Science officials at the Sanford Underground Research Facility and art experts from Black Hills State University say there is a connection between art and science.
Officials from the Lab and the University are hosting a panel discussion exploring the notion titled “When Art and Science Collide.”
BHSU Photography Professor Steve Babbitt is one of the panelists. Babbitt has worked with scientists at the lab while photographing the transition of the former Homestake gold mine into a state-of-the-art research facility.
“It was interesting to me how similarly scientists and artists work – how they approach a problem. A scientist has an idea, a theory, and then they set about the task of solving a problem or proving a theory. Or, an artist may have an idea and start trying to produce something that represents that idea or that thought or that feeling. The process I found was very similar - although the subject matter often times very different - but the method of working was very similar,” says Babbitt.
The “When Art and Science Collide” panel discussion is Wednesday, July 30th at 5:30 pm at the Dahl Arts Center in Rapid City. Panelists also include Sanford Lab multimedia specialist Matt Kapust, lab science coordinator Dana Byram, and BHSU mass communication professor Gina Gibson.
The panel discussion is being held in conjunction with the traveling art exhibit “Into the Dark: Artists Exploring Dark Matter” which features interpretations of dark matter by twenty-two South Dakota artists.
