Science-Art Collaboration 1

Collaboration between the arts and sciences has a rich history dating back to the Renaissance, and recently experienced a resurgence in the 1960s with the art-engineering group Experiments in Art & Technology. Even more recently, artists have begun to actively collaborate with scientists in all disciplines to expand their artistic reach. But collaboration is not a one-sided event, and the benefits of art and design to the fields of science and technology are well known, from Gould’s drawings of Darwin’s finches to the success story of Steve Jobs’ Apple projects. Despite its rich history, collaboration has never been a simple process, and remains a difficult task, largely due to disciplinary boundaries emphasized in our educational system. There are many unanswered questions about the nature of collaboration, authorship of a collaborative product, funding for collaborative works, and the future of collaborations in our 21st century that warrant discussion. This roundtable topic will address these, and more questions on collaboration across the arts and sciences.

What does it mean to collaborate? What can art-science-tech collaborations result in? How does this work get funded? How can we ensure collaboration is not just a buzzword? Who owns a collaboration? Can art influence science as science influences art, and should it? What does the future of collaboration look like?

December 1, Friday:
6:30-7:30pm: Conference kick-off reception & opening remarks (snacks and refreshments will be served)

7:30-9pm: Science-Art Collaboration Roundtable #1
(Mark Rosin, Shane Mayak, Tyler Volk, Noah Hutton, Jame McCray, and Monica Aiello)