Is It Art or Is It Science?
Is it Art or Is It Science? Modular Origami with Dr. Robert Lang
One of the world’s leading masters to bring his skills to Roanoke
Roanoke, Va. (June 18, 2012) – The Science Museum of Western Virginia is excited to announce a special hands-on workshop led by origami artist and mathematician Robert J. Lang. The workshop will be held on Saturday, June 30 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Taubman Museum of Art. No previous origami experience is necessary and the workshop is open to those 12 and above.
Dr. Lang’s appearance in Roanoke is part of the collaboration between Virginia Tech and the Science Museum of Western Virginia. He has been an avid student of origami for over forty years and is now recognized as one of the world’s leading masters of the art, with over 500 designs catalogued and diagrammed.
Dr. Lang is one of the pioneers of the cross-disciplinary marriage of origami with mathematics; he has consulted on applications of origami to engineering problems ranging from air-bag design to expandable space telescopes.
Dr. Lang was born in Ohio and raised in Atlanta. Before becoming a full-time origami artist he worked as a physicist, engineer, and R&D manager. He has authored or co-authored over 80 technical publications and has 50 patents awarded and pending on semiconductor lasers, optics, and integrated optoelectronics.
He lectures widely on origami and its connections to mathematics, science, and technology, and teaches workshops on both artistic techniques and applications of folding in industrial design. Admission for this event is free. Seating is limited; to RSVP, call the Taubman Museum at 540-342-5760. Additional slots may be available on Saturday morning at the start of the event.
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About the Science Museum of Western Virginia
The Science Museum of Western Virginia is the oldest science museum in Virginia. It was founded in 1970 by a group of teachers and community volunteers. The Museum moved into Center in the Square in 1983, where it occupied the 4th and 5th floors. While Center in the Square completes its renovation project, the Science Museum can be found at Tanglewood Mall. The Science Museum of Western Virginia is among the fewer than 5% of museums in the U.S. nationally accredited by the American Association of Museums. For more information, please call 540.342.5710. Visit the Museum’s website at www.smwv.org, our page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ScienceMuseumofWesternVirginia), or follow us on Twitter (@scimuseum).
About Virginia Tech
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the Commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 215 degree programs including 65 undergraduate bachelor programs and 150 doctoral and masters programs to more than 30,000 students studying in eight colleges and the graduate school. The university manages a research portfolio of more than $450 million which ranks it 47th among US research universities. A successful and growing corporate research center with over 50 companies and 2000+ employees stands next to the university. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.
About the Taubman Museum of Art
The Taubman Museum of Art showcases American art, modern and contemporary art, design and decorative arts, folk and visionary art, and works on paper, and features a changing array of both national and international exhibitions. Tours, gallery talks, musical performances, films, family days, classes, camps, and special events are part of the museum’s diverse offerings.
The Taubman Museum of Art is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; First Fridays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (5 p.m. to 8 p.m. FREE); Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and First Sundays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors, $3.75 for children ages 5-13, and free for children 4 and under. For more information, visit www.taubmanmuseum.org or call 540.342.5760.
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