Science of Art Consortium

The need to know, create, explore and understand provides inspiration to the development of the human spirit. Science and art share this inspirational foundation, even though through time they’ve been separated.
— Leonard Shlain, Art and Physics (www.artandphysics.com)

To meet an articulated need for new and stimulating approaches to science and art education, the Museum of Glass has created an interdisciplinary program to not only rejoin the connections between science and art, but also connect them to other core subjects.

Students from schools in the Science of Art Consortium gain an understanding of this remarkable fusion through:

• a scheduled classroom lesson presented by a Museum art educator
• an engaging and interactive Museum visit
• meaningful post-visit assessments and evaluations

Additionally, educators will fulfill important Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs) which may include Communications, Science, Art, Reading, Writing, Social Studies and/or History. Students may also explore art and science themes by experiencing a visit from our Mobile Hot Shop which travels to various schools and community events. Science of Art is an ideal way to reach all learning types, from the kinetic to the aural; from the scientists to the art lovers, everyone will find something that excites them.

About Science of Art Museum Visits

For six weeks each year, the Museum of Glass guides student groups to look at art through a scientific lens. For those schools selected by the Education Department to participate, the nearly 3-hour visit rotates students through four different areas all with different learning experiences. Those areas are:

Hot Shop

This space features live glassblowing demonstrations where visitors can witness elements of science incorporated into the creative process.

Galleries

This is a specialized tour of our galleries, focusing on both the artistic and scientific themes in the work.

Studio

This space introduces a scientific principle followed by a related hands-on art project that ties into the exhibitions.

Theater

A video presentation is offered with a reflection period closing the tour.

We can take up to 60 students in each time slot, split into smaller groups of no more than 20 each.

Take a look at this year’s units…

Christine Koukles, a teacher at Lister Elementary School in Tacoma, WA and Science of Art Consortium member, presented her 4th-graders with a creative challenge: Each student was asked to reflect upon the works of glassblowing maestro Lino Tagliapietra, recreate a piece in a drawing, and offer a metaphorical description in writing. Very inspiring! What do you see in Lino's art?