TECHNICAL SHOPS & LABS

• FB 4th Floor | ART AND ARCHITECTURE SCULPTURE SHOP

   

  A large, all-college sculpture shop supports opportunities for production of a wide range of three-dimensional work. This facility, located on the fourth floor of the Foundation Building, is equipped with machinery for wood- and metal-working, mold-making, bronze casting and projects using wax, clay, plaster and some plastics.

  Hours
  Monday - Thursday 10am - 8pm
  Friday Closed*
  Saturday 12pm - 6pm
  Sunday Closed
  *Intro to Techniques classes take place on Fridays. Shop is closed to other users during that time.

  Rooms 412, 413, 421, 430

  Contact 212.353.4234

  Kevin Leonard, Head Technician; Adjunct Professor

   

• FB 5th Floor | FILM, VIDEO, ANIMATION & SOUND

   

  Film
  Film students can borrow 16mm Bolex cameras with zoom or prime lenses, as well as a Canon Scoopic and Arri 16BL. Camera kits include light meters and complete instructions. Tripods, lighting kits and other support/grip equipment is also available. Film and developer is sold at the Checkout Office and students can hand-process it onsite or send it to a local lab.

  The Film Lab has a custom-built 16mm HD transfer machine so that processed film can be converted to digital files, or edited on a Steenbeck flatbed editor. 16mm viewers, splicers and rewinds are also available. A JK optical printer is available for contact prints or optical special effects.

  Video
  Video students have access to large-sensor DSLR cameras and professional camcorders with a range of prime and zoom lenses. GoPro action cameras and older formats are also available. Students can borrow fluid-head tripods, shoulder rigs, stabilizers and a variety of halogen and LED lighting kits. Grip equipment, gels, umbrellas and softboxes can be added to any light kit. Other equipment (monitors, speakers, projectors and media players) is also available for multi-media installations.

  The Video Lab has eight Macintosh workstations with Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects and Photoshop, Pro Tools and other audio and video software. Additional outboard equipment includes various analog and digital and audio and video decks, mixers and special effects devices. The video lab is networked and equipped with a video/data projector for instruction and viewing student work

  Animation
  Animation students have access to DSLR and 16mm cameras for image capture, as well as light tables, peg bars and animation stands for analog/cel animation, direct-on-film painting and stop-motion.

  The Animation Lab has 10 Macintosh workstations and provides support for two- and three-dimensional animation. Additional hardware includes DSLR animation stands with Dragonframe stop-motion software, a digital rotoscope station, flatbed scanner, vocal isolation booth and various analog and digital audio/video decks. This lab also serves as a supplementary facility for students working with film, video and sound projects, has all of the same software and is networked and equipped with an HD video/data projector with surround sound for instruction and viewing student work

  Sound
  Students taking Sound classes have access to professional digital audio recorders, supported by a complete array of microphones including shotgun and stereo mics, wired and wireless lavalieres, binaural pairs, contact mics, and custom transducers. A dedicated sound editing room is equipped with surround mixing capabilities and a vocal isolation booth, Pro Tools and Reaper software.

  Screening Room/Classroom
  Classes are primarily held in the Screening Room, a theater for large-screen projection of film and HD video with 5.1 surround sound. The projection booth is equipped for 16mm and Super 8 and offers flexible signal-routing with AV ties to the editing facilities. The room doubles as a shooting studio with a permanent green-screen and additional electric service for high wattage lighting.

  Access
  Equipment and use of facilities is available to all students currently enrolled in a Film, Video, Animation or Sound class. Equipment can be reserved and checked out for 2 and 3 day periods. Students that have previously taken a class have limited access. A professional staff of technicians are continuously available during posted studio and checkout hours.

  Hours
  Monday - Friday, Dec 4-8: 10am - 12am*
  Saturday, Dec 9: 12pm - 12am*
  Sunday, Dec 10: 12pm - 10pm
  Monday - Thursday, Dec 11-14: 10am - 12am*; Friday, Dec 15: 10am - 8pm

  *Labs will close early if empty.

  Rooms 530, 537, 539, 543

  Contact 212.353.4238 / 4239

  Dan Porvin, Head Technician (Video Editing and Animation Labs)
  Zach Poff, Technical Assistant (Equipment Checkout and Film Editing Lab); Adjunct Professor

   

• FB 5th Floor | PHOTOGRAPHY LAB

   

  The use of the photography lab and equipment is available to students currently enrolled in photo classes. Students who have taken photo previously have limited access to facilities and may check out equipment.

  The analog photography facilities include a spacious, well-ventilated black-and-white communal darkroom with 16 enlargers capable of printing from 35mm to 4x5 inch negatives, a large black-and-white film processing area with automatic temperature controls, and a dedicated alternative-processes room with UV exposure units. Color film processing is available on-site for a small fee.

  The digital photography lab includes 16 Macintosh workstations, each with a dedicated 17” professional-grade Epson inkjet printer. A variety of scanning options for film and prints are available, including letter and tabloid size Epson flatbed scanners, Nikon film scanners and, for advanced students, a Hasselblad Flextight film scanner. Two large format printers are managed by staff, and students enrolled in photo classes may request prints from the checkout window for a fee.

