I was in a pilot math class all through high school. Our shiny new textbooks (they do exist!) were decorated with fractal art. It was like your college roommate’s blacklight poster collection exploded all over the printing press. And while it didn’t help my math scores (just barely made it out of algebra 2), it piqued my curiosity. “What are these things?” I did my own research and learned about fractals. I was interested. I was curious. Looking at the artwork in my textbook inspired me to learn some science.
This line of thinking has since led me to try to inspire a curiosity and love of science in others, through art. If I had my own art gallery, I would fill it with science-y art. I would try cross-promotions with local science centers, host lectures by artists, scientists and Skeptics, maybe even have a Skeptics in the Pub-type thing. Skeptics in the Gallery!
If you had your own gallery/storefront space, how would you use it to promote science and critical thinking to the public in a creative way?
(Props to reader jtradke for requesting I draw the above image in my new sketchbook)
The ART Inquisition (or AI) is a question posed to you, the Mad Art Lab community. Look for it to appear Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 3pm ET.
It’s true. I am available at a low, low fee for all your animal-superhero-hybrid brainstorming needs. Here’s another one for free: Ninja Turtle quail vs. possum Puma-Man.
Anyway, as for the actual question, I’d love to run a store like this awesome one here in Milwaukee (there’s two locations in/around Chicago, too) called American Science and Surplus that sells random surplus stuff: motors, fingerpaints, caution tape, Petri dishes, microscopes, kids’ project kits, Rubik’s cubes, rocks…
It’s like a combination of Hobby Lobby, a hardware store, and an office supply store. And a museum gift shop. And Radio Shack. Also, the staff are generally high-school freaks and geeks. So if you like to make or craft anything and are a bit of a weirdo, it will warm your slacker soul.
And their presentation is so endearing, as you can see on the site from the line-drawings and goofy descriptions on almost every product (most of which is also in-store). Been going there since I was little and they just have a passion for creativity, play, and learning.
So basically I would just copy that place if I started a store.