Breadboard and NextFab Studio Honored by Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA, April 30, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Breadboard and NextFab Studio have won the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia's Business & Arts Partnership Award: Small Business with an Arts and Cultural Organization. Each year the Arts & Business Council honors the exceptional leaders, innovators, partnerships and volunteers who best exemplify the exchange of talent and energy between the arts and business communities.
By giving children and the community the opportunity to explore the intersection between art, science and technology, Breadboard and NextFab are helping to spark an interest in the STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering and math, and help ensure that there is a full pipeline of future STEM professionals.
Breadboard, a program of the University City Science Center in Philadelphia, launched in 2010 with a unique vision: to explore the intersection of art, science, technology and design. Through a partnership with NextFab Studio, a cooperative, high-tech innovation facility located at the Science Center, Breadboard updates traditional arts and culture programming with access to 21st century prototyping tools and technology including 3D printing technology, and CAD-operated equipment such as laser cutters and milling machines, all within a collaborative workshop environment.
Not only has this partnership enabled numerous artists and arts organization to understand, explore, and develop competence in the use of new technology and processes in their artistic expression, but it has also had an impact on STEM education and the movement to turn STEM into STEAM by adding Art to the equation. Through their partnership, Breadboard and NextFab have in turn become a STEM education partner to numerous Philadelphia organizations and schools including The Enterprise Center, Philadelphia Arts in Education Partnership, TechGirlz, and Project Based Learning Inc.
"I often refer to Breadboard as the R&D Department of the Science Center," says Science Center President & CEO Stephen S. Tang, Ph.D., MBA. "Not only do the innovative programs they have developed in partnership with NextFab introduce the community to cutting edge tools and technologies, but by using art to introduce students to STEM subjects, they are also helping to spark interests that we hope will continue into careers."
The Arts & Business Council 2012 honorees will be recognized at an awards celebration, Wednesday, May 30, 2012 from 6 – 9 p.m. at Vie, 600 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia. For information about the celebration please visit www.artsandbusinessphila.org/awards2012 or contact Anna Stokes at 215.790.3638 or astokes@artsandbusinessphila.org.
About The Science Center
The University City Science Center accelerates technology commercialization, regional economic development, and the market availability of life-enhancing scientific breakthroughs by bringing together innovations, scientists, entrepreneurs, funding, laboratory facilities, and business services. Established in 1963 and headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, the Science Center was the first, and remains the largest, urban research park in the United States. Graduate organizations and current residents of the University City Science Center's Port business incubators have created more than 15,000 jobs that remain in the Greater Philadelphia region today and contribute more than $9 billion to the regional economy annually. For more information: www.sciencecenter.org.
About Breadboard
Breadboard is a program of the University City Science Center that explores intersections between contemporary art, design, science and technology. Expanding on 30-plus years of Esther Klein Gallery programming, Breadboard's mission is to convene communities around creative applications of technology. Breadboard also manages the Esther Klein Gallery at 3600 Market Street.
About NextFab Studio
NextFab Studio's mission is to foster technical, artistic, and entrepreneurial innovation by making sophisticated design, engineering, and fabrication technologies and services both friendly and accessible to small businesses and individuals. NextFab opened its first facility in January 2010 at 3711 Market Street, Philadelphia, in the University City Science Center, providing high-end design and engineering software, 3D printers, 3D scanning, laser engravers, computer controlled machine tools, large format printers, and electronics and textiles tools. A staff of professional artists, designers, and engineers offer training and support to members as well as consulting and contract fabrication services. NextFab Studio with its non-profit partner Breadboard, facilitates cross-disciplinary art exhibits, community outreach initiatives and special programs offering public access to a new generation of digital design and fabrication technology.
CONTACTS:
Jeanne Mell
University City Science Center
3711 Market Street, Suite 800
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215-966-6029
Kristen Fitch
University City Science Center
3711 Market Street, Suite 800
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215-966-6156
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