Perspectives: Examining Complex Ecological Dynamics through Arts, Humanities and Science Integration, Nevada Museum of Art • Reno, Nevada June 19-21, 2015
Proposal (NSF DEB-1543827) | Participant packet | Photos | Workshop report (will be posted when completed)
"The purpose of this workshop is to advance the integration of the arts and humanities (AH) with science in the interest of addressing complex ecological and social-ecological challenges.
This effort is emerging organically from the recent groundswell in arts and humanities activities associated with Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) network sites (www.ecologicalreflections.com) and Field Stations and Marine Labs (FSML), and is expanding to incorporate an array of other organizations active in art and science integrative research and public outreach.
Through this workshop, we aim to expand the depth and breadth of interdisciplinary efforts and to map a path forward in which AH contributes not only to outreach and education efforts, but also to fundamental inquiry and analyses of the grand challenges facing ecosystems and social-ecological systems. By integrating these different means of inquiry and observation, challenges may be met with greater power and insight than each discipline can offer in isolation."
Why are field research stations even interested in art?
Overview of the Recent National Academy of Science Publication on the Future of Field Stations and Marine Laboratories (FSMLs)
Jerry Schubel, President and CEO, Aquarium of the Pacific:
* * *
What are artists already doing at field sites? Why are they doing it?
Art of the Anthropocene
Bill Fox, Director, Nevada Museum of Art - Center for Art + Environment:
* * *
Does art make us see the world differently than science does?
The Pliability of Perception
Art Shimamura, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute at the University of California, Berkeley
* * *
What is the nature of creativity?
The Emerging Field of Neuroaesthetics and Why the Linkage Between Arts and Sciences Actually Engages our Brains in a Different Way
Michael Casey, James Wright Professor, Depts. of Music and Computer Science, Dartmouth College
* * *
Can art make useful discoveries about the world (vs. traditional outreach and illustration)?
Art Experience vs. Science Experience
Brandon Ballengée, Artist and Biologist
What are the mandates that drive environmental (and other) art? What are the metrics for success? What’s the future?
Panel Discussion: Arts Funding
Bill O’Brien, Senior Advisor for Innovation to the Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts
Janet Brown, President and CEO, Grantmakers in the Arts
* * *
How Do You Work the Art/Science Interface and Get to Impact?
The Green Heart Project
Helen and Newton Harrison, Artists
* * *
What are the issues around integrating art and science?
* * *
Humanities in Action: A look at work in the science/philosophy interface to promote social action
Michael Nelson, Ruth H. Spaniol Chair of Renewable Resources, Oregon State University
* * *
Complex Program Case Study:
Master Class on How to Create and Build an International Arts-Science-Technology Program Putting Them on the Same Level, Using Arts@CERN as an Example
Ariane Koek, Founder of Arts@CERN
* * *
Proposal (NSF DEB-1543827) | Participant packet | Photos | Workshop report (will be posted when completed)
 |
| Dinner conversation |
This effort is emerging organically from the recent groundswell in arts and humanities activities associated with Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) network sites (www.ecologicalreflections.com) and Field Stations and Marine Labs (FSML), and is expanding to incorporate an array of other organizations active in art and science integrative research and public outreach.
Through this workshop, we aim to expand the depth and breadth of interdisciplinary efforts and to map a path forward in which AH contributes not only to outreach and education efforts, but also to fundamental inquiry and analyses of the grand challenges facing ecosystems and social-ecological systems. By integrating these different means of inquiry and observation, challenges may be met with greater power and insight than each discipline can offer in isolation."
Speaker Presentations:
Why are field research stations even interested in art?
Overview of the Recent National Academy of Science Publication on the Future of Field Stations and Marine Laboratories (FSMLs)
Jerry Schubel, President and CEO, Aquarium of the Pacific:
* * *
What are artists already doing at field sites? Why are they doing it?
Art of the Anthropocene
Bill Fox, Director, Nevada Museum of Art - Center for Art + Environment:
* * *
The Pliability of Perception
Art Shimamura, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute at the University of California, Berkeley
* * *
The Emerging Field of Neuroaesthetics and Why the Linkage Between Arts and Sciences Actually Engages our Brains in a Different Way
Michael Casey, James Wright Professor, Depts. of Music and Computer Science, Dartmouth College
* * *
Art Experience vs. Science Experience
Brandon Ballengée, Artist and Biologist
* * *
Panel Discussion: Arts Funding
Bill O’Brien, Senior Advisor for Innovation to the Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts
Janet Brown, President and CEO, Grantmakers in the Arts
* * *
The Green Heart Project
Helen and Newton Harrison, Artists
* * *
What are the issues around integrating art and science?
Overview of, “Steps to an Ecology of Networked Knowledge and Innovation", from the Sciences, Engineering, Arts, and Design (SEAD) Network.
