An introduction to the great outdoors at a young age has blossomed into a life revolving around making environmentally conscious choices for Zack Jacobson-Weaver, the Materials Fabrication Studio coordinator at the School of Art & Design.
Jacobson-Weaver says his love of the outdoors stretches back as far as he can remember. Although he has lived in Michigan since the age of 13, his first experiences with nature were in his birthplace, West Virginia. “It was pretty spectacular because I was able to grow up in the woods. It was safe and my friends and I would explore the wilderness, sometimes miles and miles away from home. I think as a kid that really stokes your imagination,” he says.
Photo by Scott Soderberg, U-M Photo Services.
His move to Michigan facilitated a new perspective toward the wilderness considering his father worked as a special agent for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “He was a sort of superhero to me. Watching him was kind of like James Bond meets Ace Ventura,” he says.
These myriad encounters with the outdoors later inspired his art aesthetic. “What better designer than Mother Nature?” he says. His artwork strives to exist in an environmental habitat without disrupting any aspect of its natural state of being. “I figure out why something bothers me, do my best to divorce my personal politics and focus on a larger issue at hand,” he says. Most recently, Jacobson-Weaver created collapsible shelters made of plastic and nylon that are both functional as well as not harmful to the environment when used.
While on the clock, Jacobson-Weaver runs what would most simply be translated as the School of Art & Design’s sculpture studio. Considering hundreds of students have access to this space that is overflowing with dangerous heavy machinery, Jacobson-Weaver acts as a sort of security guard, making sure it is handled carefully and properly. On top of managing the organizational and safety aspects, each day he is asked by professors and students to lend his expertise, demonstrating how to use a variety of 3-D materials such as wood, metal, plastic, clay or wax.
An alumnus of the School of Art & Design, Jacobson-Weaver says recent technological advances have drastically changed the learning process for contemporary art students. “How do you convince someone the virtues of hand drawing when they can use a much quicker software program? It makes you feel somewhere between a dinosaur and a Zen master. Are you timeless or are you heading for extinction?” he says.
Jacobson-Weaver enjoys extending his knowledge into any creative outlet possible, especially those involving the Ann Arbor art community. He’s collaborated with projects in the Ann Arbor Film Festival, the Witt visiting artist program and the Shadow Art Fair. “Ann Arbor has been a cultural nirvana for me compared to growing up in Franklin, West Virginia, population 850. I try to take advantage of every opportunity possible,” he says.
“I don’t really leave work. It’s all the same life. One choice and one creative solution after another.”
The weekly Spotlight features staff members at the university. To nominate a candidate, please contact the Record staff at [email protected].
