Courtesy of Louisiana Tech University Public Relations Office
Following the success of last year’s “Picturing Health,” which showcased the work of outstanding undergraduate students at the Louisiana Arts and Science Museum in Baton Rouge, Louisiana Tech University’s VISTA Center has introduced a traveling exhibition showcasing the work of Tech students and promoting its popular interdisciplinary programs.
The inaugural exhibit, now on view through Monday at the Louisiana School of Mathematics, Science and Arts (LSMSA) in Natchitoches, marks an important step in sharing the innovative, interdisciplinary projects developed at the school through Tech University’s VISTA Center.
Nearly a decade after its inception, VISTA has grown into a program that teams arts, science, and engineering faculty to provide students with a unique opportunity to communicate science, discovery, and medicine through the arts.
“This new traveling exhibition not only reflects the university’s commitment to community engagement and fostering future collaborations and opportunities, but also aims to broaden the scope of Tech students’ artistic and academic achievements by bringing their work to new audiences across the state,” said Nick Bustamante, professor in Tech’s College of Liberal Arts and Design.
“The collaboration between arts and sciences is unique, and to our knowledge, there is no other undergraduate program like ours in Louisiana or anywhere in the South,” said Dr. Jamie Newman, associate professor and associate dean for research and graduate studies in Tech’s College of Applied and Natural Sciences.
Mary Caldrera-Moore, Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical engineering, Newman and Bustamante began this particular effort, now the popular VISTA Center, blending science and art while working on research publications in 2014-2015.
The original “Illustrating Health Exhibition” will be on display at the Louisiana Art and Science Museum in Baton Rouge from August 2022 to July 2023, showcasing the work of 50 undergraduate students from the College of Technology.
The exhibition at LSMSA in Natchitoches features the student work listed below and can be viewed weekdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by appointment.
The exhibition will conclude with a closing reception on Monday, September 23rd from 4:30-6pm. The reception is open to the public.
“LSMSA has a lot of science and arts involvement, and we felt the VISTA program would spark students’ curiosity and expose them to diverse career paths,” said Marcus Journey, who earned his MFA from Tech and has been teaching college-level visual arts classes to high school students at LSMSA since 2017.
“The mission of the LSMSA Art Gallery is to introduce students and the community to a variety of professional and collegiate artists through monthly exhibitions throughout the year,” said Chris King, who oversees LSMSA’s art programs. “Art is more than just a collection of techniques; it is a visual language used to communicate ideas, generate new ideas, and examine life experiences.”
“The VISTA program aligns with our approach to LSMSA students who want to pursue cross-disciplinary interests that combine the arts, sciences, humanities and more,” King said. “Creative students are marketable, and as technology and innovation become more accessible to students, they will be better prepared for all career paths and aspects of life in the 21st century.”
VISTA’s next traveling exhibition will be announced soon.
LSMA Student Works List
Cecil Foster – Mental Health Infographic
Anna Morris – Human Genome Editing
Chloe Best – Osteolytic Metastases
Almira Bradford – Antibody-Antigen Interaction
Erin Timm – Angelman syndrome genotype
Adam Cook – Electron Transport Chain
Megan Barr – Adeno-associated virus gene therapy
Maddie Dearman – Regenerative Medicine
Alecia Moore – Drug Delivery
Abby Nickels – Chromosome 15 Deletion-Specific Genotype
Jessica Trinh – Fat Differentiation of Adipose Stem Cells
Jade Noble – Heart Disease Infographic
Jessica Trinh – Cancer Infographic
Cecil Foster, Caitlin Malloy – The Heartfelt Journey
Maddie Dearman – Stem Cell Book Journey
Ronald McKinney, Noah Ruff – The Worried Water Book
Ronald McKinney, Noah Ruff – Bully Blues Book
Jeri Gravois, Victoria Breeding – Influenza Finders Book
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