published March 17, 2002

The Carrboro Branch Library, based in the McDougle Schools Media Center, has 22 computers for public use (more, in fact, than any other public library in Orange County), including four recently donated by the Gates Foundation.

Computers are becoming more and more important for libraries. It is therefore appropriate that the Carrboro Library's spring arts exhibition "Digital Generations," which opens on April 7, highlights the role of computers in image making and artistic expression. With N.C. Central University professor Connie Floyd as curator, the exhibition will feature the work of art students who, through diverse images, media and ideas, illustrate some of the possibilities of enhancing artistic talent by means of the new digital technologies.

Digital technology has changed the way we go about our lives. The technology is so fast-paced and changes are so rapid that new equipment and software become obsolete and outdated almost overnight. These changes are most apparent in the areas of graphic design, advertising and many other aspects of commercial communications.

Students at N.C. Central University are incorporating this new technology as they prepare for careers in advertising and visual communications. With new computers and up-to-the-minute software, art students are developing the knowledge and "know-how" of how to compete as designers and commercial artists in the current marketplace.

As digital imaging continues to replace many of the traditional methods of design in the advertising world, our art department addresses this technological phenomenon by including the use of digital technology in all its major courses. The Carrboro Branch Library exhibition April 7-June 26 will feature work of NCCU art students involving the use of computer imaging and design in some phase of their creation.

This show, an energetic mix of images, will include illustrations, graphic designs, serigraphs, animations and mixed media art.

The exhibition will illustrate the degree to which these student artists have embraced digital technology as a means of image making and self expression. It is gratifying for a teacher to see students using new technology to create versatile, engaging and often challenging images.

The NCCU art faculty believes that the incorporation of digital technology in the curriculum gives students an edge and prepares them to adapt and adjust to the challenging careers ahead of them as designers and commercial artists.

With the acquisition of new technological tools, more and more people are exploring the possibilities of art forms through digital and video cameras and computers. Many remain wedded to the instruction booklet and limited art programs, unaware of the fact that they may have more artistic control over what emerges than they think possible.

During the course of the exhibition (and surrounded by examples of the possibilities of digital generation), the library intends to hold a workshop, "The Creative Possibilities of New Technologies."

A reception to meet Floyd and his students will be held on April 28 at the Carrboro Branch Library from 2-4:30 p.m. For information call 969-3006. We also urge you to visit N.C. Central University's Art Museum, which has regular exhibitions and one of the best permanent collections of African-American art in the state.