Creating Art in the Face of Challenges: Celebrating One Year of Universe of Art’s Innovative Collaborations

Last week, we marked the one-year anniversary of our science-meets-art podcast Universe of Art. During this celebration, host D. Peterschmidt interviewed Todd Gilens, a visual designer who collaborated with the city of Reno, Nevada to create a mile-long poem on the city’s sidewalks exploring the connections between urbanism and stream ecology.

We are excited to introduce two listeners in this episode: Craig Colorusso, a punk rock guitarist turned sound artist, who creates public sculptures and experiences that enhance visitors’ connection to nature through projects like Sun Boxes and The Bridges at Coler, which use solar panels to play calming music composed by him.

We will also meet Chris, an engineer and artist who developed Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), a debilitating condition that has affected her ability to create art using her preferred mediums. However, she found a way to continue creating art using programs like Chaotica and Photoshop to create colorful fractal collages with her left hand and a rollerball mouse. Despite her challenges, she expressed happiness in being able to create art again.