RECEPTION for “Climate Co-lab” art & science project work, with “Art as Inquiry” artworks
Discover “Climate Co‑lab,” part of “Art as Inquiry,” an inspiring exhibition of 2‑D and 3‑D artwork presented at the Pillar Arts Alliance Center in the College Mall, Bloomington, IN. The April 19 reception showcases work created by six artists and a group of musicians collaborating with Indiana University scientists, and who have translated their shared research outings into art. The project is ACA-hosted and organized by Lily Shan with Brushes for a Better Planet. This artist-scientist project follows a “hackathon” model—adapted from software development—to spark rapid, idea‑driven collaboration between artists and researchers.
These works appear alongside a larger multi‑state climate‑art exhibition, “Art as Inquiry,” featured during ACA’s annual Earth Month programming. Together, the shows aim to make climate‑related research more accessible and resonant through the experience of art. The public is warmly invited, and admission is free.
As part of Climate Co‑lab: Art as Inquiry, six Indiana‑based scientists are opening their field sites, labs, and community partnerships to artists. Each artist will shadow their assigned researcher for a day of hands‑on fieldwork, then create a collaborative artwork inspired by the the experience. These new works will be exhibited at the Pillar Arts Alliance Center.
The Projects:
Together, the projects explore climate, ecology, resilience, and community through diverse scientific lenses:
- Urban Forestry & Community Engagement: Artists join Canopy Bloomington as they plant trees in urban neighborhoods and share education about the role of canopy cover in community health.
- Stormwater & Bioswale Research: Fieldwork includes studying water infiltration, pollutant removal, plant performance, and the ecological design of bioswales—systems that protect waterways and support resilient urban landscapes.
- Foodways, Memory & Urban Agriculture: Artists visit Hilltop’s Healing Garden to explore food culture, community engagement, and pedagogical work rooted in culinary memory and sustainable growing practices.
- Environmental Justice & Industrial History: Researchers and artists travel through southern Indiana to document the region’s industrial legacy, public‑health challenges, and the resilience of communities like SWICQL who continue to fight for environmental quality.
- Avian Behavior & Adaptation: Artists observe tree swallows as they return to Bloomington, explore nest boxes, and solve problem‑solving “puzzles,” offering a window into resilience and learning in a changing world.
- Floral Diversity & Evolution: In labs and greenhouses, artists examine flowers from the genetic to the ecosystem scale—studying cell types, nectaries, and the astonishing diversity that shapes pollinator interactions and global biodiversity.
- Soundscapes & Amphibian Ecology: Composers accompany biologists to early‑spring ponds, recording frogs and other aquatic life to transform natural soundscapes into new ensemble works.
Confirmed Partners
- Canopy Bloomington
- Ostrom Workshop
- Environment, Society, and Sustainability Institute
- Jacobs’ School of Music
- Artists for Climate Awareness
- IU Creatives
- Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art
Contact: Carol Rhodes, at art4climate@carolrhodes.net
With thanks to our sponsors:
