Jennifer Brookes: A few weeks ago my class took a trip to The Artists of Artech gallery at the Wright Exhibition Space. The gallery showcases over 120 pieces from current and past Artech employees, commemorating over 30 years of work. While all pieces are fascinating and should be celebrated for their own reasons, there’s one in particular that captures me. It’s called Points of Departure, made by Phil Roach, and is displayed on the right side of this screen. A thirty second stop-motion film does Roach’s work no justice, but it does give a rough idea of its virtuosity. As you circle the stack of suitcases, you’ll notice there are ten total “peep holes” that reveal multiple layers inside. Each depicts a different scene, each is a miniature set, literally, inside of a suitcase. Several of these viewing holes (including the one shown in the video) are accompanied by cameras, allowing the viewer to look inside to find his or herself on a miniature TV screen. If you are able, you must check it out for yourself. Thank you to the gallery’s lovely docent, Sylvia Fischer, for being a thoroughly informative guide during all of my visits.

Eric Peterson: Honestly, I’ve just had a lot on my plate this week. Which is why I went with a piece I recorded a couple of weeks prior but abandoned in favor of another piece. One aspect of this project I haven’t fully explored but want to explore soon in the future is the ability for some of these pieces to be fleshed out into fuller and longer arrangements that could be used in a band context. This is one that I think could transition well.