Library News
“Celestial Bodies” Library Exhibition: Bridging Art and Science
Posted on August 9th, 2024
Booth Library proudly hosted the “Celestial Bodies” art show this spring, a unique opportunity for student artists to showcase their work in a collaborative venture with the Departments of Art + Design and Physics. Inspired by the April 8, 2024, solar eclipse, the event showcased the creative interpretations of these talented individuals, blending the worlds of art and science. The collaborative art show was a result of efforts from Steve Daniels, Chair of Physics; Kirstin Duffin, Librarian; and Professor Jenny Chi, who organized the event. Duffin emphasized the importance of this collaboration, stating, “In service of a liberal arts education, Booth Library values uniting the breadth of scholarly endeavors—from the arts to the sciences.”
For the student artists, the exhibition represented not only a chance to display their work, but also professional and creative growth. Tasked with adapting their pieces to fit the dimensions of the library’s exhibit cases, these diligent individuals embraced challenges and experimented with new mediums, techniques, and scales. Duffin shares more about the students’ experiences, “The student artists working on this project were thrilled to be exhibiting in Booth Library. They viewed the library as a central place on campus, and they felt honored to be able to show their art in this venue. I take my hat off to these industrious students as they worked through challenges specific to this project and location.”
Professor Chi shared insights into the selection process, detailing an “unofficial” competition amongst 16 students who submitted sketches and ideas for the “Celestial Bodies” art show. A senior art student, Molly Dawson’s project evolved from the phases of the moon to the phases of the eclipse, guided by consultations with Duffin and Daniels. Chi explained the unique aspects of the show, including the students’ biweekly updates to the exhibit cases. Traditionally, artists do not share their process, only finished artwork, but she felt this was fitting for an academic environment. This was an independent project and that students were responsible for the execution from start to finish, including securing their own models. Chloe Flanigan, a senior, described her experience of adapting her project to fit her model’s availability, highlighting the challenges she faced and the satisfaction she felt upon completion. Originally, she had chosen her father to be the model for her project; however, due to time constraints of the project and distance, he wasn’t able to sit for the entire process. Chloe found a fellow student on campus to sit in for the body portion of her drawing, and she used her father’s face. Although there were challenges, Chloe felt proud of the final piece displayed. On March 25th, the students hosted an art show for 50 guests including family, friends, and community members. Leading an engaging walking tour, each student presented their artwork and shared their creative process with the audience.
Because of the independent nature of the project, it was extremely important to Professor Chi to choose students who were not only talented, but also disciplined enough to implement the concept and work through the challenges.
Chloe shares about her accomplishment: “This was a huge achievement for me. It’s a place people pass through every day, and sharing a new update every week was a way to get people involved in our artwork for those who don’t understand the process. It was also a great opportunity to meet people from other departments.”
The art exhibition “Celestial Bodies” at Booth Library not only connected art and science, but also showcased the powerful impact of interdisciplinary collaboration. This exhibition inspired creators and viewers, showing the value of combining different academic disciplines to create something unique and captivating.
