Inside George Mason’s first VR art classroom, students build new worlds

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When students step into AVT 496 Intro to VR for the Artist, they're not just walking into another studio course-they're entering entirely new worlds of their own making. George Mason University's School of Art launched the course this spring, marking its first-ever deep dive into virtual reality (VR) as an artistic medium.

AVT 496 student presents their virtual reality world. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding.

Taught by John von Bergen, assistant professor of sculpture and expanded fields, the class meets inside the Mason Innovation Exchange (MIX) and previously held workshops in the visualization and virtual reality lab in Research Hall. For many students, it's their first time creating art in a fully immersive digital space.

Von Bergen designed the course to give artists hands-on experience with emerging tools shaping the future of digital art. His students primarily use Open Brush, a VR painting program that lets them draw, sculpt, and animate in 3D space using a wide range of virtual brushes.

"I imagine that there will be way more job opportunities for students who have the diverse skillset that relates to new media and potentially digital art fabrication," von Bergen said. "Exploring these tools in class helps students see what's possible."

There are 16 students in the course, which builds on the work students completed in his fall Aesthetics class, AVT 307. Five students from AVT 307 volunteered to create a pilot VR project titled "The Real Reality," now displayed in video form on the Digital Wall at Fuse at Mason Square.

Digital Wall at Fuse at Mason Square. Photo by Shayla Brown/Office of University Branding.

The project showcases the students' first experiments with Open Brush-floating landscapes, glowing brushstrokes, and imaginative environments that stretch beyond the limits of traditional studio materials.

For sophomore art and visual technology major Ash Porrata, the course has been transformative. "This course experience has not only made me a better artist, but a better team member," she said. "It was really a group effort making something of this scale. We had to communicate constantly and work with Fuse faculty to keep everything on track."

Porrata, who hopes to become an animation director, said the VR tools opened up new creative possibilities. "Having access to the virtual world and virtual art is really inspiring. Getting to explore another side of visual art will be so helpful in the job market."

Junior transfer student Mason Caporuscio came into the course with no VR experience at all. By the end of the semester, he had built an entire virtual kitchen scene-complete with a fruit basket, a loaf of bread, a bar stool, and a wine glass.

"We each built our own world on the headsets, and the video just rotates through them, kind of like musical chairs," he said. "There was so much variety."

Mason Caporuscio presents his virtual reality world. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding.

Other students created fantasy forests, amusement park inspired spaces, and surreal environments that could only exist in VR.

Behind the scenes, the course has been supported by several George Mason partners. The Department of Computer Science provided much of the equipment, with faculty member Craig Yu offering guidance. MIX makerspace manager Max Kazemzadeh helped the class set up its own VR lab inside the MIX. Additional funding came from the School of Art, the Research and Teaching Support Fund, and the Office of Student Creative Activities and Research. The course will be offered again in Spring 2027.

"There are a lot of technical aspects that aren't typical for a sculpture class," von Bergen said. "Building good relationships with other colleges has been instrumental."

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