The Imaging Center

The Imaging Center supports the study and production of the visual arts at Smith. We work with faculty and students to make art, to study art and to document art. We teach workshops and provide individual support to help students realize ambitious projects.

We offer image collections, software training, 2D and 3D printing and scanning, virtual and augmented reality development, equipment checkout, studio and exhibition support, and specialized technical support in our computer labs. We work with faculty to use technology creatively in the classroom.

Imaging Center Projects

A student in Professor Yanlong Guo’s course introducing her virtual gallery

Virtual Exhibition Presentation. A student in Professor Yanlong Guo’s course Playing with Ink and Brush—Painting and Calligraphy in East Asia introduces her virtual gallery.
A Cuneiform tablet from the Mortimer Rare Book Room

Cuneiform Tablet, c. 1711–1683 BCE. Madison Vincent ’19 worked with the Imaging Center to 3D scan several cuneiform tablets from the Mortimer Rare Book Collection.
Andrew Maurer photographing a fossilized shrimp burrow

Capturing a Shrimp Burrow. Andrew Maurer photographs a fossilized shrimp burrow in order to create a 3D reconstruction for Professor Allen Curran of the geosciences department.
3D Laser Scanner in the Imaging Center

3D Laser Scanning. Sophisticated scanning tools and 3D printers allow us to make reproductions of fine art that can be handled by students.
Student-produced poster for Professor Lindsey Clark-Ryan’s Woodcut Printmaking course with Imaging Center assistance

Producing Art Remotely. During the pandemic, students in Professor Lindsey Clark-Ryan’s Woodcut Printmaking course worked with Imaging Center staff to produce prints and posters collaboratively.

Museum Connections. Students in Professor Joseph McVeigh’s German Studies class worked with the Imaging Center and the Smith College Museum of art to build both a virtual exhibition and a corresponding exhibit of original works on paper.

Unique Collections. The Imaging Center works with departments across campus, including Theater, Asian studies, German studies, Geosciences and more, to digitize and disseminate their collections. See some of Smith’s local collections in Artstor (login required).

Imaging Center Services & Resources

Image Collections

Our digital image collections are available through ARTstor, a scholarly database of over a million images of art objects, historical material, archeological artifacts and photojournalism archives. The Smith Digital Collections include over 200,000 images from faculty requests and research, the Smith College Museum of Art, the Historic Dress Collection, the Caverno Antiquities Collection, and Five College collaborative collections. Contact Nora Davies at edavies@smith.edu for more information.

3D Media Training

The Imaging Center provides faculty consultation and training for all aspects of 3D scanning, modeling and printing. Support is tailored to the specific needs of your project or class. Uses for the technology may include:

  • Research projects
  • Creating interactive digital models for curricular use
  • Architectural visualization and prototyping
  • Data visualization
  • Virtual environments and virtual reality

For inquiries about 3D projects, please contact Andrew Maurer at ajmaurer@smith.edu.

Available Equipment

The Imaging Center Equipment Loan service is for Smith College Art Department faculty and students enrolled in Art Department courses. Equipment available for loan includes:

  • iPad with Structure Sensor 3D scanner
  • Mac and PC laptops
  • Multimedia projectors and monitors
  • Digital media players and DVD players
  • Speakers and headphones
  • Digital and analog cameras, lenses, tripods, lights and accessories

Forms

Digital Image Requests Patron Registration Exhibition Equipment Reservations Gallery Labels

Imaging Center Staff

Dan Bridgman

Visual Communication Specialist

Hillyer 327 |413-585-3398

Dan is an educational technologist who supports the visual arts at Smith. He oversees database and fine art print services as well as computer lab configurations and maintenance. He can assist when lab print quotas or network services behave in unexpected ways.

Email Dan

Headshot of Dan Bridgman

Jonathan Cartledge

Director

Hillyer 317 |413-585-4568

Jon is responsible for the administration of the Imaging Center. He works with art department faculty to address the technological needs for the art curriculum and serves as liaison to other academic departments and programs.

Email Jon

Headshot of Jon Cartledge

Betsy Coulter

Imaging Services Coordinator

Hillyer 323 | 413-585-3104

Betsy manages the public services operation in the Imaging Center, including equipment loans and student employment. If you have questions about the equipment we lend to students enrolled in art department classes, or if you would like information regarding our student worker positions, contact Betsy.

Email Betsy

Headshot of Betsy Coulter

Nora Davies

Digital Asset Specialist

Hillyer 317 | 413-585-3140

Nora manages the digitization program for the Imaging Center, providing instruction for faculty and students in copyright, cataloging, image research in ARTstor, and other databases, and image editing in Photoshop, Bridge, Lightroom and other image platforms. Contact Nora for your questions on image capture, copyright, and image research.

