A student and a faculty member in the University of North Georgia’s (UNG) Department of Visual Arts have launched a partnership with the city of Dahlonega for the design of a future pedestrian bridge.
Once constructed, the bridge will connect two points at Yahoola Creek at the Reservoir.
Vaughan Duncan, a senior from Augusta working toward a degree in digital arts, worked with Associate Professor Dan Johnson and Dahlonega city officials on a rendering of the bridge as a design plan.
“I really liked sending out work and getting feedback immediately,” Duncan said. “I was able to mesh my work with the group of people I was working with.”
Duncan and Johnson worked alongside City Engineer Mark Buchanan and City Manager Allison Martin to produce the model rendering. Johnson said such projects can serve as real world experience for students like Duncan, who can now use this as a highlight of his future portfolio after graduation.
“It’s a competitive workplace. I like for students to have a good range of skills that helps them have good opportunities,” Johnson said. “I love seeing the end result. I like being able to hand it off to the client, and when they’re happy with it, that makes it worthwhile.”
Martin described the recent project as a benefit to UNG as well as the city.
“One of UNG’s most endearing qualities is that it still has that small-town feel. Getting in touch with the appropriate faculty to partner with the city was as simple as just picking up the phone and making a call to Jennifer Graff, the Visual Arts department head,” Martin said.
Martin added: “We are always looking for ways to stretch our budget dollars, so being able to tap this resource saved us thousands of dollars. It is wonderful that we can provide a real-life client experience for the student. Not only is this a great addition to their resume, but it also gives them real experience dealing with a customer and learning how to create their finished product while respecting the needs and opinions of their client.”
Buchanan said he was impressed throughout the process as he watched the idea of the project become a reality.
“It was super easy and really an eye-opening experience. Seeing what could be done using a combination of human artistry and modern technology was quite surprising,” Buchanan said. “Their ability to accurately merge generated images with a typical photograph wasn’t something I was expecting.”
