Florida State University – College of Fine Arts
The Facility for Arts Research (FAR), supports rigorous investigation and inquiry across artistic media and disciplines with a focus on technological innovation. FAR is housed in a 22,500-square-foot facility nestled on 5 acres in northwest Tallahassee. The facility offers space and specialized equipment for experimental printmaking, spatial audio, electronics and digital fabrication to researchers, faculty and students as part of a rigorous interdisciplinary investigation into making.
Location:
3216 Sessions Road
Tallahassee, FL 32303
Phone: 850-562-1238
FAR incorporates formLab, which gives artists, designers and scientists access to a variety of tools to engage in hybrid digital/physical practices, and Small Craft Advisory Press (SCAP), which blends traditional and digital printmaking processes to create collaborative artists’ books, and REBOOT, a laboratory that looks toward our culture’s production of waste as a point of departure for a critical engagement with technology. FAR’s mission is to develop and share arts research-related resources with Florida State University and the larger community, providing a variety of classroom experiences, residencies, exhibitions, internship/volunteer opportunities and workshops.
3D Printing Lab:
Our 3D Printing Lab houses three machines that use three different materials and processes to produce prints. The MakerBot uses a heated extruder head to produce prints with ABS or PLA plastic, the Mcor Matrix 3D Printer uses a unique additive and subtractive process with regular office paper, and the Zcorp 3D Printer uses a special plaster-like powder. The lab offers access to a ventilation hood for model post processing.
Laser Lab:
The Laser Lab contains FAR’s two laser cutters and materials storage racks. The Epilog Legend 36EXT Laser engraver has a bed size of 24 x 36 inches and the Epilog Zing Laser engraver has a bed size of 12 x 16 inches.
Materials Processing:
The Materials Processing lab houses FAR’s ShopBot CNC Router, belt sander, and table saw. The ShopBot CNC router is a 3 axis machine with additional 4th axis potential for milling work and is equipped with a vacuum table. The router can be used for woodwork as well as drawing or cutting with a drag knife.
The Facility for Arts Research (FAR) is RhinoFabLab certified and is an Authorized Rhino Training Center, furthering its mission to provide resources for research and education with a focus on hybrid art/design methods. As a RhinoFabLab, FAR is committed to teaching, conducting research and sharing resources about all aspects of design and fabrication. FAR is equipped with Rhino and Rhino-compatible software complimented by a variety of fabrication hardware including lasers, 3D printers and a ShopBot CNC router. RhinoFabLab status enables FAR’s faculty, staff and visiting researchers to communicate within a global network of RhinoFabLabs, sharing research and keeping abreast of and developing best practices in the current 3D fabrication landscape.
