A new series of exhibitions, “Artistic Expression of Original Research” (AEOR), showcases artworks created by University of Arizona STEM graduate students to communicate their scientific findings through art. The first exhibition opens Nov. 22 at the Arizona Astrobiology Center.
The program invites participants to translate their research into creative formats such as painting, sculpture, music, and writing. The goal is to present complex ideas in visually engaging and accessible ways, bridging academic and public audiences.
The initiative, funded by the Arizona Institute for Resilience, was co-organized by Jessica Maccaro, a fifth-year Ph.D. student at the University of California-Riverside, and Ellen McMahon, associate dean for research for the University of Arizona College of Fine Arts.
“I was struck by how many of the STEM grads were already deeply engaged in arts practices,” said McMahon. “The weekend residential workshop with arts grad students inspired and encouraged the STEM students to integrate the arts into their understanding of the context and meaning of their science research. The resulting exhibitions demonstrate the power of the arts to bridge disciplines and connect with broader audiences.”
Maccaro is president of SciComm@UCR, a student organization at UC-Riverside working to communicate science in creative ways. She was introduced to McMahon through Ethan Jahn, a recent UC-Riverside graduate of UC-Riverside now working at the University of Arizona in High Performance Computing.
“I’ve been studying the effect of this type of art-science collaboration on community members that come to the exhibitions and the grad students who go through the program,” said Maccaro.
The program began with a three-day retreat where STEM and arts graduate students collaborated with artistic techniques and ways of knowing. The retreat featured artists-led workshops across mediums from poetry, animation, screen-printing, illustration, music, puppetry, and sculpting. The retreat served as a space to co-incubate ideas between disciplines and brainstorm the STEM graduate students’ final artworks.
Through the process of creating art, researchers gain a deeper understanding of their work and a new way to communicate its significance. The exhibitions invite audiences to engage with the research in an accessible and emotional way, helping to bridge the gap between scientific and non-scientific communities.
Exhibition Schedule
Admission to all exhibitions is free, and light refreshments will be provided.
- Arizona Astrobiology Center
Sonett Space Sciences Building
Nov. 22, 4–7 p.m. - Tumamoc Hill Boathouse
Dec. 7, 3–6 p.m. - Tucson Festival of Books
March 15
Artistic Expression
AEOR brings together science, art, outreach and community building, encouraging STEM graduate students to transform their original scientific research into art. The program creates space for interdisciplinary collaboration, fostering deeper insights into both scientific content and personal perspectives.
Through translating their science into art, students can not only communicate science in a new way but also understand it in a new light. Besides simply clarifying facts, they discover what their science means to them and their community. Art acts as the connecting thread between people from different backgrounds because it allows science to be expressed and understood in an accessible, affective, and enjoyable way. For many STEM graduate students this is their first experience blending the arts and sciences and discovering boundless possibilities at this intersection.
Acknowledgements
AEOR is supported by the Technology and Research Initiative Fund/Water, Environmental, and Energy Solutions Initiative administered by the University of Arizona Office for Research, Innovation and Impact and the Arizona Institute for Resilience.