The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has awarded $50,000 grant to the University City Science Center to establish an artist residency program that explores developments in science and biotechnology. This grant is part of a $920,000 investment.
Three artists will each spend three months working on creative research projects in the lab of Integral Molecular, a u -City Square-based biotechnology company. The artist residency program will foster collaboration between artists and scientists. Not only will it allow both parties to gain new perspectives, but artists will also be able to serve as intermediaries communicating and creating dialog around complex scientific issues.
The selected artists will each spend four months conducting research in Integral Molecular’s biotechnology lab. Upon research completion, each artist will produce a finished product, such as a documentary film, a publication, or art for an exhibition. Throughout the program, the Science Center will host related lectures, interviews and exhibitions at the Esther Klein Gallery.
Curator of the Science Center’s Esther Klein Gallery, Angela McQuillan said, “For more than 40 years, the Science Center has supported the collaboration of artists and scientists through artistic programming. This grant will allow us to further advance our interdisciplinary approach, and provide more access for engagement in the realm of scientific discovery.”
Developments in science and biotechnology are at the center of many pressing issues in the world. Some of these developments, such as stem cells, embryonic research and synthetic biology, have the power to change basic life processes.