Where Science and Art Intersect: Working with the Florida Museum

Wondrous Creatures Exhibition now on view at the Florida Natural History Museum until September 16th 2018

My thesis exhibition Wondrous Creatures is now on view at the Florida Museum of Natural History! Below you can see images of the exhibition and learn more about the process and ideas behind each work.

The Florida Museum is an amazing place to learn about the world around us. The talented artists and designers and passionate people who work there make it a very special place for both art and science. My thesis exhibition being shown at the museum is a dream come true, and a way for my work to truly bridge the gap between art and science.

While I was completing my graduate work at UF I spent a lot of time volunteering with the museum. I worked in fossil preparation and also with exhibits. During my time with exhibits I was asked to sculpt a model of the Humpback Whale from the skeleton that is now on permanent display.

The whale sculpture on display in the Hope For Humpbacks Exhibit

The Hope for Humpbacks exhibit is currently on view and gives an up close look at the lives and conservation efforts for humback whales. You can also see how the whale skeleton was articulated and reassembled by the museum exhibits team.

I sculpted the model during the exhibit Rare Beautiful and Fascinating: 100years @FloridaMuseum. This was a great exhibit that showcased the best of the museums collections over the last 100 years. Cases included fossils, skeletons, and man made objects, much like the earliest curiosity cabinets.

Demonstrating the sculpture for the public gave me the opportunity to explain the ceramic building process, and the ways that art can be used to enhance science exhibits.

I also sculpted the Columbian Mammoth, the large skeleton of which is a main focus in the entry hall of the museum. I was able to demonstrate paleoart at events like National Fossil Day and Drink with the Extinct. The sculptures of the whale and mammoth will be on permanent display with the exhibits in the museum.