Introduction to Unity for Artists
July 7, 2025 @ 5:30PM — 8:00PM Central Time (US & Canada) Add to Calendar
Arts New Orleans Studio : 1474 N Broad St New Orleans, LA 70119 Get Directions
LUNA Studio | Artist Training Series Presented by Arts New Orleans with support from the National Endowment for the Arts
Step in the world of real-time creativity with this beginner-friendly Introduction to Unity workshop, designed specifically for artists interested in exploring immersive digital environments and interactive experiences. This session will give you the foundation you need to begin building your own digital artworks using Unity - the world's leading real-item development platform. This hands-on session will introduce participants to the Unity interface, basic scripting concepts, and the powerful tools available for visual storytelling. No prior coding experience is required.
Key Takeaways:
- Understand the Unity interface and how to navigate a 3D Workspace
- Learn how to import assets, textures, and lighting to build your first interactive scene
- Explore Unity's animation tools and real-time rendering engine
- Gain insights into how Unity can be used for projection mapping, light art, art, and installations
- Leave with a starter project and resources to continue your creative coding journey
Who should attend:
Artists, designers, and creatives of all backgrounds who are interested in integrating technology into their art practice.
LUNA Studio: Artist Training Series
LUNA Studio is a dynamic workshop series designed to equip artists with the tools, knowledge, and inspiration to create interactive, tech-driven public artworks. The program is presented by Arts New Orleans as part of LUNA Fête, New Orleans’ annual festival of light, art, and technology. This series invites creatives from all backgrounds to step into the world of digital media, immersive storytelling, and responsive environments through accessible, hands-on learning.
Led by renowned artist and educator Gabe Barcia-Colombo, each workshop demystifies cutting-edge creative technologies—such as Unity, Touch Designer, and projection mapping—while emphasizing how these tools can amplify artistic vision and public engagement. Whether participants are curious about real-time 3D design, want to integrate physical sensors into their installations, or hope to transform architecture into animated canvases, LUNA Studio offers entry points for every level of experience.
By fostering creative experimentation and skill development, LUNA Studio supports the growth of a vibrant community of artists capable of shaping the future of public art in New Orleans and beyond. These workshops not only build technical confidence but also champion the power of light and technology to connect people, tell stories, and reimagine civic space.
Arts New Orleans has a limited number of MacBook computers available for workshop participants. In your registration, please let us know if you will need access to a laptop.
Cost: $20
If the fee presents a financial difficulty, please do not hesitate to reach out to Lindsay Glatz, Arts New Orleans Creative Director at Lindsay@artsneworleans.org for scholarship consideration.
About the Instructor:
Gabe Barcia Colombo is a Los Angeles–born and New York–based interdisciplinary artist whose work spans video sculpture, immersive performance, projection mapping, augmented and virtual reality, and installation. His art explores themes of memory, identity, and the digitization of human experience—often using playful yet poignant constructs like “DNA Vending Machines,” miniature video-encoded objects, and large-scale public commissions like New York Minute (Fulton Center) and Platform (Grand Central Madison).
Awarded two TED fellowships—one for Capturing Memories in Video Art (2012) and another for My DNA Vending Machine (2014)—Gabe’s work resides in the collections of LACMA and is regularly commissioned by institutions including the Victoria & Albert Museum, MTA Arts & Design, and The Neon Museum, where he served as Artist-in-Residence in 2021.
As an Associate Arts Professor at NYU Tisch’s Interactive Telecommunications Program, Gabe shares his expertise in interactive media, projection mapping, generative storytelling, and physical computing. He founded the groundbreaking pop-up gallery Bunker.nyc (later in Sotheby’s), earned Adobe and NYFA grants, and frequently leads workshops that empower artists to merge storytelling with code, sensors, and immersive technologies.