Email Nora

Andrew Maurer

Interactive Media Coordinator

Hillyer 316 | 413-585-3116

Andrew advises faculty and students on using Imaging Center resources for curricular and research projects combining art and technology. Contact him about 3D modeling, 3D printing and scanning, virtual reality, and web projects.

Email Andrew

Headshot of Andrew Maurer

Kevin Pomerleau

Visual Arts Technical Specialist

Hillyer L08E | 413-585-3397

Kevin is the printmaking and photography technician for the art department. He can provide assistance with printmaking processes and chemistry, darkroom photography and chemistry, and safety protocols for all studio spaces in Hillyer Hall. If you’re a student, staff, or faculty member working in Hillyer and have questions about hazardous material handling, storage, disposal, or general building safety procedures please reach out to Kevin.

Email Kevin

Imaging Center Facilities

The Imaging Center provides a creative and collaborative space for study, innovation and the production of art on the third floor of Hillyer Hall. Whether you need the latest in image processing and 3D printing, or just a quiet place to study, we have facilities to meet your needs.

Image of the Digital Media classroom in Hillyer Hall

H320 Digital Media Classroom. A flexible teaching space.
Image of the Visual Communication Resource Center in Hillyer Hall

H218 Visual Communication Resource Center. A state-of-the-art multimedia lab.
Art History Lounge in Hillyer Hall

H319 Art History Lounge. A perfect space for study or small-group work.
Image of the drop-in lab in Hillyer Hall

H325 Drop-In Lab. Easy access to large printers, scanners and 3D printing.

The Gaming Lab in Hillyer Hall.

H326 Gaming Lab. A place to explore and critique video games and VR environments.
Image of the Printing Room in Hillyer Hall

H322 Printing Room. Large-format fine art printing for digital media.
Imaging Center Critique Room in Hillyer Hall

H321 Crit Room. Students can mount their artwork for critiques or small-scale exhibitions.

Student Employment

Group of students working at computer

The Imaging Center provides professional training that lets students translate their interests in art, art history, digital media and information science into practical skills that will serve them in whichever professional path they choose. Student assistants work on a range of projects, including media production, image scanning and editing, cataloging, 3D printing, virtual environment creation and assisting other students.

Student Positions

The 3D and VR specialist will participate in workflows supporting the creation of 3D media for curricular use. Projects will involve 3D modeling, 3D scanning, 3D printing, and other related activities in Imaging Center labs. The student will help to create a library of 3D assets to be used in curricular virtual environment projects, and will provide 3D scanning and printing assistance for faculty and student projects. The student will create instructional materials and assist as needed in classes using 3D digital media.

  • Use 3D modeling software to create 3D models of gallery spaces and objects, to be incorporated in current and future virtual environment projects
  • Develop expertise with 3D modeling software, and adhere to provided best practices regarding geometry, file naming, organization, etc.
  • Assist the Interactive Media Coordinator in digitizing physical 3D objects from Smith collections
  • Assist students and faculty members as needed with the operation of Imaging Center 3D scanners and printers
  • Create instructional material for Imaging Center 3D scanners and printers
  • Occasionally assist with digital media class demonstrations

The Gaming Lab Assistant manages the equipment and files for a variety of consoles and two PC gaming stations and assists students with gaming tech, gaming skills. The assistant also oversees the weekly schedule for the lab and maintains the lab space.

The Visual Media Specialist provides support and guidance to students using the Visual Communications Resource Center for the production and study of the visual arts. The specialist monitors and maintains the lab, including printing and application support.

The Media and Cataloging Assistant processes incoming image orders from faculty. This includes digital capture of images from various sources, color correcting and editing images, as well as the research and cataloging of digital materials.

The Equipment Checkout Specialist helps oversee the equipment desk checkout of Imaging Center photo, AV, and VR equipment. This includes cleaning equipment, updating equipment database, creating how-to guides, and troubleshooting equipment issues.

For current student workers: Access the start of shift report form and the end of shift report form.

Featured Image Credits


Yanlong Guo presenting the final presentations for ARH 280, Art Historical Studies: Playing with Ink and Brush in the Smith College Museum of Art teaching gallery. Photo credit: Andrew Maurer

Barbara Kellum working with students in the Imaging Center Digital Media Lab. Photo credit: Andrew Maurer

Raven Gomez ’18 using VR in the Gaming Lab. The Gaming Lab is a collaboration between the Department of Art and Film & Media Studies. Photo credit: Sam Masinter

 

Contact The Imaging Center

Brown Fine Arts Center

Smith College

Northampton, MA 01063

Online Hours

Monday thru Friday

8:30 to 4:30 p.m. EST

Email: ic-u@smith.edu

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Drop-in Hours

To be determined. For assistance, please contact ic-u@smith.edu for an appointment.