Ball State is leasing space in downtown Muncie to house student immersive learning programs focusing on the development of high-definition entertainment products, digital art and digital fabrication.

The university will locate a research and education center for the Institute for Digital Entertainment and Education (IDEE), the Institute for Digital Intermedia Arts and Animation (IDIAA) and the Institute for Digital Fabrication and Rapid Prototyping (IDFRP) in the recently remodeled commercial space at the Lofts @ Mitchell Place, 301 S. Walnut. 

"There was simply no dedicated space on campus at this time that would allow our students to work in this type of immersive learning environment," said David Ferguson, executive director of Ball State's Center for Media Design. "We needed a location that students could call their own seven days a week.

"It is a natural continuation of the university's immersive learning initiative," he said. "In the coming months, we'll see students working with some of the top professionals in the business on a variety of projects throughout downtown."

The downtown facility will afford Ball State a place to put on workshops, seminars and conduct experiments with new types of media. It will also serve as a location to bring in top researchers and executives from various industries to lecture and work with students. Plans also call for installation of digital television screens in the ground floor windows that will showcase students' creative works to passersby.

Students enrolled in IDEE activities will learn about and develop content for various communications platforms, including cinema, cell phones and handheld PDAs, said Rodger Smith, IDEE director.

The new downtown center will also serve as a part-time gallery, programming exhibitions, screenings and performances of innovative art forms through the IDIAA.

The site will allow Ball State to showcase a blend of both traditional and new student-created art forms including video, music, installation and interactive works, said John Fillwalk, IDIAA director.

The institutes are a result of a $20 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to Ball State to fund the Digital Exchange, an initiative expanding opportunities for students to participate in innovative, immersive, educational experiences. The institutes and the downtown center are being administered by Ball State's Center for Media Design (CMD).

IDFRP is melding architecture, engineering and construction into a seamless digital enterprise. It is bringing together Indiana's material suppliers and connecting them with designers and students worldwide to expedite the transformation of computer-generated designs into finished products on almost any scale.

The creation of IDIAA puts Ball State at the forefront of the 3-D animation industry. The centerpiece of the institute will be an animation studio that will immerse students in the production of intermedia art and 3-D animation.

IDEE serves as a production house that will bring artistic vision to life and provide Indiana filmmakers access to a proven infrastructure and talented students. The innovative partnership will allow students to showcase their award-winning talents to filmmakers while building professional and artistic relationships that will grow as the students and filmmakers progress in their careers.

The opening of Ball State's new center should continue the revitalization of the downtown business district, said Chris Hansen, managing partner of The Lofts @ Mitchell Place, which previously housed the Mitchell Place Gallery. Grand opening events are planned for the remodeled building Sept. 6-8 and 10.