BGSU digital arts student creates immersive 3D experience during space center internship near Chicago

Kyle Blakely is an artist, but his work is not constrained by the size of a canvas, the breadth of a monitor screen or the width of a mural.

The sky and space are the limitless palette where he expects to paint his future.

A senior digital arts major in the School of Art at Bowling Green State University, Blakely spent the summer as an intern at the Cernan Earth and Space Center, a planetarium in the Chicago suburbs named for astronaut Eugene Cernan, the last man to leave footprints on the Moon.

The native of the Chicago suburbs said the internship was attractive on two essential levels – the chance to spend the summer close to home, and an unprecedented opportunity to unbridle his imagination via the center’s 44-foot-diameter dome theater, which is equipped with a bank of digital, laser and auxiliary projectors.

“I asked what could possibly help them in their role as an educational facility, and after watching one of their productions, I felt a good, solid intro was missing,” he said. “So, I made a mockup animation as a sort of portal into the center, and they really liked my pitch. Once I finish this, they are going to use it.”

Kris McCall, Cernan’s director, tasked Blakely with designing and then crafting an immersive 3D video package that will serve as an introduction to the programs and presentations at the facility.

“I’m excited to explore this immersive storytelling,” said Blakely, who plans on generating dome content for his senior thesis. “BGSU has a planetarium, and I’m excited to explore immersive storytelling in that space, too. One of the main reasons I wanted to work in a planetarium this summer was to gain experience that I could bring back to my thesis.”

Blakely said his academic experiences at BGSU have not only honed and enhanced his artistic skills but also have given him the latitude and confidence to promote his work in a professional setting through his internship at Cernan.

Bowling Green’s School of Art is the largest undergraduate art program at a public university in Ohio, combining the opportunities and resources of a large, comprehensive university with the hands-on education, creative experiences and faculty mentorship of a private art academy.

“The professors at Bowling Green have created an environment where students are trusted with creative freedom, instead of being confined by too many guardrails,” he said, citing the exceptional support he has received from Associate Professor Bart Woodstrup, Assistant Professor Yamin Xu, and School of Art Director Charles Kanwischer. “I think that’s one of the program’s greatest strengths.”

Through BGSU’s Kuhlin Career Hub and its multitude of connections, Blakely could have pursued internships with a wide range of companies and industries, but the Cernan Earth and Space Center and its planetarium offered him the opportunity to work in his chosen field and sculpt a presentation about something that has fascinated him for a long time.

“I have always had an interest in space – loved space, the galaxies, the planets – and the technology that takes us there,” he said.

During his senior year at Bowling Green, Blakely plans to continue to mentor younger students, and work as a tutor in the 3D program.

“One of my favorite parts of that is watching other students grow in these programs and gain confidence in their abilities,” he said. “I chose BGSU because it offered something I really valued – the energy of a Division I university and one with many like-minded individuals. Bowling Green combines all of that with a creative community where I have been able to grow.”

A multi-sport athlete in high school, Blakely was also attracted by Bowling Green’s synergy, where his affinity for team sports and his skills in the arts arena both would be supported.

“I’m through and through a sports guy, and I’ve always hung around those types of people, but there is also this arts side of me that you don’t see much of in the sports field,” he said. “I found a good balance at Bowling Green, where at other schools you would just find one of those.”

Blakely credits his BGSU professors with always having the time to address his questions, and for challenging him to take his artistic talents outside of any perceived norms and well beyond the boundaries of the classroom.

“Bowling Green has exceeded my expectations in how hands-on everything is. The professors let you take the reins on your creativity,” he said. “The environment here supports your drive as an artist, and the professors genuinely care about pushing you to grow. Their level of commitment is not illustrated often enough.”

Following his graduation and additional studies, Blakely envisions a possible career in expanding the movie-viewing experience by utilizing the dome market, or one working with the next generation of artists as they explore the myriad options awaiting them in the realm of artificial intelligence.

“One possible avenue has me working in industry after a master’s, and I can see another avenue where I go the professor route,” he said. “At some point, I do want to be a professor and be able to help students with their art. Tackling this world of AI is an incredible opportunity for students to do more than they ever could before.”

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