Return of “The Art of a Scientist”—Call for Submissions
Applications are open for artists and scientists who would like to contribute work to a collaborative exhibition of science as art.
For most of last summer, the Ruby’s exhibition space was filled with the work of scientists. The Art of a Scientist, an exhibition conceived and curated by three Duke graduate students in the biological sciences, was a showcase for the beauty and creativity of scientific imagery. It was also a platform for artists to create new work in response to that imagery and the ideas behind it. The exhibition included contributions from 22 scientists and 13 artists, and caught the attention of reporters not only at WUNC but also Smithsonian.com.
After the great success of their premiere, the organizers are planning to repeat the show this summer. Their call for contributions follows—please share far and wide.
The Art of a Scientist is back! We will be reprising our innovative exploration of the interaction between art and science in 2019. We are currently accepting applications from local artists who would like to pair with a scientist to create a unique interpretation of one or more scientific images, and from Duke University STEM graduate students interested in pairing with a local artist or creating their own artwork based on their scientific research.
As contributors, artists will use their talents to help bring science to life. Artists will be paired with a scientist and discuss the different aspects of his/her research. Then, in the medium of their choosing, they will craft a piece inspired from those discussions and the submitted scientific piece. On opening night, all of our artist-scientist pairs will be present to view and learn. This event would not be possible without the generous contributions of time and work, and we cannot thank our contributors enough!
This year, we are asking scientists to submit pieces related to our theme, ACTION/REACTION (styled “(RE)ACTION”). We would like the contributions by artists to tie into this theme, as well, but the connection can be as subtle or unexpected as you like! We can’t wait to see how you and your scientist partner interpret the theme.
At this time, all submissions to the exhibit are on a volunteer basis. Each artists’ piece is their own, and they will receive it back at the end of the exhibit’s run. You can also offer the piece for purchase to the public (this information can be listed on our press materials for additional visibility) during the exhibit’s run, but we ask that buyers do not collect the pieces until the exhibit is finished (likely the end of June 2019). Small honoraria to cover the cost of supplies may be available on an individual basis.
We look forward to working with everyone on this year’s exhibit!
The Art of a Scientist is presented under the auspices of the graduate student group Duke INSPIRE. Follow the link below if you would like to participate.