Amy Ione, Artist and Educator
* * *
Michael Nelson, Ruth H. Spaniol Chair of Renewable Resources, Oregon State University
* * *
Master Class on How to Create and Build an International Arts-Science-Technology Program Putting Them on the Same Level, Using Arts@CERN as an Example
Ariane Koek, Founder of Arts@CERN
* * *
Interviews:
| Xavier Cortada, artist and activist |
| Brian Smith, STEM to STEAM leader |
| Art Shimamura, neuroscientist |
| Janet Brown, arts funding representative |
* * *
* * *
* * *
| Janet Brown, arts funding representative |
* * *
List of Workshop Products
List of Workshop Products
- Grant proposals:
- 2015 Planning Meeting (NSF DEB-1543827): Participant packet | Photos | Presentation videos (above) | NSF Progress Report (2016) |
- National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Coordination Network (RCN). Submitted, 2015. Resubmitted, 2016 (declined).
- Clore Foundation Fellow, art/sci program feasibility study (accepted)
- New York State Regional Economic Development Council funded a 2017 proposal from Harvestworks by Kevin Duggan:
- National Endowment for the Arts (NEA): NYC Harvestworks collaboration with Hubbard Brook, 2016. Lindsey Rustad and Kevin Duggan (declined):
"Art, Data and Ecology at NYS Field Stations" is a cultural mapping project to identify resources and best practices to support the creation and exhibition of new work by artists and cultural organizations in collaboration with biological field stations in New York State. Collaborators include the New York City Urban Field Station and the Huyck Preserve and Biological Research Station.
"Experimental Forest: Media Art, Data and Ecology: Harvestworks will partner with the Hubbard Brook Research Foundation and a network of biological field stations and Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites to support artist residencies on the creative use of environmental data. Six artists will collaborate with scientific researchers and staff at six national field stations – each with a distinct ecosystem and in many cases with decades of collected information—to develop new projects that can illuminate ecological issues and engage the public in new ways during in a time of intense environmental and climate change. Each location will produce public events centered on the residences, and outcomes will be broadly shared to inspire further collaborations between the arts and environmental research sites."
- Meetings:
- Bill Fox participated in several meetings as a direct result of the Reno workshop, including:
- 2016 Grantmakers in the Arts (GIA) strategic meeting in NYC on putting funders next to art/sci initiatives,
- 2017 NSF strategy meeting in Washington, DC
- Networking with additional potential partners, including:
- Los Angeles County Art Museum (LACMA). Faerthen Felix and Jeff Brown;
- Metabolic Studio, Los Angeles. Faerthen Felix and Newton Harrison;
- Alliance of Artist Communities. Faerthen Felix, Jeff Brown, Bill Fox;
- Western States Arts Foundation (WESTAF), Public Art Archive (PAA): Faerthen Felix;
- Lake Tahoe West. Jeff Brown (Jeff convinced the multi-agency forest planning project to embed an artist in the process).
- In 2016, OBFS approved a permanent ArtSciConverge committee at the request of Faerthen Felix and Jeff Brown.
- Artist/Scientist collaborations at field research sites:
- Symphony of Jellies. Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, CA. 2015. After the workshop, Jerry Schubel commissioned artist Marty Quinn to sonify jellyfish motion. This provided melodic components used by musicians Eddie Freeman and Marta Victoria to create a symphony performed by Los Angeles high school students in 2016. Photos.
- Ever/Perma multimedia art project by Xavier Cortada on climate change and methane in the Florida Everglades and in Alaskan permafrost, with Annie Duffy and Mary Beth Leigh as collaborators (University of Alaska Fairbanks), 2016.
- Sierra Nevada College MFA Program at Sagehen Creek Field Station, 2015-present.
- Since the workshop, UC Berkeley’s Sagehen Creek Field Station has expanded and formalized their artist-in-residence program in partnership with the Nevada Museum of Art - Center for Art + Environment. The program works as a demonstration project about the power of art/science collaboration for other field stations and marine labs. For instance, a recent project profiled artist works from Sagehen that demonstrate the power of combining art with science at field stations and marine labs.
- In conjunction with a consultant from Toronto, the Nevada Museum of Art - Center for Art + Environment developed a procedures manual for archiving scientific field station Artists-in-Residence materials. A manual for archiving Sagehen Creek Field Station Artist-in-Residence activities was drafted.
- Archiving artist/scientist collaboration efforts:
- Archive of #ArtSciConverge materials at the Nevada Museum of Art - Center for Art + Environment. NMA-CA+E also began archiving #ArtSciConverge materials for UC Berkeley's Sagehen Creek Field Station.
- In 2016, Bill Fox produced guidelines for these archives.
- ArtSciConverge presentations:
- 2015 LTER All-Scientists meeting. Working Group Session: "Engagement of Arts and Humanities in LTER Sites and Programs". Fred Swanson, Lindsey Rustad, Mary Beth Leigh, and others from the LTER. Aug. 30-Sept. 2, 2015. Estes Park, CO.
- Organization of Biological Field Stations (OBFS) 2015 annual meeting. Gothic, CO. Sept. 16-20, 2015. Concurrent Session: Faerthen Felix, Eric Nagy, Jon Garbisch, Murt Conover.
- Proposed Mt. Mansfield Center Review. Burlington, VT. April 18-19, 2016. Faerthen Felix, Lindsey Rustad.
