The Oakland University Art and Art History Department’s new 2,000-square-foot Makers’ Studio is a state-of-the-art creative space designed to complement the patience of artistry with the precision of technology.

“Traditionally, making (a) sculpture is about translating a 3-D creative imperative using one’s hands to form, care or mold a material or variety of materials into an artistic form,” explained professor Dick Goody, chair of the art department. “The Makers’ Studio has all the tools and equipment for this, but it also gives a technological interface with machines that can do the work of building form … incorporating new media technologies.”

The studio, officially unveiled last summer, took nearly two years to complete and contains three distinct areas: a digital fabrication zone, a printing area and a wood and metal workshop — all equipped to accommodate various art disciplines offered by OU’s art department.

The Makers’ Studio’s advanced technology has also opened up opportunities to collaborate across campus, said Goody. Recently the studio was used to create laser-etched donor tiles for the Athletics Department and 3-D printed molecule models for the Chemistry Department.

“It’s really a space for the exploration of making objects through the lens of the most up-to-date technologies,” he said, which makes the studio a perfect fit for OU.