Feature Article »
By Scott Meador, Associate Professor of Art, Design »
Scott Meador
Hello, my name is Scott Meador and I’m very happy to have joined the Art department this semester. I have an eclectic background in art, design, and technology and am pleased to bring my talents to bear on new courses and mentorship for the students in the department.
I received a B.S. degree from UCA majoring in Theatre and minoring in Art and the Honors College. I actually had Professor Bryan Massey for 3D Design and Dr. Gayle Seymour for Renaissance to Modern! In theatre I designed scenery and lighting, my art emphasis was painting. For graduate school I moved to Indiana to pursue an M.F.A. in Scenography at Purdue University. While there I also received an M.S. in Computer Graphics Technology and immediately started teaching computer graphics there after graduation. Along with my teaching duties, which primarily entailed developing a new 3D animation emphasis, I was a founding member and digital media specialist for the Envision Center, which is a high-end graphics and visualization laboratory. My family moved back to Arkansas in 2004 and until this semester I’ve been teaching in the Film program.
Over the years I’ve taught courses in 3D animation, digital lighting, motion capture, motion graphics, visual effects, game design, visual storytelling, computer aided design, and film and video production. I’ve also had the opportunity to teach traditional art and design courses including interior lighting design, production design, as well as 2D and 3D design. My interests in relatively new and emerging technology include digital fabrication, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and interactive electronics.
Captured frames from a video of the opening ceremony for the Nashville Predators’ Stanley Cup Finals games
Professionally, I’ve worked on 3D animation and motion graphics projects for international concert tours, industrial shows, and films. For concerts, my work is displayed using large-scale projection or large LED screens. Some concerts include Metallica’s Symphony & Metallica (S&M), multiple Brad Paisley concerts, Darius Rucker, Luke Combs, and Eric Church. I’m also involved in the planning and/or designing of concert stages particularly for Brad Paisley and Garth Brooks. For the last two years I worked on ice projections for the Nashville Predators hockey team as they pursued the Stanley Cup (fingers crossed for another playoff appearance this year).
Captured frame from the Little Rock Central High projection mapping event, the Little Rock Nine escorted into the building by the 101st Army Airborne soldiers
I’ve done several interdisciplinary projects with students and colleagues including video installations, motion capture performances, projected scenery for live events, and film production. This semester I’m designing the lighting for UCA Theatre’s productions of “Lungs” and “Next to Normal.”
Gear and Pulleys Triptych, oil on canvas
Personally, I balance computer graphics work with traditional art and making. I create with wood, leather, metal, stained glass, drawing, painting, and I’m learning blacksmithing and machining. To get away from it all I ride a motorcycle, play guitar poorly, brew beer, and spend quality time with my wife, Shauna, and our dogs (and sometimes the cat).
I am thankful to finally be in a place where I can share and exercise all of my talents and skills and I’m looking forward to developing new art courses in animation, video art, and emerging digital arts starting this fall.
— Scott Meador
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