A video recording of Fernando Baptista's lecture for the GNSI-DC Chapter is now available on GNSI's YouTube Channel and below.
Fernando Baptista: National Geographic Artist
The Smithsonian Scholarly Press most recent publication features the work of GNSI member Julia Morgan Scott, alongside that of Larry Isham (1922-2011), GNSI founding member. The “Skeletal Anatomy of the North American Pangolin Patriomanis Americana (Mammalia, Pholidota) from the Latest Eocene of Wyoming (USA)”, written by Timothy J. Gaudin, Robert J. Emry, and Jeremy Morris, is a classic example of a high-quality science illustration-enhanced research report. The publication and art are more than 14 years in the making. When you think of a hardcore science illustration project, this is a great example.
You can examine the entire collection of art, and the science content, online in PDF form.
“Celebrating 10 Years of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators – Great Plains Chapter” exhibit of scientific illustrations by Great Plains Chapter members is on display through November at the University of Nebraska Love Library. The exhibit includes over 40 works of art along with tools, specimens and educational information about scientific illustration.
The exhibit is featured on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln website with information on what science illustrators do, and a full list of the artists participating.
The New York MTA is searching for artists to design murals for five Brooklyn subway stations. If you are in the New York area, you have until Sept 30th, 2016 to submit a portfolio for consideration. Finalists will be selected and given $1000 to prepare a design. Winners will have a budget for design and fabrication of the artwork. Each subway station budget will range from approximately $200,000 to $230,000, including an artist fee of up to 20% of the final art project cost. As part of this fee, the selected artist will be required to submit a budget, produce completed designs, select a fabricator and oversee the fabrication and installation of the artwork, with project management by MTA Arts & Design.
More details here: http://web.mta.info/mta/aft/about/calldocs/Call_for_Artists_SeaBeachII_f...
There are many ways to support the GNSI, from volunteering your time, presenting at our conferences, teaching workshops, or contributing articles to the Journal, the listserv, our social media or the website news. But you can also help the GNSI and help yourself too! Consider a monetary donation to the Friends Of The Guild (F.O.G.)! The Guild is a USA 501(c)3 nonprofit, and your donations may be tax deductible. Please include the GNSI in your year-end financial planning, and remember that donations of ANY amount are welcome any time of the year. Visit the GNSI website to make a donation.
If you are looking for a long-term legacy, consider creating a GNSI scholarship fund, either by yourself or in memory of a loved one, colleague or friend. Scholarships can be designated for students or anyone attending the Annual Conference or the Education Series Workshops. Contact any Board member and we can discuss your plans with you.
The ArtCenter/South Florida (www.artcentersf.org), in partnership with The Patricia and Philip Frost Museum of Science (www.miamisci.org), invites submissions for the inaugural year of its ARTSail Residency Program. ARTSail grants selected artists and curators the possibility to live and/or work on board a vessel for a period of 4-6 weeks exploring the Miami waterways.
ARTSail is a nomadic, floating art project that seeks to provide artists and cultural practitioners the opportunity to research and explore the extensive coastlines and waterways that surround Miami. ArtCenter will host the residencies on Miami’s waterways on an off-board vessel where artists will be invited to further existing research or generate new work in response to Miami’s relationship to water. Water has played a pivotal role in shaping the identity of Miami and its communities and is increasingly becoming a central theme discussion surrounding climate. ARTSail residencies aim to develop awareness in the community about environmental concerns and engage the public in the discovery, preservation, and protection of South Florida’s waterways.
The Arts District Episode 424 (Rocky Mountain PBS TV station, first aired 5/5/2016), features the School of Botanical Art and Illustration (SBAI) at Denver Botanic Gardens in Denver, Colorado. The segment includes interviews with the director of SBAI, Dr. Mervi Hjelmroos-Koski and one of the Artist-in-Residence, Ikumi Kayama (AIR Aug-Sep 2015); both are members of GNSI. The segment stresses the importance of bringing art and science together to create botanical illustrations and learning how to see to depict nature realistically.
Watch the segment (6:30 min.) on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRoNG4ckSZ4
The California Islands Symposium Art Exhibition will be held October 3 – 7, 2016 in Ventura, California during the Symposium and then moved to the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden in Santa Barbara, California, where it will be on display for one month, from October 9 – November 6, 2016.
Artists are invited to enter original artwork in any two-dimensional medium that reflects the beauty and uniqueness of the California Islands. One source of the flora found on the islands is https://www.nps.gov/chis/learn/nature/plants.htm. Submissions are not limited to the plant life but can include marine life, shells, birds and fauna. The only qualifier for content is that the subject matter must be connected to the California Channel Islands. Many of the plants and animals that grow, live or visit the Channel Islands also are on the mainland.
GNSI member Vicky Earle has produced an animated video to explain why illustrations are important in learning. The video and artwork were created by Vicky, using Adobe Illustrator and VideoScribe.
