboard covered in handwritten notes and lists. A person stands in front of the board wearing a graphic T-shirt and blue shorts, while another person sits at a desk in the foreground and a third person is seated behind a computer station on the right. The room includes a gray wall, a desk with a computer monitor, and a small cabinet with items on top, creating an academic or workshop environment.

Photos from the ribbon cutting ceremony for UNCG’s new animation lab and from a class taught there by Dan Hale