Geometry: Paper-Folding: Art

Lafayette kicked-off Crease, Fold & Bend, a semester-long STEAM! celebration of origami and its applications in science, technology, engineering, and the arts. The mathematical forms are used in designing garments, artwork, and products. The event featured performances by the Kathy Kroll Dance and Paper Theatre and Lafayette Dance Company, a demonstration of the oru origami kayak, and an area where students could fold their own artwork.

The origami program grew from a collaboration between Ethan Berkove, professor of mathematics, and Michiko Okaya, director of art galleries, who co-curated with artist and writer Kathy Bruce an exhibition of the same name at Williams Center Gallery.

Robert J. Lang, a physicist and one of the foremost origami artists in the world, spoke Sept. 23. A pioneer in computational origami and the development of design algorithms for folding, he consults on its applications to engineering problems.

On Oct. 4, members of the campus community began the Level 3 Menger Sponge, a collaborative project that when completed will be composed of 8,000 cubes made from business cards.

A week later, Peruvian installation and video artist Carlos Runcie-Tanaka worked with students during a three-day residency.

STEAM is part of the START initiative, funded by an $800,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation under the guidance of Suzanne Westfall, interim director of the arts and professor of English. The goal is to further integrate the performing and visual arts throughout the curriculum and co-curricular activities.