What is Viz-A-GoGo?
Until Spring 2022, Viz-A-GoGo had been an annual event held at the end of the spring semester by Texas A&M University’s Department of Visualization. The event engaged the Bryan/College Station community and invited them to experience a showcase of student work from the past year, including a gallery exhibition of physical works and a theater screening of time-based works. As of Fall 2022, the Department of Visualization broke away from the College of Architecture and was restructured as the Visualization program under the College of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts.
Like in the past, work shown at Viz-A-GoGo includes flatwork (both traditional and digital drawing and paintings), photography, sculpture, interactive projects such as virtual reality experiences and video games, installation work, and other new media.
In previous years, the screening showed off the latest animations created in the Viz Lab as well as short films, visual effects projects, class reels, and other time-based media. In present years, the screening shows off the time-based media and related works produced by students within the Visualization program which have passed the Viz-A-GoGo curation process.
How Does Viz-A-GoGo Even Happen?
Viz-A-GoGo is a student-run event. Traditionally, planning begins near the start of the Spring semester. Student workers and volunteers work with the program to plan and execute the event. Students join committees pertaining to necessary tasks, and meet once a week, at a meeting called “Taco-GoGo” in order to report updates and make decisions regarding the event.
A handful of students serve as officers also known as “managers”, bearing more responsibilities. Communication takes place over in person or through our Discord server (post 2020), and files are kept on a shared Google Drive.
Events
- Exhibition
- Research & Creative Works Symposium
- Screening
- After Party*
The Exhibition
The Viz-A-GoGo Exhibition is a showcase of the best undergraduate and graduate work from the past year.
Contrary to Visualization’s Fall Show, where artwork is grouped together by class and every inc eof available space in the exhibit is filled with work, the Viz-A-GoGo Exhibition is more like a professional gallery. Work is curated and arranged such that there are meaningful ‘conversations’ between the works. The space feels more open and inviting, encouraging all atendees to make their way though and interact with all the works.
In the past, the exhibition has taken place in Bryan at the Amity building, the Ice House on Main, and at Viz North. In most recent years—this year included, the exhibition will be located in the Rudder Exhibit Hall.
The Research & Creative Works Symposium
The Viz-A-GoGo Research & Creative Works Symposium is a fast-forward-style event in which undergraduate and graduate students have five minutes to present their research, capstone or body of work in the form of a slideshow.
The Screening
The Viz-A-GoGo screening is a video reel of the best undergraduate and graduate time-based works from the past year.
A couple of presentations take place before the screening starts. The screening begins roughly at sundown in
The After Party
The Viz-A-GoGo After Party takes place directly after the screening. The party wraps up the school year and serves as a celebration of everyone’s hard work. This event is not public, and exists for Visualization students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
Due to fire code occupancy limits in the venues, entrance to the party is restricted to those wearing the Viz-A-GoGo after party wristband. These will be distributed in the preceding weeks by the Viz-A-GoGo volunteer staff.
The Vizzies
The Vizzies are the annual awards presented to the best works on display at Viz-A-GoGo across several categories. Currently, the categories are as follows:
- Best in Traditional Flatwork
- Best in Digital Flatwork
- Best in Photography
- Best in Sculpture and Installation
- Best in Interactive
- Best in Graphic Design
- Best in Gaming
- Best in Underraduate Research
- Best in Graduate Research
- Best in Time-Based Media
- Best in CG Rendering
- Best in Technical Art
- Best in Show