10/23/2024 Siv Schwink for Illinois Physics
Creative works by 12 student artists are on display, entered as application to the new Resident Artist in Physics position in the Illinois Physics department.
Written by Siv Schwink for Illinois Physics
A juried art exhibition opening Monday, November 4, at the Link Gallery, will feature creative works by Illinois students in any medium entered in the show as application to the new Resident Artist in Physics Program at Illinois Physics. Twelve artists have entered the show, some with multiple exhibits. Their works will be on display through November 29. The creator of the exhibit selected Best in Show by an external juror will be named the inaugural resident artist at Illinois Physics for one semester, spring 2025.
The art residency provides monetary support, a workspace in Loomis Lab, and the creative freedom to explore any aspect of physics, in any medium. The resident artist will take inspiration from the leading-edge physics research being done in the department and will create at least one art installation or performance piece during their tenure.
The new residency program is established through the joint efforts of the Illinois School of Art & Design and Illinois Physics and is funded in part through a grant from the National Science Foundation, with additional sponsorship from the Illinois Center for Advanced Studies of the Universe (ICASU). The program is being organized by Illinois Physics Professor Nico Yunes, who is the founding director of ICASU, by ICASU outreach coordinator Jessica Raley, and by Illinois School of Art & Design and Department of African American Studies Professor Patrick Earl Hammie, the James Avery Endowed Chair at Illinois.
Hammie says by connecting art and physics, the Resident Artist in Physics Program promises to spark fresh questions and foster new advancements across both fields at Illinois.
“Scientific advancements inspire artists to imagine techniques and methods that push the boundaries of creative expression. At the same time, artistic problem-solving and speculation offer scientists new ways to understand phenomena and innovate beyond established ideas,” says Hammie. “By expanding creative and analytical thinking across both disciplines, the new residency will foster a richer and more holistic community acting toward deeper understandings that advance societal and cultural conditions.”
The art show is free and open to the public. The Link Gallery, which adjoins both the Krannert Art Museum and the School of Art & Design, is dedicated to the exhibition of student work all year round. It is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A reception for all the exhibitors will be held on Wednesday, November 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the gallery. This is a public event, and Illinois Physics faculty and students are encouraged to attend.
Renowned textile artist Lindsay Olson, whose creative works take inspiration from science and technology, will serve as the external juror. Olson is herself currently serving as artist-in-residence at the Wetlands Initiative in Chicago. In 2014, she was selected Fermi National Accelerator’s first artist-in-residence. She has also collaborated on artistic works with the CMS experiment at CERN in Switzerland, with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, with the Field Museum, and with the Chicago Botanic Garden. Her work has been shown at the Schingoethe Museum, Zhou Brothers Art Gallery, the Field Museum, and the University of New Hampshire. She is a graduate of Columbia College where she taught for over twenty years.
The Best in Show winner and inaugural resident artist in physics at Illinois will be announced prior to the exhibition’s closing. Two additional award winners will also be announced at that time, one selected by Illinois Physics Head of Department and Professor Matthias Grosse Perdekamp, the other by Illinois School of Art & Design Director and Professor Brooke White.