Art inspired by science: student researchers unleash their creative side

Can art and science really be interconnected?

Scientists collect data, conduct experiments, and make discoveries. Artists tell stories and draw on the intangible spaces of life to shine a light on the human condition. The two roles seem light years apart.

A group of FIU student researchers are breaking stereotypes and showing us that art and science are actually two sides of the same coin. These students use their love of nature and scientific research to fuel their artistic creation in a variety of mediums from drawing to crafts to photography.

The student researchers are part of the Florida Coastal Everglades Long-Term Ecological Research (FCE LTER) program, based at the FIU Environmental Institute. The program has collected the most comprehensive long-term data that helps understand how the Everglades has changed over time.

When conducting research in the Everglades, students are often amazed as they watch the sun sparkle through the trees or observe the patterns and properties of the wildlife and organisms they study.

This fear led them to create. This pushed them to embrace the arts or, in some cases, to renew their artistic activities from a scientific perspective.

Paige Kleindl, a Ph.D. candidate in biology, is one of these students.

“Creativity is at the heart of science and art,” says Kleindl. “Illustration and visual representation have always been an integral part of understanding science.”