By Kara Chatterton, UCSB Professional Writing Minor, Art of Science Internship

The Art of Science is a competition hosted at The University of California, Santa Barbara that works to bring together researchers and artists to explore the intersection that lies between science and art. This year marks the 11th Annual Competition, which began as an idea from Dr. Jon Schuller, a professor in Electrical & Computer engineering back in 2014 as part of his NSF CAREER Award. The program has flourished as a collaboration with the Center for Science and Engineering Partnerships, the UCSB Library, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. This year we had 30 amazing entries from all across campus including undergraduates, graduates, and post-doctoral students. Each piece was evaluated by a panel of judges and awards of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd were given as well as People’s Choice, Best Data Visualization, Best Caption, and several Honorable Mentions. The Competition ended with an Artist’s Reception hosted at The Santa Barbara Museum of Art downtown. The exhibit will remain open and free to the public in the Family Resource Center until July 28, 2024.

During the Reception, artists had the opportunity to talk about their art and/or research background as well as inspiration for their pieces. Undergraduate Emme Birkholz, who won third place for her piece titled “entirely reciprocal” took inspiration from her reproductive biology research experiences guided by Dr. Caitlyn Taylor. The aim for her piece was to “encapsulate how interconnected reproductive biology and reproductive health is”.

First-place winner, Grace Lewin, was inspired by her graduate research studies. She is part of the Young Lab and studies the nutrient transfer of large wildlife (coyotes, deer, mountain lions, and more) from the beaches to inland. Her quilt is a reflection of these large animal’s movements. One entrant, undergraduate Sophia Cabral snagged two awards: People’s Choice and Best Caption for her piece titled “The Urchin’s Test: More Than A Grade”. She is an aquatic biology undergraduate conducting research in the Hofmann Lab on how marine heat waves affect invertebrates. She took the photo by illuminating the inside of a sea urchin shell, revealing luminous gaps where the spines used to be. Many entrants used this competition as a way to help them bridge the gap between their complicated research and their ability to tell a story through art and creative caption writing.

Artists also spoke of their creative process, from using complex laboratory scanning equipment to finding the right lighting for a photograph, sewing a quilt, or creating an oil painting. If you’re unable to view the pieces in person downtown, they are also available to view online via https://art-csep.cnsi.ucsb.edu/gallery or you can stop by the UCSB Library for their exhibit of the pieces from August 20 - December 16 2024.