Art+Science

At NCEAS, we believe Art and Science play key roles in nurturing the innovative thinking we need to deal with the complex changes we are currently experiencing across the globe.

While they each communicate the complexity of our world differently - science with data and facts, art with the imagination and feelings - both entail a process of asking new questions and exposing possible answers.

Our Art+Science initiative is structured around three different programs: an artist-in-residence program, gallery space and events for local artists, and embedding artists into working group research.

Artist in Residence program

Our artist-in-residence program is a unique opportunity for artists and environmental scientists to come together to work in dialogue and inspire each other. Our goal is to unleash new levels of creativity and innovation in the ways we think about, communicate, and solve the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.

This opportunity is open to artists of all sorts, such as painters, poets, musicians, photographers, illustrators, printmakers, playwrights, digital artists, and more. Artist residents will be able to work at our headquarters and interact with our resident and visiting researchers.

Benefits of the residency

• Two to six weeks of accommodations in downtown Santa Barbara provided by SBCAST
  • An initial 2-4 week residency will be supported in Fall 2022, followed by 4-6 months of time to develop art inspired by the residency period. Each Artist-in-Residence experience will culminate with a final 1-2 week residency in Santa Barbara to present an in-person exhibit at SBCAST.
• Office space at NCEAS.
• Funding for travel and supplies.
• Interactions with a diversity of scientists spanning a range of environmental topics.
• Opportunities to give on-campus lectures at NCEAS & UC Santa Barbara’s main campus.
• An exhibition at SBCAST.

How to apply

Our application process for 2022 is now closed, but you can review the Request for Proposals here. Please check back in 2023 for more information about our next call. To stay up-to-date on NCEAS news and announcements about our 2023 Artist in Residence call for proposals, please sign up for our monthly newsletter.

We are exploring ways to support projects to embed artists within a working group setting to allow for more focused and sustained dialogue, and resources to study and evaluate that process and its outcomes

We periodically host environmental science-themed exhibitions by local artists at our office in downtown Santa Barbara.

Current Featured Artists:

• Elkpen created an NCEAS mural called the "Butterfly Effect" in our old office building, highlighted in the video below

• Colin Schildhauer