  A well-equipped lighting studio, complete with a tethered capture system, provides space to photograph using professional tungsten, LED, and strobe lighting equipment. A wide range of cameras including 35mm, medium format, and large format films are available for checkout, as well as professional DSLRs with full-frame and medium format sensors. Knowledgeable technical assistance is on hand continuously during posted lab hours.

  Hours
  Monday - Thursday 10am - 11:30pm
  Friday 10am - 10:30pm
  Saturday 12pm - 8pm
  Sunday 12pm - 10:30pm

  Rooms 531, 534, 541, 542, 542A

  Contact 212.353.4236

  Jennifer Williams, Head Technician; Adjunct Professor

• FB 5th Floor | PRINTMAKING SHOP & TYPE SHOP

   

  A well-equipped and ventilated printmaking shop on the fifth floor of the Foundation Building accommodates intaglio, lithography, screen printing and relief printing processes and papermaking. The facility includes three lithography presses, three etching presses and four screen printing vacuum tables. There is a dedicated computer facility with two large format printers for digital imaging and pre-press photographic work. There are more than 100 stones for lithography and a collection of rollers for lithography, monotype, and surface rolling in etching. The paper mill is complete with beater, a 75-ton hydraulic press, vats and the capability for both Western and Japanese papermaking.

  A professionally-staffed and well-lit letterpress studio is available to all students. It is equipped with five Vandercook cylinder presses, one tabletop pilot platen press, polymer bases, a foil stamping machine, book presses, binding hand tools, a polymer plate maker, and well-organized foundry and wood type, as well as all necessary spacing material and composing equipment. Skilled technical assistants are available to help students execute all manner of printing and binding projects.

  Print Shop Hours
  Monday - Friday 9am - 10pm
  Saturday 12pm - 8pm
  Sunday 12pm - 9pm

  Rooms 512-515, 521, 544

  Type Shop Hours
  Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9am - 5pm
  Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday Closed

  Room 501

  Contact 212.353.4235

  Scott Nobles, Head Technician and Digital Specialist; Adjunct Professor

• FB & 41CS | PAINTING OFFICES & ART STUDIOS

   

  The Painting Office is a resource on painting and painting techniques and is staffed by knowledgable technicians who provide canvas stretching and priming demonstrations and advise on health and safety protocols when working with oil paints and solvents.

  Gesso rooms located on the 6th floor of the Foundation Building and 9th floor of 41 Cooper square have large work tables where students can stretch and prime canvases. These areas include slop sinks, a brush washer, large painting racks, storage for paintings and works on paper in painting racks and flat files. A high ventilation room is also located on the 9th floor of 41 Cooper Square.

  The Painting Office assigns and maintains all studios for School of Art students and provides a number of supplies gratis and for purchase, and has an inventory of tools for loan.

  Studio Access Hours
  Monday - Thursday 8am - 12am
  Friday 8am - 12am
  Saturday 9am - 9pm
  Sunday 9am - 9pm

  24-hour period during the last two weeks of each semester:
  Monday - Friday 6am - 6am
  Saturday 6am - 12am
  Sunday 12pm - 6am

  Painting Office hours (601F and/or 904CS), Dec 4 - 15:
  Monday - Thursday 9am - 2am
  Friday 9am - 5pm
  Saturday and Sunday 9am - 8pm

  Office Hours, Room 601, Foundation Building
  Monday - Thursday 9am - 10pm
  Friday 9am - 6:30pm
  Saturday Closed
  Sunday 10am - 6pm

  Office Hours, Room 904A, 41 Cooper Square
  Monday - Thursday 9am - 10pm
  Friday 9am - 5pm
  Saturday 12pm - 7pm
  Sunday Closed

  Contact 212.353.4257 / 212.353.4013

  Anna Hostvedt, Senior Coordinator

  Available Inventory and Pricing
  Studio Rules and Guidelines

   

GRAPHIC DESIGN RESOURCES

• 41CS Lower Level | HERB LUBALIN STUDY CENTER OF DESIGN & TYPOGRAPHY

   

  The Herb Lubalin Study Center of Design and Typography in the School of Art was founded in 1985 by The Cooper Union and friends of the late Herb Lubalin. Its mission is to focus on the preservation of design history through its core collection of the work of Herb Lubalin and its extensive library and archive of design ephemera. The Study Center and its archive are important central resources for the students and faculty as well as the professional and general public. All materials are fully available by appointment and are regularly highlighted through the center’s public exhibitions and lecture programming.

