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Saguaro students played big Convergence role BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer
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tudents at Saguaro High School are no strangers to working with Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation, but when two programs were selected to develop a unique attraction at this year’s Canal Convergence, they jumped at it. Students in the visual arts and the robotics programs put their skills to the test in creating glass sculptures and solar-powered pedestals, respectively, for an augmented reality (AR) experience that can be enjoyed until the Convergence closes on Nov. 14. Canal Convergence began last Friday. They spent parts of their summer and worked tirelessly throughout the school year with the goal of creating something beautiful and functional. “I knew Saguaro High School had a very strong robotics team but we also have a long relationship with their visual arts department so it felt like that would be a good place to start,” said Natalie Marsh, director of Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation. Marsh first met with Christopher Brandt, administrative coordinator of math and science and robotics coach at Saguaro and SUSD’s fine arts curriculum coordinator. Eventually, all parties met one hot June morning at a scrap yard that the city Solid Waste Department opened just for them. Marsh, Brandt and Saguaro visual arts teacher Michelle Peacock sifted through bins of recyclable scrap to find materials for the artworks’ bases. “We were looking to find anything that would work so we could make everything out of recycled materials,” said Brandt. The team found fencing that was once
Showing off the solar-powered pedestals made by the Saguaro High robotics club are, from left, senior and club president Natalie Foster, junior Kritin Mandala and sophomore Alex Stephenson. The pedestals supported light structures made by the school’s visual arts students. (Courtesy of Saguaro High School Robotics)
a part of an old baseball park. With material found for a base, the concept-development phase began. Marsh reached out to Hoverlay, the AR company that previously worked with Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation, and pitched a unique idea. “I wanted to take last years’ experience and gamify it by making it something that would keep people’s attention and be fun,” Marsh said. “After I spoke to the school, I spoke to Hoverlay and asked if they could create a scavenger hunt.” Hoverlay instantly went along and Marsh once again expanded her team. She contracted artist and Saguaro alum Bobby Zokaites to manage the visual design of the AR experience and design the frames for the students’ work. Marsh also worked closely with former Saguaro robotics club president and graduate Kayli Battel, who was a Scottsdale Arts summer intern, to further develop the concept. Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation produced the story of an artist visiting from out-of-town who lost pages from her sketchbook at the Scottsdale Waterfront. Now, Convergence guests will look for solar- powered sculptures created by visual arts students and sit atop pedestals designed by robotics students. When a guest finds a sculpture, an animation of the creature will appear. The creatures – a scorpion, a saguaro cactus, a white amur fish and a great blue heron – will provide the guests who find them with information leading to the missing sketchbook pages. Once a page is found, guests will have to solve a riddle to capture the page. Once all the riddles are solved, a word
see ROBOTICS page 39
