"Under the Microscope: Biology as Art"

Biology as art is the focus of an upcoming Spring Street Gallery exhibition featuring the work of a number of Skidmore students.

“Under the Microscope:  Biology and Art,” opens on Thursday, Dec. 10, with a reception form 6 to 8 p.m. at Spring Street Gallery, 110 Spring St. The exhibition features an array of images produced with high-powered microscopes, giving the general public access to a world of organisms usually seen only by scientists.

The show is curated by Abby Grace Drake, teaching professor of biology, who worked with Rachel Seligman, associate curator of the Tang Teaching Museum, to select and present the images. “The students are thrilled to be presenting their work to the public,” said Drake, who noted that it is rare for biology students to present their work to a general audience. “The images in this show were not produced for scientific use– instead, they were captured by each artist because of their aesthetic beauty.” She added that many of the students will be on hand at the Dec. 10 reception and are looking forward to discussing their work.

Drake will lead a microscopy workshop at Spring Street Gallery from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016.  Please contact the gallery for workshop details.

The exhibit at Spring Street Gallery was made possible by a Saratoga Arts Community Arts Grant, which is funded by the New York State Council on the Arts. “We are very grateful for the grant,” said Maureen Sager, executive director of the not-for-profit Spring Street Gallery, “It is really a privilege to bring this eclectic, non-traditional work to our Gallery.”

The exhibit is also sponsored by the Association for the Cooperative Advancement of Science and Education, a group of scientists and teachers who develop systematic ways to make the experience of students deeper and more creative, and to reignite the spark that inspired many teachers to take on the challenges of the classroom.