Scholarship Roundup

Young, ambitious dreamers: Rodeo Austin presents its next class of scholarshiprecipients

Gifts from US founder and Rodeo Austin Scholarship recipient Katherine Layton.

Every year, Rodeo Austin gathers many of the best and brightest students from across the state for a posed photo in front of the 35-foot bronze star outside of the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.

More than just a fancy photo op, this is the Rodeo's documentation of the 40 or so smiling faces that represent the year's batch of well-deserving scholarship recipients who have gathered together for the annual Rodeo Austin Scholarship Awards Ceremony.

And there's a reason these young men and women are smiling as well. During this year's ceremony, whihc will be held Thursday evening at 6 p.m. on that revered lawn, Rodeo Austin is awarding a record $453,000 to these 44 future leaders and dreamers.

One of their predecessors, Katherine Layton, a third-year Human Development and Family Sciences student at The University of Texas, will be in attendance to share her experiences as a Rodeo Austin scholar with the incoming class of 2012.

After being awarded $8,000 in scholarships from Rodeo Austin, Layton went on to found a nonprofit organization called Gifts from US, which she devised in response to the devastating wildfires that affected her hometown of Bastrop, TX.

In 2011, Layton collected money, clothing and necessities alongside a number of partnering organizations for victims of the wildfire. This year, she held a giant garage sale to benefit the tornado victims in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Eventually, she plans to take the organization nationwide and make the "US" in the title stand for the entire United States.

Inspiring stories like Layton's have long been a tradition of the Rodeo Austin scholarship recipients, and a reason for the educational focus of Rodeo Austin and The Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo, which contributes more than $2 million annually to the continued education of Texas youth.

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The Rodeo Austin Scholarship Awards Ceremony begins Thursday, Aug 9 at 6 p.m. at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.

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SKIN IN THE GAME

Renowned Hill Country tattoo artist inks new sacred geometry app

Photo courtesy of Dillon Forte

Dillion Forte at his "tattoo ranch" in the Texas Hill Country.

In the world of tattooing, there may seem to be few better rat traps left to build, but Dillon Forte aims to change that. In October, the renowned Wimberley-based tattoo artist and entrepreneur introduced a new iPadOS app to bring ancient symbology into the digital age.

Forte has made a worldwide name for his black dot work (a contemporary take on stick-and-poke techniques) and ambitious undertakings like tattooing underwater and opening a “tattoo ranch.” His ink appears on Usher, Chris Hemsworth, and Kehlani.

Still, he is most recognized for his sacred geometry designs, using patterns to convey various meanings. His interest led him to create the Sacred Geometry Drawing App, a convenient way for novices and experts to develop and export their creations.

The app grew out of his own practice. Over the past decade, he has used tablets and freehand techniques to achieve his highly symmetrical artwork but grew to realize existing tools were not always easy to use.

“The app is an attempt and fulfillment of my desire to make sacred geometry accessible and bring the ability to create into the fingertips of as many people as possible,” Forte tells CultureMap via email, adding a tagline: “symmetry made simply.”

He says he wished the app was available when developing his signature style as a tattoo artist, but it was designed with a broad range of users in mind. He hopes that designers, educators, and artists will find a use for it.

A short intro to the app's capabilities is available on YouTube. It looks like a standard drawing app, starting with a blank canvas and some tools like pens, pencils, colors, and of course, straight line and dot makers.

A "symmetry index" anchors the functionality and expands it to something between 2D art and 3D modeling. In addition to generating shapes like repeating patterns and spirals, the app also creates 3D shapes with grids, so that the artist can map their design in real space or even create sculptures. There is also an index for explaining the spiritual meaning of some standard designs.

“Geometry often prompts an intimidating feeling when it comes to making art,” Forte continues. “The fundamentally complex and often academic nature of math-based art can induce a sense of fear in the potential user instead of creating a sense of awe. The purpose of the sacred geometry app is to cultivate the latter."

Creatives interested in constructing their own geometric masterpieces can download the app at the App Store for free, and in-app purchases are available.

technology apps tattoos arts