InterAccess Electronic Media Arts Centre is pleased to announce the launch of beta – a series of member exhibitions – and invites members to submit proposals of new work, or work that is still in progress, for short exhibition slots between September and December 2009.

beta provides InterAccess members an opportunity to exhibit and test work that is new – or even still in development. For anyone who wonders what’s going on in the studio, these exhibitions strengthen the connection between the production and exhibition of new media work at InterAccess by showcasing members’ studio projects in the gallery.

The beta programme launched in 2007 with beta in Beta, an exhibition of work by Malka Greene, Dave Kemp, Mark Andre Pennock, and Niknaz Tavakolian. Based on the success of that pilot project, InterAccess is making beta a regular part of its exhibition schedule.

Not a current member? Now is the perfect time to join a thriving community of artists who are committed to expanding the cultural space of technology. To become a member of InterAccess, contact Alex Snukal (alex.snukal@interaccess.org) or call 416.599.7206 to check the status of your membership.

Artists exhibiting in beta will be entirely responsible for their own installation and arranging for technical assistance. There are a variety of technical assistance programs offered at InterAccess, and one of these may be what you need.

Submission Guidelines:
- all submissions must be from members
- an artist statement (1 page maximum)
- a project summary
- CV
- visual or audio support material with detailed descriptions of content. You can submit up to 10 digital jpegs, 1 URL address (please indicate your preferred browser and platform), and a maximum of 1 VHS tapes, CDs or DVDs (NTSC). Please Note: We do not accept slides.
- a detailed list of all support materials
- a self-addressed, sufficiently stamped envelope if you want your submission package returned.
Deadline: Friday, August 28th, 2009 – 5:00PM.
InterAccess will also accept packages postmarked on that date. Please prepare and cue your materials.

Send submissions to:
beta Programme
Programme Advisory Council
InterAccess Electronic Media Arts Centre
9 Ossington Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M6J 2Y8
Canada

Please direct any additional questions to Alex Snukal by email at alex.snukal@interaccess.org or call 416.599.7206.

We can’t wait to see what’s been going on in the basement!

Here’s a video of Andrew Jones‘ You Spin Me Around installation in the Dufflet’s window gallery on Queen St. The prototype for this system was put together in the InterAccess studio.

For those of you interested in computer aided manufacturing, our CNC workstation now has a license for Cut2D by Vectric. It is really well designed and easy to use software for converting vector art into tool paths. A really nice feature is that it will give you a real-time 3D preview of your cutting path so you will have a pretty good idea of how it’s going to look before you even turn the machine on.

Visit Cut2D’s resource site for tutorials on gettings started, profile and pocket machining etc, so now you have no excuse for not getting a studio membership and building that 18th century automaton you always wanted.

We also have installed the latest version of Mach3, which allows for user profiles- meaning that you can tweak your settings ’til the cows come home without causing everyone else’s workflow to go wonky.

Simply put, IA’s new workstation puts the Batcomputer to shame. This workstation is geared towards audio processing and is running both Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) and Windows 7 pre-release with an array of audio visual and development software apps installed such as PD, Audacity, VVVV, Processing, Arduino etc.

Hardware Specs:

Intel Quad Core 2.66GHZ Processor
8GB RAM
1.5 Terabyte Hard Disk Storage
Dual 22″ LCD Displays
Delta 1010LT 24bit Sound Card
M-Audio Studio Monitors
NVIDIA GeForce 9800GTX+ 512MB Graphics Card
Sound dampening Lian-Li case
* More peripheral/interface goodies in the studio cabinet labeled Audio Visual

By popular demand, the InterAccess studio now has an online suggestion box. If you have an idea to improve this space, or even just a question and don’t know where to direct it… you’re in luck!

Go to http://interaccess.org/suggestion/ or click on the box to visit the suggestion page.

A local instance of the RepRap project (a Replicating Rapid prototyper), born in the basement studio of InterAccess, bears fruit!

This is the first set of RepRap produced parts for a RepRap available to the public.  Since it was built in Toronto, and in the interest of simplifying the supply of local spare parts, I’d like to find someone in Toronto who is interested in using these parts to build another RepRap.  So far, I’ve received many offers from all over the world, but none in Toronto yet.  Any takers?

More info on the Builders Blog.