Texas A&M Institute for Applied Creativity

03/28/2026

Last night was filled with incredible Energ-ii as the IAC Presents Series launched at Degallery.

Congratulations to Lynn Vartan and Michael Bruner for their outstanding performance, and to Dary Penionzhkevich Dega for being such a wonderful host. And of course, we’re so grateful to everyone who joined us and made the evening so special.

Looking forward to many more inspiring moments together!

Texas A&M College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts

03/25/2026

The IAC presents series launches with Energ-ii by Lynn Vartan and Michael Bruner on March 27 at Degallery.
This intimate evening will feature a 30-minute live performance of percussion and voice with real-time digital visualizations by Michael Bruner, followed by a 30-minute artist talk and wine & cheese reception. Building on last year’s Memor-ii, this new iteration of the performance series explores the many manifestations of energy—physical, creative, and historical—expressed through sound and image.
https://iacpresents.org/energ-ii/

Event Details:
Date: Friday, March 27
Time: 7 pm
Location: DeGallery, 930 N Rosemary Dr, Bryan, TX

Thanks Dary Penionzhkevich Dega, for hosting our team in your beautiful gallery.

Texas A&M College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts

03/13/2026

The Institute for Applied Creativity is pleased to announce a call for work for the second Aberrant Creativity, a juried international art exhibition.

We invite artists to consider machines not as independent creators, but as creators shaped by human presence—responding to us, reflecting us, and even dreaming about us. Show us how your partnership with generative systems can reveal new forms, emotions, and ways of seeing. Submit works that embody this synergy and challenge our understanding of authorship and creativity.

Submit Your Work
Artists interested in participating can submit their work through the official submission form: https://forms.gle/JDqrAy4zZqF4r5TB6
Deadline: June 15, 2026

More information about the exhibition can be found here:
https://iacpresents.org/aberrant-creativity/

02/26/2026

The Igloo studio will be open for Aggieland Saturday!
Please join us!

12/15/2025

IAC lunch meeting at Degallery

It was a fantastic meeting at Degallery for the Institute for Applied Creativity, Texas A&M. This passionate team has brought inspiring projects. It is a great honor for Dary Penionzhkevich Dega, owner of Degallery , to be part of this team as a community fellow, helping connect the Institute, Art Community, and our artistic circle. More info about the IAC is available at: https://pvfa.tamu.edu/institutes/iac/

12/10/2025

IAC fellow/ Texas A&M Laser Talk Series co-organizer!
Congratulations,

Our Faculty Spotlight series highlights Lynn Vartan, D.M.A., associate professor and interarts percussionist.

Vartan is an internationally recognized performer and educator who is celebrated for her collaborative artistry and dynamic stage presence. She has performed in nearly 30 countries and is a Fulbright Specialist. Vartan is endorsed by Paiste, Remo and Marimba One, for which she has a signature mallet series.

As a concerto soloist, Vartan has appeared with numerous orchestras and participated in international cultural projects. Her recordings appear on ECM New Series, Albany, Cuneiform, Bridge, New World, Lian, Yarlung and Cambria Records. She has been nominated for a Grammy three times on Cambria and was a performer on an album that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

Her interdisciplinary projects connect music with cultural research, climate communication, student wellness and experimental media.

Across her work, Vartan advances percussion-centered performance as a catalyst for cultural understanding, climate awareness and holistic well-being.

Read more at her bio page: tx.ag/VartanBio

12/06/2025

The Institute for Applied Creativity invites you to the Healing Igloo program, designed to help you unwind during the end-of-semester rush.

Healing Igloo is a 360° immersive environment featuring calming, meditative content created by students from the Touch Designer class and IAC faculty fellows.

Step inside to relax, reset, and take a peaceful break from your busy schedule.

Location: Igloo Studio (ARCC 400A)
Dates & Times:
Dec. 9: 3:00–4:30 PM
Dec. 10–12: 1:00–3:00 PM

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact [email protected]
We look forward to seeing you there and helping you recharge and heal as the semester wraps up.

10/19/2025

What an incredible week! So grateful to have hosted the Creative Care Conference with Laser Talk and connected with so many creative minds.
Huge thanks to Dr. William Doan for his inspiring talk, Drawings Move, Stories Breathe, and Data Turns Human!
It was a great start to the conference.

10/15/2025

Please join us for our Laser Talk today by Dr. Bill Doan!
This is also the first official event for the Creative Care Conference!

10/04/2025

The Texas A&M Institute for Applied Creativity is excited to invite you to the inaugural Creative Care Conference, taking place October 15–18, 2025 at Texas A&M University.
This multi-day event explores the dynamic intersection of the arts and health, offering students and community members a unique opportunity to discover diverse career pathways in Arts in Health.
You can view the full conference schedule here https://www.creativecares.info/

We warmly invite you to attend, and we encourage you to share this opportunity with your students, colleagues, and anyone interested in the growing field of Arts in Health.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact [email protected].
We look forward to welcoming you to the conference!
Texas A&M College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts

09/13/2025

Join Us for the First LASER Talk of 2025–2026!
Our new LASER Talk series begins on Tuesday, September 17, at 12:00 p.m. in the Stark Gallery at Texas A&M University.
We are excited to welcome Dr. Kiju Lee as our September speaker.
Her talk, “From Soft Robotics to Robotic Art: Applications of Origami”, will explore the fascinating intersections of engineering, design, and creativity.
We look forward to seeing you at the Stark Gallery to launch another inspiring season of LASER Talks!
Texas A&M College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts