Lectures on Tap - "Animation: Just For Kids?"

📍 Location: Exact address given in confirmation email

🧠 Lecture: "Animation: Just For Kids?"

🎤 Speaker: Aria A. Dines, M.F.A

Join us for a thought‑provoking evening as Animation Director and Educator Aria A. Dines challenges the widespread belief that animation is “just for children.” When did this powerful art form shift in the public imagination from a medium for creative expression to a kids-only genre?

In this lecture, Aria will trace how perceptions of animation have evolved over time and explore how animators past and present push back against that misconception. Through examples of work that tackles complex, mature themes, she’ll reveal how animation uniquely illuminates the many facets of the human condition.

Aria specializes in 2D rigging for characters and assets, blending intuitive storytelling with technical precision to create visually gratifying, emotionally resonant films. Her work has been awarded and officially selected at numerous international and domestic film festivals, and she has presented her research at universities and conferences worldwide, including the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.

Aria has collaborated extensively with Toon Boom Animation Inc. as an Ambassador, Animation Consultant, and Beta Tester, and she currently serves as Assistant Professor of Interactive Media – Animation at Bradley University.

Get a drink, connect, and learn at Lectures on Tap! 🙌

Agenda

6:30 PM – Doors open: find a seat (open seating!), order food & drinks, and expect a bar line—arriving early is key.

6:55 PM – Host introduction

7:00 PM – Lecture begins

7:45 PM – Audience Q&A

8:00 PM – Have 1:1 time with the speaker, mingle with fellow guests, and order another round

8:30 PM – Wrap up.