Production still: Laurie Anderson in residence in 2022 working on her new project, ARK in the EMPAC Theater.
Students at EMPAC
From student work to research and performance opportunities, extracurricular clubs to special events, EMPAC offers a range of ways for Rensselaer students to be involved.
Attending Events
Student Event Admission
All events of the EMPAC curatorial program are open to Rensselaer students at the reduced price of $6 for advance tickets and free rush entry for shows not sold out in advance.
Tickets for non-Rensselaer students are available at the reduced rate of $15.
Talks, tours, and work-in-progress events are always free to attend.
Class Attendance to Events
Professors receive free admission for events they incorporate into course curricula. Request Tickets.
We invite all Rensselaer students to delve deeper into the experimental media and performing arts. By joining the EMPAC⊕ discord, you'll gain access to a vibrant community of like-minded peers and will be the first to know about special opportunities exclusively for Rensselaer students.
Working at EMPAC
A large number of student workers support EMPAC’s operation in the box office, as ushers, and with the various production (video, audio, IT, stage, lighting), administrative (artist services, design/marketing), and curatorial teams. EMPAC is one of the largest employers of students on the Rensselaer campus and uses an apprenticeship model to train student workers.
Current openings:
All jobs currently filled, please check back.
Academic Support
Department of the Arts
Each year, the Rensselaer Department of the Arts programs seven productions utilizing the infrastructure and support of the production teams at EMPAC. These productions often include final graduate thesis projects that are developed in the venues themselves.
The Rensselaer Orchestra uses the EMPAC Concert Hall as a rehearsal space and presents a concert here toward the end of each semester.
EMPAC curators often participate in critiquing graduate student work. Additional meetings and workshops connecting artists-in-residence with classes in the arts department are taking place every semester.
In coming semesters, the professional audio production staff and environment will be integrated into specific projects within audio technology classes in the department.
Art_X@Rensselaer
As a part of the Rensselaer initiative to integrate art across the institute’s curriculum, EMPAC hosts interdisciplinary Art_X classes taught by faculty who use the EMPAC-curated program as an artistic and experiential part of the class’s specific topic of inquiry.
Research
Students are often involved with research projects conducted by Rensselaer faculty using EMPAC infrastructure.
Extracurricular Clubs
Outside of events, productions, and classes, EMPAC is a meeting place for student groups.
PULSE
The People Using Live Software and Electronics (PULSE) working group and lab is a forum for students interested in producing live audio by experimenting with musical hardware and various digital audio workstations (DAWs). The lab culminates in a performance hosted by EMPAC at the end of each semester.
Facilitated by Jonathan Givan, PULSE meets every Wednesday, 5–7PM in EMPAC Studio Beta.
To get involved or for more info, please contact Jonathan.
Patrick Quinn's pass•age installed in Studio 1 as one of the arts department seven slots in 2019. Photo: Shannon K. Johnson/EMPAC.
Our Town, A contemporary, multimedia reimagining of Thornton Wilder’s classic play, this 2017 production was a collaborative effort by the RPI Players, EMPAC, and Arts faculty Rebecca Rouse.