NEW STEAM Gallery

LOVE AND LOSS ACROSS SPECIES LINES: THE NEUROSCIENCE OF ATTACHMENT

February 12 through May 16, explore the latest exhibition on display in FUSION: A STEAM Gallery on Level 3!

Human beings have the unusual capacity to form enduring emotional bonds, not only with other people, but also with members of other species. Our cross-species connections include special bonds with companion animals, deep emotional concern for the well-being of endangered animals, and empathy for animals that have been poorly treated by various industries. This exhibit explores the joy of our connections with animals, as well as the sorrow we feel when we lose them. The knowledge we gain from scientific studies of attachment processes helps us to better understand and appreciate our complex, entangled, and interdependent lives.

A Q&A with exhibit artist and curator, Linda Brant, Ph.D. MFA.

What inspired you to create/curate the pieces in this exhibition? As a scientist and an artist, I wanted to create an exhibit that bridges the gap between art and science as well as the gap between humans and non-humans. The process of attachment, Linda Brant, Mending I and the related process of empathy and compassion, act as bridges to achieve these goals. Not only can we study these processes scientifically, we can also appreciate them poetically at an intuitive level through art. I am deeply grateful to have such a talented group of artists in this exhibition. All have spent years exploring the domain of human-non-human relationships through art. What do you hope guests will take away from this exhibition? That people will learn about the scientific studies of attachment across species lines and be inspired by the art that communicates this in so many different ways. Animals in the wild and in captivity form bonds of affection, just as people do, and the process of attachment does not observe rigid species lines.

Gretchen Woodman, Moving Rhino

How is STEAM (Science, Technology, Art, Engineering, and Math) relevant to this exhibition? Attachment processes have been studied by psychological scientists for decades. The text panels in this exhibit will spotlight interesting research findings, and the art will invite viewers to process the same subject matter on an emotional level. The exhibit is a perfect marriage of art and science.

Featured Artists: Cherylann Blay-Marquez, Linda Brant, Lee Deigaard, Jan Harrison, Sharon Lee Hart, Mary Shannon Johnstone, Jessie Williams, and Gretchen Woodman