- UC California Naturalist 2016 Statewide Conference. Los Angeles, CA. Sept. 9-11, 2016. Faerthen Felix, Charles Convis, Elkpen.
- Organization of Biological Field Stations 2016 meeting. Sept. 21-25, 2016. Sitka, AK. Concurrent Session: Faerthen Felix and Mark Shultze.
- Alliance of Artist Communities 2016 Conference. Oct. 4-7, 2016. Portland, OR. Breakout Session: "Cross Pollination: Art/Science Collaborations + Impact of Place". Faerthen Felix, Bill Fox, Deb Ford, Charles Goodrich.
- TEDx Fairbanks: Seeing the Elephant: Toward Reintegration of the Arts, Humanities, and Ecological Sciences. Mary Beth Leigh. Feb.21, 2016. Fairbanks, AK.
- Alliance for Arts at Research Universities (a2ru) Meeting. Nov. 3-5, 2016. Panel Session: "Ecological Reflections: Integrating the Arts and Humanities with Science at Long-Term Ecological Research Sites". Mary Beth Leigh, Fred Swanson, and others. Denver, CO.
- Fred Swanson has given talks at North Temperate Lakes LTER and the Oregon State University Hatfield Marine Science Center.
- Mary Beth Leigh has given invited seminars at Oregon State University (June, 2016) and North Dakota State University (Nov. 2016).
- Organization of Biological Field Stations 2017 meeting. Sept. 20-24, 2017. Itasca, MN. Concurrent Session: Sylvia Torti and Faerthen Felix.
- Alliance of Artist Communities 2017 Conference. Oct. 2-5, 2017. Denver, CO. Breakout Session: "Beyond the Studio: Art/Sci Collaborations". Nina Elder, Fred Swanson, Collin Haffey, Cedra Wood.
- Mary Beth Leigh has given oral presentations on this topic at:
- Oregon State University (June, 2016)
- Invited seminar North Dakota State University (Nov. 2016)
- Invited seminar University of Alaska Fairbanks (Sept. 2017)
- Faculty seminar 6th International Symposium on Biosorption and Biodegradation/Bioremediation, June 25-29 2017, Prague, Czech Republic
- Invited keynote lecture American Society for Microbiology Alaska Branch Meeting (Oct. 2017) in Anchorage, AK. Platform presentation
- Lindsey Rustad curated the online twitter account IAmArtSci for a week where she discussed our various ArtSciConverge projects
- Michael Nelson was consulted on environmental science, arts, and humanities projects by the University of Virginia’s new Resilience Institute and the Georgia Coastal Long-Term Ecological Research Program at UVA. Nelson gave a formal presentation and led three faculty discussions on the subject.
- Presentation to National Assoc. of Marine Labs (NAML) art/science committee about the activities of the ArtSciConverge committee of the Organization of Biological Field Stations (OBFS). Conference call, Faerthen Felix and Sylvia Torti. May 16, 2018.
- "The Sagehen Art Program: Why does Science Need Art?" Faerthen Felix.
- E.A.R.T.H. Lab studio course, UC Santa Cruz, CA. May 11, 2016.
- Sierra Club - Northern Sierra Chapter Meeting, Claire Tappan Lodge, CA. June 20, 2016.
- Art/Science Collaboration in the Great Basin. Playa, OR. April 22-25, 2016.
- Truckee, CA Morning Rotary, Aug. 15 2017.
- UC Santa Cruz Art and Environment Course. Santa Cruz, CA May 23, 2018.
- Truckee Arts Alliance, June 25, 2018.
- Workshop Press:
- Reno Gazette-Journal
- UC Natural Reserve System News:
- LTER Network Newsletter, 7/7/15
- Psychology Today blog post
- Grantmakers in the Arts blog post
- OBFS/NAML ArtSciConverge blog post
- WESTAF Blogathon on the Intersection of Arts and Science
- Social Media presence:
- #ArtSciConverge hashtag: FB | Twitter
- Facebook page
- Planned products:
- NSF Final Report (2018)
- WESTAF Public Art Archive (PAA) for field station artworks
- Structured coordination between Alliance of Artist Communities (AAC) and Organization of Biological Field Stations (OBFS)
- Faerthen Felix worked with the Organization of Biological Field Stations (OBFS) and the Alliance of Artist Communities (AAC) to map field stations and marine labs with artist residencies that have an interest in ecology. We continue to work to add additional residencies, since many FSMLs also produce research in the social sciences and the humanities.
- A short synthesis article focusing on the workshop is being planned by PI Leigh with Fred Swanson and Michael Nelson.
- Mary Beth Leigh, Michael Nelson, Lissy Goralnik, and Fred Swanson are writing a chapter in the forthcoming book “In The Challenges and Accomplishments of Long-Term Ecological Research: New Perspectives on the Past, Present, and Future of Ecological Science” (eds. Robert Waide and Sharon Kingsland) focused on the history of arts and humanities within the LTER Network.
- Section on art at FSMLs in an upcoming Handbook of Best Practices for Mountain Observatories
- National coordinator for art at FSMLs
- Facilitate scientist participation in artist residencies (2015-)
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