NATURE Lab
Using Art as a Vehicle for Unconventional Science Practices in a Post-Industrial Neighborhood
Abstract
STEAM is a buzzword in education today, but the recent addition of the "A" to the more-popular acronym STEM tends to characterize art as secondary to math and science. In order to explore an environment where the dichotomy is flipped, I conducted 18 weeks of participant observation at The Sanctuary for Independent Media in North Troy, NY, specifically as a part of their science initiative, NATURE Lab. The Sanctuary is a community organization led mostly by artists and supported by volunteers who provide documentary showings, concerts, potlucks, lectures, and other community events. In my ethnographic observation, a pattern of unconventional science practices as framed by and supported through art emerged, particularly with regards to rewilding/urban/ruderal ecologies, biohacking, and environmentally oriented citizen science. This deliberate use of art and artistic critique to engage everyday citizens with science provided a model for increasing science literacy and democratizing science practices, an indispensable act in the age of American climate denialism and increasing educational stratification.
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