The Art Museum of Greater Lafayette: A New Interactive Art Installation
Partner
Who is our collaborator?
The Art Museum of Greater Lafayette is a non-profit accredited art museum that opened in 1909. Their mission is to celebrate the power of art to inspire, instruct, challenge, and build community through collections, exhibitions, events, educational and cultural programs.
Opportunity
What needs to be addressed?
To support their mission and create new exhibits for the community to enjoy, the museum partnered with Purdue’s EPICS Wabash Center (WC). EPICS is a service-learning design program in which teams of students partner with local and global community organizations to address human, community, and environmental needs. The Rube Goldberg Machine subteam of the EPICS team made strides on the interactive art installation for the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette. Their goal: create a Rube Goldberg machine that draws students into the museum while celebrating both STEM and Purdue history.
Connection
How did Purdue get involved?
Building on this goal, the team has moved from developing an initial concept to creating real designs for the interactive installation. Over the past few months, the team shifted from concept development to detailed 3D CAD modeling, giving every member hands‑on experience translating ideas into precise digital designs ready for testing and fabrication. They successfully modeled each component of the machine and built a full assembly of the system. Next semester, the team will begin prototyping and refining their designs to ensure the final installation meets their vision and performance goals.
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