Mel Chin, the Black Mountain College Legacy Fellow at UNC Asheville for 2017–18, is using his fellowship to engage students across disciplines in large-scale projects for even larger audiences. Chin is teaching a course at UNCA’s New Media Department titled “Beyond Pokemon Go,” which encourages students to look at augmented reality technology as a vehicle for creative expression. These students are also assisting Chin as he designs augmented reality installations for New York City’s Times Square, planned to begin on Earth Day next year. “It takes a big team to do this, and this is an ideal situation,” says Chin, who is known for his conceptual and interactive art dealing with contemporary issues. “With these huge projects happening, this fellowship felt like the opportune moment to make and to teach, to give everything I know to others.”
