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This version of NSU News has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of NSU News, visit news.nova.edu.
This version of SharkBytes has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of SharkBytes, visit sharkbytes.nova.edu.
NSU Student Artwork Chosen as a Finalist in Agar Art Contest
Alexander Fleming, made famous for his discovery of penicillin, was also an artist. He combined his knowledge of microbiology and his love of art to create living images with colorful microbes. In this fashion, students enrolled in the course ARTS1200: Introduction to Drawing taught by Kandy G Lopez, M.F.A., assistant professor in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, were brought to a microbiology laboratory for a workshop taught by Julie Torruellas Garcia, Ph.D., associate professor in the Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography in order to learn the use of the agar as a canvas and bacteria as their paint. During the workshop, students worked with different types of agar and different species of microbes, discovering that most of the bacteria are commonly found in and on their bodies and are not harmful.
They were given an assignment to recreate or become inspired by drawings from famous artists such as Matisse, Andy Warhol, Jenny Seville and more, using a variety of colorful agars and bacteria. Through the use of this unique medium, they were motivated to create meaningful works of art while learning a little microbiology along the way.
The students’ artworks were entered in the American Society for Microbiology’s 2017 Agar Art contest. Out of 265 submissions from 36 countries, the collection of the classes’ agar art, entitled “Inspired”, was chosen as a finalist. Their submission is considered for a People’s Choice Award to be decided by a public Facebook contest. You can cast your vote by clicking on the link above and “liking” the post. The deadline to vote is May 15, 2017, at 5:00 p.m.