Art + Science

Interdisciplinary collaboration

This site is made possible through a collaboration between Arts NC State and the Office of University Interdisciplinary Programs in the Provost’s Office.

When integrated into scientific research, problem solving and project ideation, art can play a transformative role in co-creating solutions and broadening the perspective of all participants. The arts transform any subject into a high impact experience, which opens the door for new understanding and embodiment of the work at hand.

At the same time, science and technology are often the subjects of – and inspiration for – great works of art, and a grounding in the science, engineering and technology underpinning their craft can inform and expand an artist’s vision.

These Art + Science projects showcase examples of interdisciplinary collaboration with cross-campus and community partners who leverage the expertise of artists to lead with curiosity and nurture creative inquiry.

Hannah Pil, left, met with Leah Sobsey (right) recently to explain her research and its importance for crop improvement. The two stand in a field inspecting a plant.

Upcoming Art + Science Events

Apr 07

Tuesday10:00 AM

The House of Ideas: Plants in Art Exhibition

Apr 14

Tuesday10:00 AM

The House of Ideas: Plants in Art Exhibition

Apr 21

Tuesday10:00 AM

The House of Ideas: Plants in Art Exhibition

Projects and Initiatives

Rebecca Lazier’s NOLI TIMERE

Latin for ‘be not afraid,’ NOLI TIMERE is a soaring aerial dance performance set in a voluminous net sculpture custom-designed by renowned sculptor Janet Echelman and suspended 25 feet in the air! The innovative collaboration between Echelman, choreographer Rebecca Lazier, and Andrew Sageman-Furnas (Asst. Professor of Mathematics at NC State), with live music by acclaimed Québécois composer Jorane, is a fusion of contemporary dance and avant-garde circus, art installation and advanced engineering, public sculpture and awe-inspiring experimentation.

Lazier was in residence at NC State from Oct. 6-11, 2025, with live performances of NOLI TIMERE in Stewart Theater on Oct. 10 and 11 culminating a week of interdisciplinary events celebrating dance, art, music and mathematics.

Partners:
NC State LIVE and the Office of University Interdisciplinary Programs.

Rooted: A Community Festival of Nature & Stories

On Nov. 8, 2025, the Gregg Museum of Art & Design held an evening-time celebration exploring the vital roles of plants in our lives through storytelling, art and community. The event featured art exhibitions celebrating the connections between art and science, live art demos and performances rooted in nature and storytelling, creating art with community, local vendors and food trucks. At 6 p.m. the Gregg’s exterior was transformed into a dynamic canvas of light, color, and sound with a projection show by artist Robin Vuchnich, celebrating the vital connections between the arts and sciences at NC State University.

Partners:
N.C. Plant Science Initiative, the Office of University Interdisciplinary Programs, the Office of Sustainability, and the Gregg Museum of Art & Design.

Stephanie Ann Boyd’s Carnival of the Nearly Extinct Animals

Carnival of the Nearly Extinct Animals, is a vibrant new orchestral work by acclaimed American composer Stephanie Ann Boyd played by NC State’s own Raleigh Civic Symphony, under the direction of Peter Askim. Boyd, celebrated for her melodic explorations of the natural world, has crafted a powerful work that honors a menagerie of animals facing extinction (like the American red wolf), and remembers those already lost.

Partners:
Together with the orchestra, additional events will be offered events in partnership with NC State LIVE, the NC Wildlife Federation and Conservation Corps of North Carolina, in addition to NC State Applied Ecology faculty member Erin McKenney, and faculty from the NCSU College of Natural Resources (CNR), College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, and the Department of Performing Arts & Technology.

In Search of Thoreau’s Flowers

An immersive multidisciplinary experience that marries art and science through a modern artistic interpretation of Thoreau’s preserved plants. The exhibition invited visitors to experience emotionally resonant connections to the profound loss of natural diversity caused by human-induced climate change.

The exhibit was created by Marsha Gordon (NC State Professor of Film Studies), Emily Meineke (Asst. Professor of Entomology at UC Davis who received her PhD from NC State), Leah Sobsey (Assoc. Professor of Photography, UNC Greensboro) and Robin Vuchnich (new media artist and Adjunct Lecturer in NC State’s College of Design). The exhibit ran at Harvard University’s Museum of Natural History from May, 2022 through May, 2024, and ran at NC State’s Gregg Museum of Art & Design from Sept. 10, 2025 through Jan. 31, 2026.

Partners:
N.C. Plan Science Initiative, the Office of University Interdisciplinary Programs, the Gregg Museum of Art & Design.

Image of the artwork "Toward a Home Not Built Yet" by Claire Alexandre

‘the halls of a changing sea’

The Gregg Museum hosted ‘the halls of a changing sea,’ an exhibition by artist Claire Alexandre from Aug. 12, 2025 through Feb. 28, 2026. The exhibition highlighted the artist’s process and practice of painting with natural plant pigments, portraiture, ancestral storytelling, land sovereignty and street art. Ms. Alexandre is a Diaspora child, a storyteller, and a student of ecologies who weaves autobiographical reflections with ancestral wisdom and elaborates on detailed portraits that reflect personal narratives existing at the intersection of environmental, gender, and racial justice.

Images of cyanotype art on a wall behind artist Leah Sobsey.

Cyanotype Workshop with artist Leah Sobsey

Leah Sobsey is an image maker, Assoc. Professor of Photography and curator and director of the Gatewood Gallery at UNC Greensboro. Her multidisciplinary photographic practice reaches into science, design, installation and textiles. Her photo-based work explores the natural world through archives and taxonomies. In October, 2025 she lead students from Raleigh’s East Millbrook Magnet Middle School in a workshop at the Gregg Museum, where they learned about the science of cyanotypes and created their own science-themed cyanotypes.

Partners:
N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative, the Office of University Interdisciplinary Programs, East Millbrook Magnet Middle School, and the Gregg Museum of Art & Design.

Special Thanks

Supporters and donors make this work possible!

Special thanks to:

The Burroughs Wellcome Fund for their support of the Gregg Museum’s launch of Art + Science initiatives.

Interested in supporting an Art + Science project? Contact us!

A Sample of Past Projects and Initiatives

See more past projects

NEW YORK, NY - February 10, 2015 - Huang Yi rehearses with robot 'Kuka' at 3-Legged Dog.

Art + Science Past Projects

HUANG YI & KUKA

Dance partnered with robotics when acclaimed Taiwanese choreographer and inventor Huang Yi and his robot companion KUKA joined NC State LIVE for a week of events from November 11-16, 2024. Blending razor sharp precision and stunning artistry, harmoniously weaving together the art of modern dance and the science of mechanical engineering, Huang Yi and KUKA…

Art + Science Past Projects

Art’s Work in the Age of Biotechnology: Shaping Our Genetic Futures

Art’s Work in the Age of Biotechnology: Shaping Our Genetic Futures was an art-science exhibit and symposium of artists, scientists, and humanities scholars, led by the the NC State University Libraries and the Genetic Engineering and Society Center, held at the Gregg Museum of Art & Design, the NCSU Libraries and the North Carolina Museum…

Art + Science Past Projects

Small Island, Big Song

Small Island Big Song is a music, film and performing arts project uniting the islands of the Pacific and Indian Ocean through artistic collaboration, a contemporary and relevant musical statement from a region that shares an ancient seafaring heritage and the impact of our changing sea. NC State LIVE brought the artists/musicians to campus for…