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Public art piece brings dynamic look to Bolin Science Hall
Bolin Science Hall at Midwestern State University has a new look in 2025, a remodeling project that enhanced modern lecture halls, classrooms, conference rooms, and offices.
It also added dynamic art, which students, faculty, and visitors will see as they open the new doors to the 60-year-old facility. Just inside is LOCUS, a real-time sky mural that pulls weather data from Sheppard Air Force Base and brightens the lobby inside Bolin Science Hall. Well, except on a rainy day, as the mural shows real-time weather outside.
LOCUS is the work of public artist, technologist, and lighting designer Adam Frank of Brooklyn, New York. Frank uses technology in new ways to celebrate and elevate each individual viewer. He has created several product lines, including the world’s first virtual pet.
Frank has more than 20 public artworks for cities across North America. He is currently creating large-scale, site-specific, permanent public art installations for San Diego, Boston, LSU, and the new DSM International Airport.
The artist says that LOCUS “represents a real evolution of my work. I create new techniques that bring natural light phenomena into architectural spaces. In the past, I have built large half-mirrors with static 3D clouds and made some simulation projections. With LOCUS, I was able to merge a live simulation of the sky with a real reflection for the
first time.”
He said the installation at the McCoy College of Science, Mathematics, and Engineering honored the spirit of aspirational science.
The creation of Dogz and Catz came about after he was hired to create a small, character-based game for Windows PCs in the early 1990s. “It became clear that the perfect interaction model was pet ownership,” Frank said. “At the time, the idea of a virtual pet was unknown and very unconventional. This framework allowed us to foster an emotional connection to a virtual character in a familiar setting. It also allowed for real innovations in real-time, interactive, lifelike characters. Petz is an early example of how I use technology and interactivity to create new types of representations of nature.”
As for his favorite project, Frank is always looking to the next one. “The moment just before I finish a piece, when I finally know it will work, is when I love it,” he said. “Once it is done, my mind immediately jumps to the next one. I am currently excited to be working on my first large scale airport terminal installation.”
The artwork is part of the Texas Tech University System Public Art Program initiated in 1998 to enrich the campus environments and extend the educational mission at all of its universities. The program ensures that one percent of the cost of each project can be used for public artworks.Related Posts
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