SciArt Magazine - All Issues December 2015 | Page 24

Hubble and Beyond:
A Quarter Century
of Science & Art from
the Hubble Space
Telescope, a talk by
NASA astrophysicist
Dr. Amber Straughn
(March 10, 2014).
Credit: Art.Science.
Gallery.

Davis, took part in the exhibition made up of screenprints, publications, and apparel exploring concepts of
micro and macro within our universe, including their
scale and interactivity. CogDut’s installation involved a
four–screen press that featured the phrases “Art,” “Science,” “is in,” and “is out.” The screen was staffed during
the exhibition’s opening reception, where visitors were
invited to bring clothing upon which they could screen
print any combination of those phrases.
Another show from the fall of 2014 celebrated women
in science throughout history by featuring unique portraits in combination with scholarly talks that included
a look at 19th–century mathematician Ada Lovelace
and the complicated lenses through which her story is
viewed, as well as a discussion about the importance of
female role models for girls interested in STEM. Furthermore, their “Images of Women in Science Wikipedia
Edit–A–Thon” taught attendees how to look for and
lawfully add images to Wikipedia in order to, as stated
by the press release, “illustrate the history of women in
STEM.”
Currently Art.Science.Gallery. features “In Danger
(or, you should really, really give a shit),” an exhibition
about species decline, extinction, and our in/direct
involvement. With the help of exhibition partners The
Dumpster Project, The Center for Biological Diversity’s
Endangered Species Condoms, and the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, the show not only forces audience
members to deal with the situation at hand, but uses
art as a tool to help get messaging across, educational
materials out, and demand support from political leaders
capable of making legislative change. A postcard writ-

24

ing station, for example, invites visitors to write calls for
action to global political leaders that will be mailed out
en masse following the exhibition’s closing. In addition,
educational materials are available to take home that
spell out steps to lessen one’s environmental impact.
This is, of course, in addition to several special events
that include talks, classes, a conservation biology field
trip, and more.
To say the least, Art.Science.Gallery. is a space that
initiates not only education but also involvement. By focusing on process and participation, as well as by utilizing creativity with every step, the space builds important
bridges by simultaneously teaching the Austin community about science and scientists how to communicate
more effectively about their work. Yet perhaps even
more importantly, the space helps to support the careers
of emerging and established artists. Indeed, there are
no better teachers or spokespeople than those working
in the science–based art field. As Gillespie put it, “Both
those trained as ‘artists’ and as ‘scientists’ are trained to
seek out novelty, to contribute to their fields in new and
exciting ways. I think those science-based artists who
can effortlessly blend the two are the most innov