Digital Fabrication

Discover the exciting, cutting-edge tools available in our FabLab — Anderson Ranch’s impressive digital fabrication lab. These workshops provide powerful tools for self-expression in the hands of creative faculty, and present dynamic opportunities to merge the newest visual arts technologies with traditional processes.

A variety of workshops use the digital fabrication technology in the FabLab and throughout multiple studios on the Ranch campus. Explore the possibilities with our state-of-the-art equipment, including 4-axis CNC (computer-numerically-controlled) routers, Formlabs SLA Resin 3-D Printers, Prusa MK3S FDM 3-D printers, Epilog laser cutters, 3-D scanners, a Roland UV printer and vinyl cutter, and vacuum formers. Digital fabrication equipment is powered by Rhinoceros 3D, Adobe Creative Cloud, Autodesk Fusion 360 and Meshmixer, a variety of 3-D printing slicing softwares, and more.

Our expert faculty help you to master progressive new skill sets and exciting new ways of creating.

Emil Gorman

Studio Coordinator, Digital Fabrication

Emil Gorman is the Studio Coordinator for Digital Fabrication. He is an artist and designer with a passion for furniture and the implementation of sustainable materials. He received a BFA with a concentration in Human-Centered Design at Northern Michigan University. Preferred Pronouns: He/Him

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Anderson Ranch Campus

Upcoming Workshops

  • O

    Open to All

    Students of any skill and knowledge level.

Jul 15 - 19, 2024
9AM - 5PM

No Strings on Me: Marionette Making

Russell Hamilton

Tuition $1,160
Code S0705-24

The embodiment of human expression and mimicry, marionettes have historically captivated the imagination through their theatrical and allegorical power. This workshop guides participants through the process of designing, constructing, and presenting a marionette doll using personal stories and a variety of materials and processes such as wood, metal, 3D printing, and found objects.

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  • I

    Level I

    Students are new to ceramics and have no formal training.

Aug 5 - 16, 2024
9AM - 5PM

Clay, Hand and Machine: Computer-Aided Clay Processes

Audrey An

Tuition $1,450
Code C1014-24

This workshop explores computer-aided clay design and fundamental plaster mold making. Thinking about hand-machine collaboration, the workshop introduces various methods to generate digital models that become clay objects or custom tools that enhance studio practice. Students gain basic proficiency in Rhinoceros 3D and learn how to use handheld scanners to create and modify forms in Blender 3D. Digital designs can become paper stencils for slab building, cast from plastic 3D prints, or directly printed in clay using the 3D PotterBot.

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  • IV

    Level IV

    Students have advanced skills and knowledge of the ceramics field. Students are highly motivated, have a minimum of five years experience in the field and have a portfolio of their artwork. Typical students are academics and professional artists.

Aug 5 - 16, 2024
9AM - 5PM

The Center: The Mold and Matrix: Ceramic Process and Narrative Form

Ebitenyefa Baralaye, Del Harrow

Tuition $2,250
Code C1013-24

This three-year mentorship program is intended for ceramic artists interested in critical feedback and immersion in a creative community and who are at a point of transition in their lives, careers, or artistic practices. Emphasis is placed on seeking connections, metaphors, and symmetries between processes for forming clay and developing ways of generating meaning. The objects we make tell stories and propose worlds; a coil and a mold are both techniques for forming clay and also propositions about the meaningful interface of material, body, mind, economy, and culture. We focus on ways stories emerge from physical objects and how narratives give structure to physical form. We welcome participants from many different backgrounds and experiences, centering on work in clay but with the potential for different outcomes, including work in other materials, writing, sculpture, and design. 2024 is the second year of this three-year intensive program. For more information about our next session of The Center, which begins in 2026, please contact Betsy Alwin, Visiting Director of Ceramics and Expanded Media at [email protected].  

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