  Room LL119

  Contact 212.353.4021

  Alexander Tochilovsky, Curator
  Jess Kuronen, Assitant Curator

  https://cooper.edu/art/herb-lubalin-study-center-design-and-typography

• 41CS 4th Floor | CENTER FOR DESIGN & TYPOGRAPHY

   

  The Center for Design and Typography is the in-house design studio for The Cooper Union. As an integral part of the institution, the full-time design staff collaborates with all departments, producing the majority of the college’s print materials, event graphics and signage. The Design Center also accepts outside projects from eligible non-profit organizations. Selected according to public need and design potential, these projects are developed by School of Art advanced graphic design students under the auspices of the Professional Practice course taught by the Director. The pro-bono work performed by the class provides students with valuable experience dealing with clients, budgets and deadlines, as well as providing community service.

  Contact 212.353.4210

  Mindy Lang, Creative Director
  Inessa Shkolnikov, Design Director
  Mark Rossi, Digital Art Director

  designcenter@cooper.edu

   

   

• 41CS 8th Floor | MEDIA LAB

   

  The Media Lab is a multimedia digital workspace and output facility. It offers access to a wide array of software, printing, scanning, and professional support services for all Cooper Union student, faculty, and staff.

  The Media Lab, a part of the Department of Information Technology, is located on the eighth floor of 41 Cooper Square in rooms 804, 805, and 806, comprising two classrooms and an open workspace. Each room features Apple iMac workstation running Mac OS and Windows platforms, laser printers, and high-resolution flatbed scanners. Room 805 features large-format plotters and archival printers with a wide range of media options, large-format scanning, and a shared [cutting/work] table. All Media Lab computers feature a variety of software for graphic, web, and UX design (Adobe Creative Cloud, Sketch, Atom), video and animation (Adobe After Effects and Premiere), and 3D design (AutoCAD, Rhino, Maya, Unity).  Students will have access to Media Lab resources throughout their time at Cooper Union.

  Academic Support Technicians (AST) are available at all times to help students, faculty, and staff use the Media Lab’s resources in the creation of their projects and class materials. ASTs provide extensive technical knowledge and professional experience with the Media Lab’s resources, and can provide assistance with everything from print to video animation projects.

  Hours
  Monday - Thursday 9am - 11pm
  Friday 9am - 8pm
  Saturday 12pm - 8pm
  Sunday Closed

  Rooms 804, 805 and 806

  Contact 212.353.4216

  Wayne Adams, Director of Academic Support Technologies

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• FB | THE COOPER UNION LIBRARY

   

  The Cooper Union Library's specialized collections provide support for the academic programs at the institution's three degree-granting schools of Art, Architecture and Engineering, as well as courses in the Humanities and Social Sciences.

  Located on the ground floor of the landmark Foundation Building, the Library houses over 100,000 volumes of books and periodicals, maintains collections that include visual and historic materials, and provides access to a wide variety of electronic resources, including thousands of e-journals and e-books. The Library offers group instruction in research techniques and has computer facilities for individual research and study.

  Through a number of consortial agreements, the Cooper Union Library provides students, faculty, and administration with access to collections at a wide variety of private academic libraries in New York City. Reciprocal access and borrowing privileges are offered at New York University's Bobst, the New School Libraries, and the New York School of Interior Design Library. Access without borrowing is provided at NYU’s Institute of Fine Arts library and the Chutick Library at the Cardozo School of Law. Membership in the Metropolitan New York Library Council allows for referrals to virtually any private library in the city for on-site use of materials.

  Alumni have continued access to the Cooper Union Library at no cost, and can re-establish borrowing privileges for an annual fee.

  Library hours when classes are in session
  Monday - Thursday 8:30am - 9pm
  Friday 8:30am - 6pm
  Saturday 1pm - 5pm
  Sunday 1pm - 9pm

  The Cooper Archives
  Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm or by appointment

  Located on the 1st Floor

  Contact 212-353-4188

  Lisa Norberg, Director of The Cooper Union Library
  Julie Castelluzzo, Electronic Services Librarian
  Mackenzie Williams, Art/ Architecture Librarian
  James Edward Malin, Engineering/Science Librarian
  Mary Mann, Archives Librarian

  library.cooper.edu

• FB & 41CS | STUDENT EXHIBITION SPACES

   

  Beginning late in each fall semester and carrying through the spring, gallery spaces in both the Foundation Building and 41 Cooper Square showcase work by graduating seniors in The School of Art, with additional exhibitions of exchange student work, class projects and work by fellowship recipients. Students can find general information, proposal guidelines and floor plans at the link below. You can view the current show calendar here. 

  Contact 212.353.4204

  Corinna Ray, Coordinator of Student Exhibitions

  cooper.edu/art/studentexhibitions

• FB & 41CS | GALLERIES & AUDITORIUMS

   

  The Cooper Union has two main auditoriums, including the historic Great Hall, and multiple gallery spaces. Several galleries around the campus are used to exhibit the work of students and outside artists in solo or group shows. In 41 Cooper Square, the 41 Cooper Gallery and the Lubalin Center Gallery feature large windows offering views from the building’s entrance and an abundance of natural light. These spaces, often used in conjunction with one another and with the adjacent Rose Auditorium, serve as a highly visible site of artistic activity consisting of exhibitions, programs, and screenings for the Cooper Union community, neighborhood and city at large.

  cooper.edu/about/galleries-auditoriums