Errol Willett, a Professor of ceramics in the School of Art at Syracuse University, will talk about his work as a ceramic artist and how he became part of a research team called Haptek Lab (hapteklab.com). The team has been studying the intersection of architecture, ceramics and digital technology, and more specifically, the use of robotics to bring new design potential to architectural ceramic panels used for exterior siding on buildings. Haptek Lab is made up of architects, designers and digital fabrication technologists in collaboration with Boston Valley Terracotta, a major architectural ceramics design and manufacturing firm in Buffalo, NY. The team took on the Erie Canal as subject matter for testing some of the possibilities of the new technology. Some of the group’s experiments are currently on view in the Erie Canal Museum’s Link Gallery and outside in the Weighlock Building’s canal pit.

This talk will be presented both in-person and via Zoom. Attendance is FREE with a recommended $10 donation. You can register here: https://eriecanalmuseum.org/store/product/lecture/