So I attended the first meeting of the Duluth Quantum Computing Project designed and taught by Kathy McTavish, local cellist and multimedia artist. The series of workshops and mentored projects continues into the month of August. There, Kathy will bring what she described as a hybrid of fine arts, of high technology, and the ingenuity of the spirit of the MakerSpace in Duluth. As Kathy put it in last night’s class, “simple materials such as HTML5, CSS3 and Javascript, a text editor and a web browser will be our tools in creating new work.”

According to McTavish, “artists have been leveraging this space to explore new forms.” But the workshop is not only of value for creativity — McTavish believes using these tools will grow economic opportunity. “These technologies are of high value in the today’s market. In other regions of the country, coding classes provide artists with creative tools and career opportunities.”

I’m here because I love art. You may be here, frankly, to learn more about art or learn more about the technology.

• There will be a  lecture / discussion on Thursdays from 6-9 or Saturdays from 3-6.
• Fridays Kathy will hold a brown bag session from noon-1pm.
• Thursdays 3-6pm, Friday 1-6pm, and Saturdays 6-9pm will be open sessions. Participants may drop in / drill down into topics of interest; Kathy will mentor you with code and course materials.

About the Space: The space, in the storefront that used to be the Minnesota Wine Exchange, down the street from 7 West Taphouse, was provided by Drew Digby (who presently works for the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board) and a group of other collaborators interested in economic and artistic development in the region. A formal opening of the space will happen in the fall, but in the meantime, if you have innovative projects at the intersection of artistic, professional/career and economic development, please contact Drew.

The event was cosponsored by the Duluth Art Institute and is made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. For more information, including the readings for the workshop/course, visit mctavish.io.