Academy of Natural Sciences Opens Art Gallery

A newly renovated gallery at the Academy of Natural
Sciences will feature changing displays of contemporary and historic
artworks that explore the inherent-but often overlooked-beauty of
science.

The Art of Science Gallery, located on the first floor, will
showcase rarely seen treasures from the Academy’s own world-renowned
collections, works by contemporary artists, and imagery generated by
Academy scientists, past and present.

The current exhibit, which opened Feb. 27 and runs through May
2, is First Impressions: Thomas Horsfield’s printed plants of Java.
Horsfield (1773-1859) was a Bethlehem, Pa., native and Academy member
who became the first American scientist to explore Southeast Asia. The
exhibit features 22 detailed prints made by applying ink to plants he
collected on the Indonesian island of Java. The images are both an
accurate record of the plant life on Java 200 years ago and also are
visually striking artistic compositions. And that’s the point of the
gallery.

“The line between art and science is often a blurry one,”
said Barbara Ceiga, vice president for public operations. “This
gallery gives us the opportunity to introduce our visitors to the idea
that science can be beautiful.”

Upcoming shows will feature a wide range of subjects, from
dramatic X-ray images of fish skeletons (May 15 through August 1) to
colorful illustrations of grasshoppers. Some shows will feature works by
contemporary artists and others will showcase imagery created by Academy
scientists in the course of their own research. Founded in 1812, the
Academy is the oldest natural history museum in the Americas and has a
long history of research, exploration and discovery, and important
collections to show for it.

For exhibit updates, visit www.ansp.org.