Women's History Month welcomes Gone Viral artist

Many events planned this month tie into theme, "Speaking Sex and Science"

By Roger Coda

SUNY Fredonia’s month-long observance of Women’s History Month, whose theme is “Speaking Sex and Science,” is featuring this week Visiting Artist Anna Dumitriu, left, who will give a lecture, Thursday, March 7, at 8:30 p.m., McEwen 209.

She is here as a visiting artist for the "Gone Viral" exhibit in the Marion Art Gallery. Dumitriu is a visual and performance artist based in Brighton, England, who specialises in bioart.

Her installations, interventions and performances use digital, biological and traditional media including bacteria, digital projections and embroidery, working with diverse audience.

Dumitriu's work involves a deliberate blurring of the boundaries between artistic and scientific practice, particularly working with microbiology, robotics, artificial life technology, and art/science ethics.

She is Artist in Residence at The Centre for Computational Neuroscience and Robotics and a Visiting Research Fellow in the School of Informatics at Sussex University, Visiting Research Fellow: Artist in Residence at The University Of Hertfordshire in the Adaptive Systems Group and Artist in Residence on The UK Clinical Research Consortium - Modernising Medical Microbiology Project at The University of Oxford.

Women's History Month future events:

• “Hardwired Sex Differences: Analysis of a Persistent Claim,” a lecture by Dr. Giordana Grossi of SUNY New Paltz will be given Friday, March 9, at 4 p.m., in McEwen 202;

• “Gone Viral: Medical Science and Contemporary Textiles,” opening reception for Visual Arts and New Media new program, Friday, March 8, 7 to 9 p.m., Marion Art Gallery, RAC;

• “Women Take Aim!” film series, Saturday and Sunday, March 9 and 10, 3 to 7 p.m., Fenton 105;

• 15th annual Research Conference on Gender, with keynote speaker Dr. Kristin J. Jacobson, of Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, with presentations by SUNY Fredonia students, organized by Drs. Emily VanDette and Jessica Akey, Tuesday, March 12, 4 to 6 p.m., Williams Center S204-ABC;

• Poetry Slam Performance by Geneseo Slam Poetry Team, Thursday, March 14, 7 to 9 p.m., Williams Center S204-AB;

• Relaxation/Wellness Event: Yoga, Zumba and Meditation; introduction by Dr. Jessica Akey, SUNY Fredonia, followed by sessions of zumba, yoga and meditation, Thursday, March 21, 6 p.m., Williams Center S204-ABC;

• Closing ceremony and dinner, with launch of Women’s & Gender Studies’ new program identity and reaching out initiative, Thursday, April 4, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at Williams Center Horizon Room.