I have been interested in science communication, art, and literature since the start of my education in the environmental sciences. There are as many ways of communicating science as there are scientists: graphs, figures, presentations, papers, books, lectures. By channeling information about dissolved organic matter biogeochemistry into a comic book—a recognizable form, with its own connotations—I wanted to spark contemplation of what it means to produce and communicate scientific knowledge.

The journey of my volcano wearable-art began with the inspiration provided by #QuiltYourScience. The idea of sharing my research and passion for all things volcanic through the medium of fabric and thread swirled in my brain for months. While I still look forward to creating a volcanically themed quilt one day, I wanted to capture the voluminous and turbulent eruptive plumes rising above the edifice and the complexity of volcanic plumbing systems forming nested magma webs below the surface of the volcano.

The goal was to not only showcase thee amazing ways of communicating science via art but to also show folks the creative process behind the creations; to pull back the curtain to hopefully lower the barrier(s) to entry for those who may have thought about scicomm via art but thought that it was too difficult/they didn’t have the talent.

My grandmother taught me to cross stitch when I was in elementary school, and I stopped after a few years and came back to it in my late 20s (which seems to be a relatively common story for AFAB folks). I like it as a medium because I can spend a lot of time thinking about and playing with colors, and it’s easy to combine words, symbols, and picture elements.

For me, combining science & art always made natural sense. My foray into deliberately combining them came in junior high & high school when I delved into a 3-year long self-directed investigation into “What makes rocks ring?”.

Throughout my life I have been drawn to both science and art. Animals, plants, and rocks interested me greatly as a young kid, and in high school I became intrigued by internal human anatomy, particularly hearts, brains, and skulls (to match the emo and metal music I listened to, of course). All the while, I have been drawing since I could hold a pencil and depicted anything I found remotely interesting. Animals, mermaids, people, mythological creatures, bones and plants can all be found in my stacks of early sketchbooks.

I’ve always enjoyed art and exercising my creativity. Although I chose a career in science – studying Biomedical Sciences, followed by a research Master’s and currently my PhD in Microbiology, art is a vital component of my self-care routine. It helps me unwind, but is also highly rewarding with an end product that I’m proud of.

I didn’t think I’d ever use a mask to communicate science, but here I am!  Due to COVID-19, masks became a requirement for in-person activities.  I enjoy science communication and outreach, and I knew I would still be doing in-person activities this semester, so I decided I would give “masked science” a try. 

I have always loved art since I was little, you could find me alone drawing away somewhere or in class doodling. I wanted to be an artist at a young age but vividly recall my mother telling me “No, artists don’t make money.” From that point on I had no idea what I would do with myself, but it wasn’t being an artist. I still continued creating art but struggled in school, especially with math and science. My freshman year of high school I was set on the idea of dropping out and becoming a tattoo artist. I was failing all of my classes and saw no point in continuing with school.

Earlier this summer when I was beginning to brainstorm ideas for the science art exhibition I would be co-organizing, my partner and I went to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park near Grand Rapids, Michigan. While some of the sculptures were large and complex, I was struck by the simplicity of some of the sculptures. Made only of a few metal blocks and rods, these works of art still communicated complex thoughts and ideas. I began to wonder what scientific concept I could communicate in a simple manner.