Nine original augmented reality pieces will be available for public viewing in downtown Vicksburg’s Liberty Lanes through the summer.
WMU students enrolled in a kinetic imaging program at the university’s Frostic School of Art launched the unique augmented reality art project in downtown Vicksburg in early June.
It can only be experienced if the user has access to a QR code reader. Students will showcase nine original artworks in a variety of techniques, including 3D modeling, immersive video, digital drawing, animation, and sound.
The project opened June 9 with some of the students, Frostic art instructor Micah Alhadeff, Prairie Ronde Artist Residency Director John Kern, and Vicksburg Village Manager Jim Mallery. Kern helped coordinate the event with the school and village. The exhibit will run through September 8.
The nine pieces will be showcased in an art walk format along the Liberty Lane alleyways in the heart of downtown Vicksburg. Visitors simply locate signage containing the QR code posted on designated spaces along the alleyway, point their phone to unlock and view the art. No app or registration is necessary and there is no cost associated with the project.
Although rare for such a unique offering to be available in a smaller community such as Vicksburg, Kern’s connections to WMU and the village’s strong summertime visitor draw with its weekly “Burg Days” events and annual Vicksburg Old Car Festival helped bring the project to the village.
“Our goal is to showcase the original AR artworks created by WMU students in a way most community members haven’t encountered before, in a public, accessible setting,” Kern said. “Our vibrant downtown and major summer events seemed like a great fit. We can’t wait to see people’s reactions to these digital pieces!”
Augmented reality layers digital objects into the physical world through a phone’s camera. An AR artwork can include multiple types of media: virtual sculpture, animation, video, and sound that appear to inhabit real space. Visitors can access the work by scanning a QR code from any mobile device, with no app download required.
AR artwork can be placed on the ground, on walls, or suspended in the sky. Like sculpture, it can be viewed from multiple angles, but unlike traditional sculpture, it responds and transforms. Animations shift, sound changes, and the work can evolve based on how a visitor moves through or interacts with it.
“This interactive quality opens the door to digital storytelling in public space, turning the alleyway into a gallery,” said Alhadeff. “Visitors don’t just observe the artwork; they become part of it, making each experience personal and memorable.”
“Our weekly Burg Days events and the annual Vicksburg Old Car Festival provide a unique opportunity to bring digital artwork into the community, redefining how art can exist in public space,” Mallery said. “I’m excited to see residents and visitors encountering public art in a new way while also taking in the natural beauty of our public spaces.”
