“Science, Art, and Business: Intersections of Environmental Activism,” will celebrate intersections between science, business, and art that promote environmental preservation and sustainability. The project will include a two-week exhibition (April 12-26, 2024) in Reed Library. On Friday, April 19th, we will host a reception (beginning at 3:30pm in the Science Center Atrium) and panel discussion at 4pm (in Room 105 of the Science Center) to explore the ways in which the panelists (scientists, artists, and entrepreneurs) collaborate to confront unsustainable practices, catalyze change, and shape responses and motivations of an informed citizenry. Panelists include SUNY Fredonia alumni and artist activists (Joseph Grice, Erin Ruffino, and Katelyn Davis), Charles Ruffino (educator, co-director of Great Lake FX, Fredonia alum), Arthur Pearson (CEO, Roger Tory Peterson Institute), Maria Ferguson (Curator, Roger Tory Peterson Institute), and Courtney Wigdahl-Perry and Timothy Frerichs (partners in the “Waterways” project supported by a NYSCA grant).
The exhibition in Reed Library will feature works created by activist artists (Fredonia alumni) and works resulting from collaborations between scientists and artists.
- Joseph Grice is a wildlife illustrator who earned his BFA from SUNY Fredonia in 2010. As a tribute to his childhood interests in watching birds and studying Roger Tory Peterson Field Guide books, Grise began (in 2016) painting watercolor birds as his primary subject matter. In 2022, he spent a week as RTPI’s Artist-in-Residence and immersed himself in the Peterson collection, work, and activism.
- Erin Ruffino graduated in 2019 from SUNY Fredonia with a BFA specializing in Drawing and Painting. Her personal work focuses on figurative surrealism and she is a muralist for businesses and institutions. Ruffino created a mural exploring aspects of Roger Tory Peterson’s historic contributions and the legacy of his activism. The work underscores the harmful impact of humans on the extinction of countless species of birds and serves to highlight the power of innovation and the capacity of individual change agents.
- Katelyn Davis is a 2023 graduate from SUNY Fredonia with a BFA in Graphic Design and Animation/Illustration. In 2022, Davis created an app to digitally interact with the natural elements, thus expanding users' knowledge about the different species of plants, animals, and insects in their environment. Via QR codes along trails, the user views illustrations of the common species with information about the ecosystem. Davis was featured in the 2023 RTIP exhibit “Hope is the Thing with Feathers: Contemporary Women Nature Artists” and is the co-founder of a local environmental association.
Panelists will explore how art, science, and business intersect to (1) promote appreciation for the natural world, (2) stimulate deeper understanding of human impact on the environment, and (3) evoke emotional and personal responses that trigger action and change. This event will facilitate a conversation about collaborative sustainability-in-action via partnerships among the arts, sciences, and business.
- Dates and Locations:
- Exhibit of artists' work runs from April 12-26, 2024 in Reed Library.
- Reception on Friday, April 19th will begin at 3:30pm in the Science Center Atrium with the panel discussion beginning at 4pm in Room 105 of the Science Center. Register to attend the reception and panel discussion at the link below.
- Register at this link!
- Sponsored in part by a grant from the Carnahan Jackson Humanities Foundation, a Costello Interplay Award, and funding from the the Center for Innovation and Economic Development and the School of Business at SUNY Fredonia.