Master of Architecture students in the Colorado Building Workshop course in fall 2016 taught by Assistant Professor of Architecture Rick Sommerfeld were part of the redesign and build-out of a new exhibition space at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, in a partnership between CU Denver and Denver Arts & Venues. CAP students turned a 900-square-foot vacant retail space in the complex’s galleria into a flexible modern gallery, The Next Stage Collaborative. Students from the College of Arts and Media (CAM) provide artwork, manage the gallery and work as docents who guide visitors through exhibits. The debut installation is from students in the digital design program and features a virtual reality exhibit called “How the Heart Works.” The gallery is on the ground floor, across from the Buell Theater, tucked underneath the staircase to the parking structure. Read the article in CU Denver Today, “Students display digital art at Denver Performing Arts Complex.”

The Next Stage Collaborative was explored for Rocky Mountain PBS’s “Arts District,” Season 5, Episode 16. Inside the gallery are eye-popping demonstrations, created by students and faculty, to show how the immersive experience of VR may soon be used commercially. Watch the video.