James Madison University

The Institute for Visual Studies

The Institute for Visual Studies (IVS) at James Madison University is a center for scholarly, scientific and creative inquiry into the nature and workings of images. An incubator of new ideas, the institute fosters discovery, and the generation of artworks, products, and applications by multidisciplinary teams of students and faculty.

IVS is located in Room 208 of Roop Hall on the campus of JMU. It is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and by appointment. Please call 568-5656 with questions.

IVS Spring Events 2012

February 7
Special Exhibition Opening:
Creating Access Through Universal Design

Universal Design (UD) is a method for creating environments that are accessible to the largest number of individuals possible. This technique works to create a world that doesn’t exclude or single out those with disabilities, but instead aims to treat everyone equally. The aim of this interactive exhibition is to give visitors the opportunity to explore the principals of UD in everyday products, and in the physical and learning environments. This exhibition runs from February 7 to April 6.

February 15
First Colloquium: Robert Nagel
Using Visualization in Engineering Design Education

The first of three spring colloquia at the Institute for Visual Studies will take place on Wednesday, February 15th from 12:00-1:00 in Roop 208. This month, Dr. Robert Nagel (Engineering) will show how visualization plays an integral role in teaching students the design process. His focus will be the course project from the sophomore engineering design sequence: designing a custom, human-powered vehicle for a client with cerebral palsy. His twenty-minute talk will be followed by discussion. Bring your lunch; dessert and coffee will be served. All are welcome.

March 14
Second Colloquium: Chuck Heckman
A Visual Approach to Math Education

The second of three spring colloquia at the Institute for Visual Studies will take place on Wednesday, March 14th from 12:00-1:00 in Roop 208. This month, Mr. Chuck Heckman, Math Teacher at Thomas Harrison Middle School, will talk about his experience using Singapore Math, a teaching method that helps students visualize problems by turning abstract words into easy-to-understand pictorial models. His twenty-minute talk will be followed by discussion. Bring your lunch; dessert and coffee will be served. All are welcome.

April 11
Third Colloquium: Henry Way
Political Visions of America: Images of Place in Online Campaigning

The final spring colloquium at the Institute for Visual Studies will take place on Wednesday, April 11th from 12:00-1:00 in Roop 208. This month, Dr. Henry Way (ISAT/Geography) will discuss the “geographical imagination” presented in U.S. political websites, focusing on the understandings of states and places conveyed in such propaganda. His twenty-minute talk will be followed by a discussion considering the material impact of such visualizations on policy-making, bringing together the visual, spatial, and political. Bring your lunch; dessert and coffee will be served. All are welcome.

April 17
IVS Course Exhibition Opening:
Representing Disability

Please join us on Tuesday, April 17th from 11am-1pm in Roop 208 for the opening reception of “Representing Disability,” the spring semester class at the Institute for Visual Studies. This course centered on the question “How can we represent disability?” Students worked in interdisciplinary teams alongside participants with disabilities to co-create inclusive representations of disability while learning and using innovative collaborative design philosophies and tools. This exhibition runs from April 17 to May 3.