September 22nd: Art and Science Converge at USGS for a Flagstaff Festival of Science Exhibition
Join us for this free public event!
Join us on Monday, September 22 for “The Art of Inquiry,” a special Flagstaff Festival of Science exhibition showcasing a six-week collaboration between Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy students and USGS scientists.
The Art of Inquiry: Local Students and Scientists Collaborate for Unique Flagstaff Festival of Science Showcase
FLAGSTAFF, AZ – The Flagstaff Festival of Science will feature a unique exhibition this year, "The Art of Inquiry," a showcase born from a six-week collaboration between students from Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy (FALA) and scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Flagstaff Science Campus.
This special event, which explores the intersection of art and science, will be held on Monday, September 22nd at 5:00 PM, in the Astrogeology building on the USGS campus.
The "Art of Inquiry" showcase is free and open to the public and serves as a highlight of the annual Flagstaff Festival of Science. It is an ideal opportunity for the community to witness the powerful results of this unique partnership and see how art can reveal the wonder of science.
Event Details:
What: "The Art of Inquiry – Art Meets Science Showcase"
When: Monday, September 22nd, 5:00 PM
Where: Astrogeology building, USGS Flagstaff Science Campus, 2255 N. Gemini Dr., Flagstaff, AZ
Cost: Free and open to the public
For six weeks, 23 FALA students from grades 6 through 12 have been paired with 16 USGS scientists across a variety of disciplines.
The students have been tasked with translating complex scientific concepts—from planetary geology to water resources—into diverse forms of art, including traditional media like painting and illustration, as well as creative expressions like robotics, dance, and theatrics.
This project-based learning course offered a rare opportunity for both students and scientists. Students gained hands-on experience in a real-world scientific environment, meeting with their scientist partners to learn about their research.
In turn, the scientists were challenged to communicate their work in an accessible and engaging way, providing them with a new perspective on their own research.
"The most common form of research communication for scientists are technical figures and journal articles. While they are essential for sharing research within the scientific community, they're often inaccessible to the general public," said Anya Metcalfe, an ecologist at USGS and coordinator of the event.
"Art has a unique and powerful ability to illuminate complex scientific concepts, making them engaging and relevant to a broader audience."
The collaboration began with a field trip where FALA’s Project Based Learning students toured the USGS campus, meeting their scientist partners to discuss their research projects.
Students then spent the following weeks developing their artistic interpretations, with the support of their teachers, science educator John Compton and studio arts educator Jessina Clasen, and Director of Curriculum and Instruction Janeece Henes.
At the event, step into Astrogeology's Photogrammetry Lab to see how we use imagery to create 3D terrain models and orthorectified images that support planetary exploration—from landing spacecraft on Mars to navigating the Perseverance rover.
Explore stunning 3D visuals from the Moon, Mars, and Europa and learn how scientists use these tools to study alien landscapes!
About USGS:
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists at the Flagstaff Science Campus conduct research in a variety of fields, including planetary science, hydrology, geology, and biology.
About FALA:
Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy (FALA) is a public charter high school dedicated to providing students with an innovative education that integrates the arts and academics.
About Flagstaff Festival of Science:
The Flagstaff Festival of Science is a ten-day celebration of science and technology held each September. The festival's mission is to promote scientific literacy and foster a community of scientific inquiry.