Hollie Leggett

I am a Spatial Computing/VR Assistant Programmer here at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, where I work with the Creative Entrepreneurship department to visualize climate change, specifically focusing on permafrost thaw in remote regions in Alaska. My experience in this role has been exhilarating, eye-opening and…COOL!

During our multiple trips to Alaska, I may be described as a cyborg, using advanced tools like backpack LIDAR scanners, VR headsets and other wearable technology. A crazy day could include me walking through a permafrost tunnel that reeks of methane and decaying matter or crawling through an ice cave on my hands and knees looking at the ice crystals through an Apple Vision Pro. But a typical day includes me sitting in my office on the fourth floor of MCAD with four different screens surrounding me at all times and a VR headset half on my head, processing the data from our summer fieldwork. Whether I’m out in the wild or back in the office I find myself looking at the world through a screen, being a vessel to give the technology eyes.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to use art as a tool for change and activism. MCAD played a pivotal role in preparing me for this role, not just through its curriculum but through its vibrant community. In particular, critiques with professors like Piotr Szyhalski and Ben Moren challenged me to think critically about how art and technology can work together to address social issues. While I learned a lot in the classroom, it was often outside of class—interacting with fellow students and being part of a creative, interdisciplinary environment—that I truly understood the power of using technology for good. Today, I’m able to communicate the urgency of climate change and connect with diverse communities through the universal language of visual media.