Vicky says: "This video was done to highlight the longstanding value and importance of using illustrations for teaching and learning, as well as to bring attention to the role of science illustrators. Research has shown when facts are combined with interesting images, people are much more likely to understand, remember and share the material with others. A good visual will motivate learners and improve comprehension."
Interested in helping the world see what a GNSI conference is all about? If you have social media experience and would like to work with the GNSI Social Media Committee, contact Diana Marques or Fiona Martin to express your interest. Find a more detailed description of what's involved and the perks below.
So you’re interested in helping the world see what a GNSI conference is all about? Great! We are looking for someone who:
A video recording of Sandra Schachat's lecture for the GNSI-DC Chapter is now available on the GNSI's YouTube Channel and below.
Sandra R. Schachat's work combines insect evolution and visual evidence in various ways: she has studied the evolution of moth and butterfly wing patterns, has examined fossil leaves for evidence of insect feeding, and has explored how the history of art can be used to understand evolving societal attitudes toward insects.
From time to time GNSI is asked to review books that relate to science illustration. We are looking to compile a list of people to contact to conduct these reviews. What’s the catch? You need to read the book and write up your review for the Journal and the web in a timely fashion, but you get to keep the book(s) for your library!
We have general guidelines for reviews. If you have time to read a book thoughtfully, and feel comfortable writing up your thoughts, we’d appreciate that you add your name to the list. We’ll then assign books as they come in. We will try to connect books with volunteers’ areas of interest; otherwise, we’ll do random selection so everyone has a chance to review. Please contact Gail directly at [email protected], and let her know your particular area of expertise or interest (botanical, zoological, paleo, art education, general illustration, or ...???)
Ikumi Kayama was recently interviewed by Petovera, a web marketing firm, on her web marketing strategies for landing new clients. Ikumi is the GNSI Board Recording Secretary, a TEDx speaker, and owner of Studio Kayama; she specializes in medical illustration. Check out the interview for web marketing ideas.
https://petovera.com/niche-marketing-example-tedx-interview/
The GNSI-Great Lakes Chapter invites all GNSI members living in states that border the Great Lakes to exhibit this spring at the Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, Riverwoods, Illinois. The Brushwood Center seeks to nurture art, nature, and discovery in its mission of environmental education.
Subject matter can include birds, nests, eggs, bird-related plants, etc. All media and styles will be considered. Brushwood Center hosts six art exhibitions a year that explore the intersection of art, science, and nature. They exhibit work in all visual media (photography, sculpture, painting, mixed media, drawing and video) that is inspired by, critiques or reflects on the natural world.
The Santa Cruz Conference team is making wonderful progress getting this conference together on very short notice. Your help is needed. If you would like to know more contact Conference Chair Robin Carlson: [email protected]
Auction - organize donations at the conference, supervise auction setup, keep records of donations and sales. A busy job, but a relatively short one!
Focus on Nature XIV will run from December 3, 2016, through April 9, 2017, at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute (RTPI) in Jamestown, New York. We are very excited and honored to collaborate with this institute that is dedicated to continuing the tradition of natural history illustration. The RTPI mission is to “honor and continue … to foster understanding, appreciation, and protection for the natural world”. RTPI is a beautiful facility with exhibition space of high standard. To learn more about RTPI, visit: http://rtpi.org/
> Bottle Gourd (Lagenaria siceraria), Etching, (copper plate) on paper, 2011. Bobbi Angell, Marlboro, Vermont, USA
Increased demand for access to museum collections is driving a trend toward specimen digitization. Three dimensional (3D) digital models provide researchers with rapid on-line access and augment publications. The availability of accurate 3D digital models reduces the need for museums to loan specimens, and thus reduces the risk of loss and/or damage.
From time to time, it’s a good exercise for us all to sit back and “take stock”: who we are, where we are, where are we going, where do we want to go? It’s a good exercise for organizations and businesses as well; it gets the fancy (but apt) title of Strategic Planning. The goal is to map the status and health of the organization, and to plan, as much as possible, what needs to be done to keep the group healthy and progressing in our fast-changing world.
To this end, the Board of the GNSI, along with several members-at-large who have recently shared their thoughts and ideas about the future of the GNSI and our profession, has launched a Strategic Planning Initiative. Our goal is to take a good, hard, honest look at where we are, and where we want to be to best support our members and our profession.
The Margaret Flockton Award commemorates the contribution Margaret Flockton made to Australian scientific botanical illustration. The Foundation & Friends of the Botanic Gardens, as a major fundraising organization and supporter of the Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, is pleased to sponsor the Margaret Flockton Award for Excellence in Scientific Botanical Illustration.
In the bicentennial year of the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Margaret Flockton Award Exhibition will be held in the Joseph Maiden Theatre from Saturday, April 9 to Sunday, May 1, 2016.
