Program/project name: Integration of the Visual Arts with Ecosystem Science at the Hubbard Brook LTER
[The following is from an LTER supplement to the Social Sciences that was submitted to NSF in May 2010 from the Hubbard Brook LTER. This was not funded but we have a core of scientists and artists interested to continue the conversation. Note, this supplement was simply to fund a small ‘roundtable’ or retreat to discuss the tractability of the concept.]
Programs:
WaterViz: https://www.ecologicalreflections.com/?page_id=650
Wind Words: https://www.ecologicalreflections.com/?page_id=560
Brief description of program/project development and components:
This is a nascent effort to begin a dialogue on integrating the visual arts with ecosystem science at the HBEF. The Hubbard Brook Experimental Forests and LTER site is located in central New Hampshire, in the heart of the White Mountains. This region has been a mecca for the visual arts since the beginning of the nineteenth century, when its rugged allure captured the imagination and inspired the work of a cadre of artists from the metropolitan areas of Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C. These early artists helped to pioneer the ‘Hudson River School’ of art, which is internationally recognized for its dramatic portrayal of the American wilderness. This regional 19th and 20th century tradition of White Mountain Art sets a precedent for a new 21st century liaison between landscape artists and ecosystem scientists. This 21st century vision of ‘art as science’ and ‘science as art’ can help make visible the social and natural histories embedded in the land, and suggest patterns and relationships that crisscross disciplines and geographies.
Relationship with core science, education, cultural programs at the site:
Hubbard Brook is an established and mature research site, with a solid infrastructure and diverse scientific program. In addition to world-class research, HBEF is also the site for a site REU, ROA, and numerous other teacher-in-training and outreach program. Nearby is Plymouth State College, where collaborator Dr. Catherine S. Amidon is Director of the Karl Drerup Art Gallery and Exhibitions Program and Curator, Museum of the White Mountains. Onsite facilities include the Mirror Lake campus (eight housing units on a 19-acre lakeside parcel) and the Pleasant View Farm, providing additional housing for 14.
Contact person(s):
Lindsey Rustad, Ph.D.
Hubbard Brook Team Leader & Research Ecologist
Northern Research Station
271 Mast Road
Durham, NH 03824
Phone: 603 397 7406
Fax: 207 829 6551
email: lrustad@fs.fed.us