Art

Science parallels art as a subject matter and a source of inspiration.

Here at Science World, we are delighted to work with local artists who are interested in and inspired by science. You will see their artwork on the walls in the dome. Past displays have included work by Peter Holmes, Sharon Kallis, Jan de Beer, Andy Wright, Woonam Kim, Jackie Dives, Pat Kane, Mark Igliolorte and Bettina Harvey. We also host an annual display of the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition winners, and hosted Art the Science’s RE:Composition digital art show.

Current Exhibits

Bákvḷá

Skwachays Lodge Artist in Residence Exhibition

Science World Artist in Residence: Bettina Harvey

Bronze Sculptures of Drs James Till and Ernest McCulloch

Please note: due to construction projects this show may be temporarily unavailable.

Bákvḷá—a Heiltsuk word that loosely translates as “gathering food for winter”—is harvesting food in a good way, with a good heart and mind. It is sharing your harvest with those who can’t participate. It is being in intimate relationship with the land and sea, and knowing how, where, and when your food is harvested.

Developed from the dissertation of Vina Brown, a member of the Heiltsuk Nation and a PhD candidate, Bákvḷá explores a holistic approach to Heiltsuk food sovereignty and security.

For the Heiltsuk, food is medicine. Food security means maintaining and protecting not just their food system, but also protecting and strengthening their people and culture.

With stories of The Big House (Gvákva’áus Haíɫzaqv) and the arrival of herring (Wán ̓ái) which feeds everyone and everything on the Pacific Coast, Bákvḷá shows how food sustains the Heiltsuk; their connections with their territory, history, and knowledge systems—and, indeed, their very identity.

Bákvḷá is co-produced by the Heiltsuk Nation and co-curated by Frank Brown, Ayla Brown, and Vina Brown, as well as the Heiltsuk Nation, William Knight, and Canada Agriculture and Food Museum.

It is on display in our Atrium from July 15–Feb 20, 2023.

Science World is pleased to partner with the Skwachàys Lodge Artist in Residence Program to display the artwork of four talented artists.

About Skwachàys Lodge Artist in Residence Program:

The Artists in Residence Program opportunity at Skwachàys Lodge is a unique and life-changing housing program for practicing Indigenous artists. This includes subsidized housing in clean, unfurnished bachelor suites, 24/7 access to shared artist workshops, and participation in programming opportunities for personal/professional development that help artists develop their craft and move into the next phase of their careers. A multi-term residency is dependent on successful program participation and the achievement of self-defined career goals. Emerging, mid-career, and senior artists are welcome to apply.

For more information about the program - [email protected]

Please note: due to construction projects this show may be temporarily unavailable.

October 14, 2022 – February 27, 2023

Having been a professional gardener, Bettina Harvey is curious about the microscopic life that resides below the surface of the soil, and how these micro-organisms are crucial to the health of ecosystems. In her artist residency, Harvey will be responding to her backyard biodiversity study by engaging in scientific and community dialogue, and expanding her current practice. By drawing primarily from her microbial observations, she will be exploring themes of interconnection, perception, empathy, and resilience.

To celebrate the 55th anniversary of the discovery of stem cells—a discovery pioneered by Canadian scientists, Drs. James Till and Ernest McCulloch—STEMCELL Technologies Inc. gifted Science World with bronze sculptures of the scientists created by artist Ruth Abernethy.

As a charitable organization, we value donations from the community to help promote science literacy across the province.

These sculptures sit outside our entrance as a representation of a proud moment in Canadian scientific history, and a recognition of Canadians as the forerunners of stem cell research.

The findings of Drs. Till and McCulloch has led to advances in research and treatment of cancer and continues to be developed by researchers all over the world, such as the research by Dr. Connie Eaves (of the BC Cancer Research Centre) who worked with Dr. Till.

Next to these sculptures are three "empty" stools denoting a space for scientists from all backgrounds to engage with this work; celebrating the past, challenging the present and looking towards a brighter future.

Community Art Displays – Submission Information

We aim to create space for art and science to coexist in an informal, engaging way through digital media. In general, we are interested in art as a lens through which to understand scientific principles, practices, and impacts. While we will consider any and all artworks that generally explore the intersections of art and science, there are two main content themes we are particularly interested in:

Explorations of climate change impacts and resilience, especially in BC
Artworks that explore technology, both old and new, including but not limited to 3D, Augmented reality, data art, post-internet art, etc*

We encourage submissions from both emerging and established artists, individuals and groups.

General Art Exhibition

Science World displays art year-round in our first floor Atrium space.

Honorariums are offered for both single artist and group shows
Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis
Fill out our submission form below if you wish to be considered

Digital Art Screen

We display digital art works on our Digital Art Screen in our first floor Atrium space for 6-month timeslots, starting April 1 and Oct 1. We accept submissions on a rolling basis; for more information please read our Digital Art FAQ. If you wish to submit please fill out our form below.

Artist-in-Residency

Our Artist-in-Residency program pairs an artist with a science advisor to bring together both practices to form new work. The Artist draws upon scientific research, questions, theories and principles as a source of inspiration, and either creates a new body of work or expands on an existing one. For more information, please download our FAQ sheet. Applications are open from Feb 1-April 30 2023, for the Fall 2023 residency. Please fill out our application form below if you wish to be considered.

Please note: Due to the volume of submissions, we are not able to respond to each one individually. Thank you so much for your interest, and we'll be in touch if there's a fit and a time we think will work!

Artist Submission Forms

General

Digital Art

Artist In Residency

General Art Submission Form

For solo or group art shows, we accept submissions on a rolling basis. Due to the number of inquiries we are not able to respond to each submission; we will follow up if we have further questions or wish to arrange a show of your work. We welcome submissions from both emerging and established artists. Art show displays typically last 3 months.

Name*
First Last
Email*
Link to portfolio or social media*
Tell us a little about yourself, and what your work is about*
Consent
I agree to the privacy policy.
We may collect any or all information that you give us depending on the type of transaction and interaction you enter into while on our website. Examples of this include your name, email address and data about your use of our site. Other information may also be collected based on the specific transaction you are undertaking.

If you provide us with an email address or any other information, we will only use it in relation to the purposes clearly defined by the submission form (i.e. To sign you up for one of our newsletters, to process a field trip booking, etc.) or to gain insight into visitor behaviour. All reasonable precautions are taken to prevent unauthorized use and access to such information.

In the case that you join one of our emailing lists. You will be given the opportunity to remove yourself from it at any time. Our commercial electronic messaging policy and methodology completely aligns with Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation.

Digital Art Submission Form

Science World is seeking submissions for our Digital Art Screen, located in the first floor Atrium, to be displayed in 2023. The duration will be 6 months with two display runs per year, starting in April, and in October. We will accept submissions on a rolling basis. Please read our FAQ above for more information.

Artist-in-Residency Form

The next Artist-in-Residency will occur in Fall of 2023. We are accepting applications until April 30, 2023.

Art

Included with admission.