FLAAR
Digital Imaging Center in BGSU
The
Digital Imaging Resource Center did research on large format digital
photography, and an associated level of scanning to be used in archaeology,
anthropology, geology, botany, zoology, museums, and related desktop
publishing, in-house publishing, repro-shops (especially for colleges,
universities and museums) and prepress associated to photography
and scholarly publications on the above subjects.
Professor Chuck
Spontelli coordinated the technical aspect of the program, since
he has an MS degree in printing from Rochester Institute of Technology.
FLAAR
also has full time editors to not only scrutinize all printers in
tradeshows across the USA and Germany, but to visit print shops,
giclee studios, and art departments to find out their expereiences
as well.
After
the testing and reviewing of the equipment is complete, the most
adequate items of equipment are selected to be donated to museums,
archaeological institutes and proyects, especially for those institutions
on which we have projects.
Scholars
from Latin America who wish to learn about this technology, could
receive training from FLAAR at the offices in Central America, USA
and Germany.
After six years, the university tore down the building housing our Center
Circa 2005 onwards, the university went through several abrupt changes in focus, and tore down the entire multi-story building which housed our FLAAR Research center.
We were moved across the highway, ironically to a decayed screen printing shop (that had been bought by the university). All that remained of the screen printing company were the ink stains all over the floor and walls.
Since the new Dean of our college was (sorry to be blunt) kind of a disoriented (the most polite thing we can suggest), the center was gradually phased out and FLAAR became independent.
Since leaving the university in Ohio, we returned home to St Louis, Missouri, the home town of the Hellmuth family.
During the six years since leaving the university, FLAAR has continued to grow every year. The sad aspect of the departure was that the subsequence students no longer had access on campus to our experience, and especially not our networking to get the students jobs.
It is ironic that off-campus we have a larger staff, more projects, and now are read by over one million people around the world. We would have enjoyed sharing all this with the faculty and students, but a research institute can be more agile out in the real world.
Being on a campus had several advantages, but the downside is that in a fast-moving technology such as wide-format inkjet, and advanced digital imaging, most campus departments are too old-fashioned. Too many decisions are made by a committee, most of the members of which are now familiar with the reality of the wide-format industry.
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Dr. Nicholas Hellmuth as a VIP guest at D-PES opening ceremony |
Today FLAAR is honored by being consultants for wide-format inkjet associations and trade shows in China and Dubai. Dr Hellmuth still lectures around the world (Johannesburg as but one example).
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