Explore Antarctica 9/2/21

The Science and Art of Antarctica

It’s the driest, coldest and windiest place on the planet, yet, today, Antarctica is home to thriving communities where scientists are conducting fascinating and meaningful research thanks to the U.S. Antarctic Program. What exactly is happening on the only continent solely set aside for research? Join a group of distinguished educators and artists who’ve been embedded with scientists as they lead you on a virtual journey that highlights the captivating details of the southernmost continent’s most interesting secrets. Discover rare life forms, learn about Weddell seals (the southernmost mammal), meet a real-life worm herder and get the latest on climate, astrophysics, glaciology and marine biology research—all of which is helping us understand and experience the world’s more temperate latitudes. Plus, discover how art is translating science. See spectacular works from painter Lily Simonson, who dove under the Antarctic ice to create her resulting project, Painting Between the Ice. Enjoy photos, sketches and woodcuts from photographer Ian van Coller and printmaker Todd Anderson, who worked alongside scientists to capture how ancient ice cores are analyzed to learn about Earth’s climate millions of years ago. Please note: This course’s creators strongly suggest taking the one-hour, free class called The U.S. Antarctic Program: An Overview (see page 3) as a primer to this course as it offers important background information. Two Zoom sessions Thur., Sept. 2, 9, 2021, 6:30–8:30 pm MT ENRICH 0532 / $70 Michelle Brown worked with researchers on Photo by Greg Neri, NSF human impacts on the Antarctic environment, along with engineers who maintained observatories on the Antarctic plateau. Alex Eilers-Guttensohn of the Museum of Science and History worked with animal physiologists studying Weddell seals, the southernmost mammal on Earth. Kevin Dickerson is a high school science teacher who worked as a worm herder as part of the ecological research that’s been collecting data over decades. Jocelyn Argueta, also known as Jargie the Science Girl, worked with a neutrino observatory team and leveraged social media to introduce Antarctica to the general public. Lily Simonson is an artist who spent three months scuba diving in Antarctica. Her paintings have been exhibited throughout the U.S. and Europe. Ian van Coller is a 2018 Guggenheim fellow and professor of photography. His recent work focuses on climate change and deep time. Todd Anderson is a printmaker whose works have been acquired by notable institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the U.S. Library of Congress.

Photo by Todd Anderson, NSF