May 29, 2024

Take Another Look:

"Art Infused Technology and the Internet of Things on the Rail Trail"


Take Another Look: "Art Infused Technology and the Internet of Things on the Rail Trail"


Join us for the second of 3 episodes all about art and technology. joni will be in Gallery One talking with Artist Celestino Crowhill, CNM Course Instructor Dr. Brian Rashap, and DTI Director Mark Leech.

Listen and watch Take Another Look on:

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Meet the Guests

Celestino Crowhill, he/him, is a sustainable designer and fabricator studying art and ecology. He is a new media sculptor who works as an exhibit fabricator. He is also a musician.


As a 5th generation New Mexican, who is from Las Cruces, New Mexico, Celestino comes from a family who has been active in the community for those 5 generations in organizations such as Raza Unidad Party, Chicano studies, anti fracking legislation, Palestinian advocacy and immigration jurisprudence. Since age 17, he has served his community through social justice, teaching, sobriety, public art and practicing cultural traditions.

Brian Rashap, Ph.D. is the lead instructor for the Internet of Things and Rapid Prototyping immersive course at CNM. Brian spent nearly a quarter of a century at Intel Corporation where he was most recently the General Manager of Corporate Services for the Americas Region. In this role, he was responsible for Intel physical infrastructure and facilities in the United States and Canada, including three large manufacturing sites. His team managed facilities operations, building services, construction, environmental health and safety, and on-site employee conveniences. In addition, he had managed Intel's aviation program and drove an internal drone operations program to improve safety, cost, and productivity. Brian's past roles include running the manufacturing operations for Intel's highest volume wafer fabrication facility, as well as leading the engineering to ramp Intel's High-K / Metal Gate technology into high volume manufacturing. Throughout his Intel career, Brian drove the implementation of technology and IoT to improve building, manufacturing, facilities, and building capabilities and performance.


Prior to Intel, Brian received his B.S.E., M.S.E. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan. His doctoral work focused on the application of Control Theory to improving semiconductor manufacturing processes. He worked at the NASA Langley Research Center on control of large unmanned space structures, as well as autonomous space-based robotics. Brian has been involved in helping entrepreneurs start and grow businesses. He is an Angel Investor and a member of the board of directors of an Albuquerque-based technology start-up company. Additionally, he is a member of a board of a Santa Fe-based start-up accelerator for cultural entrepreneurs.

Mark Leech is the Deputy Director of Technology and Innovation at the City of Albuquerque. Previously, he managed the Albuquerque Police Department Technical Services Unite. Between 2008 and 2016, Leech led the City's efforts in open data, transparency and innovation. As a software developer, he has worked extensively in both public and private sectors.


Leech is leading the department in collaborations with local educational institutions and tech companies in support of Smart City initiatives. He supports finding and fostering resources to ensure Albuquerque continues to be a leader in tech and stays competitive in future markets.

Learn More About the People, Places, and Projects Discussed in Episode 11

Department of Technology and Innovation (DTI)

Learn about the City of Albuquerque's Department of Technology & Innovation.

In 2022, the City of Albuquerque was named a winner in IDC Government Insights' fifth annual Smart Cities North America Awards.


The awards recognize the progress North American municipalities have made in executing Smart Cities projects, as well as providing a forum for sharing best practices to help accelerate Smart City development in the region. The City took the top spot in the Education category for its partnership with Central New Mexico Community College IoT Bootcamp.


Learn more about the Smart City Initiative.

CNM Ingenuity's IoT Bootcamp

Check out the YouTube video to learn more about:

  • The Internet of Things (IoT)
  • CNM Ingenuity's IoT and Rapid Prototyping Bootcamp
  • How CNM and the City of Albuquerque have partnered to provide students with real world problems
  • How CNM and the City of Albuquerque are investing in developing students' ideas as part of the Smart City Initiative

Learn more about the Internet of Things Bootcamp and follow @iotfreq on Instagram to learn more about students' projects.


Visit Deep Dive Coding or find them on Instagram and Facebook to learn about the Bootcamp Courses and sign up for the Deep Dive Coding newsletter.

Internet of Things Artists

Working in partnership with the City's Department of Technology and Innovation as well as the City's Public Art Urban Enhancement Division and the CNM Ingenuity, two groups of artists participated in the 10 week Internet of Things and Rapid Prototyping Bootcamp.


The ten artists learned how to blend public art concepts with basic internet driven technology to create interactive and science based public art prototypes for the Rail Trail. Learn more about the participating artists and their capstone projects:

Prototype: Rail Trail Art & Technology Internet of Things Exhibition at Gallery One

Prototype Exhibition at Gallery One

Be sure to visit Gallery One in City Hall to check out the Prototype: Rail Trail Art & Technology Internet of Things Exhibition featuring the ten participating artists' prototypes or concepts for public artworks that could someday be enlarged and installed along the proposed Rail Trail.


Check out CNM's article "Internet of Things Bootcamp Graduates Host Tech-Inspired Art Show" to learn more about the course and exhibition.


Celestino Crowhill's prototype "Rail Trail Reimagined" is an interactive art installation that simulates natural weather patterns indoors.

Using blocks of ice to represent rainfall, this exhibit adapts rammed earth and concrete molded sculptures with sensors to measure the moisture levels of melting ice. There are 8 sides to the pitch so that the sensors can track which direction the rain is falling. Atmospheric pressure in pascals are displayed, which indicate if it is going to rain, while also telling the temperature and humidity.

Images of Celestino Crowhill's prototype, "Rail Trail Reimagined," 2024

Crowhill's installation offers gallery visitors a tactile and visual exploration of water's role in both art and ecology. As the ice slowly melts, sensors collect critical data demonstrating the fluctuating dynamics of water in our environment. This data is displayed through an integrated LED interface that enhances the viewer's understanding of water conservation challenges and the impact of climate conditions on local ecosystems.


Through this immersive experience, Crowhill invites the audience to reflect on the convergence of art, technology and ecology in a compelling, visually striking format that is both informative and inspiring.


All 10 IoT prototypes, plus Charles Mattox's historical "art and technology" public artwork from the City's collection, commissioned in 1986, will be on display in Gallery One through June 7. The exhibition is free and open to the public.


Gallery One is open 10 - 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Gallery One is located on the first floor of City Hall at 1 Civic Plaza NW.

More Resources

Are you interested in learning more about art and technology?!

Episode 12 Sneak Peek: Art and Technology

Join us for episode 12 where Danicia Monét Malone and Mandolen Sanchez talk about the Public Art Census in Bernalillo County and how technology can be used to analyze, evaluate, and inform public art.

City of Albuquerque Public Art Urban Enhancement Division | cabq.gov/publicart

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