Drawing from the Sea

REVISED

Winter 2013 and Spring 2013 quarters

Faculty

Gerardo Chin-Leo oceanography, marine biology , Lucia Harrison public administration, visual arts

Fields of Study

aesthetics, art history, biology, ecology, environmental studies, marine science, maritime studies, natural history and visual arts

Preparatory for studies or careers in

visual arts, education, marine science, biology and ecology.

Description

This program will examine marine environments and life (The Sea) from the perspectives of science and visual arts. This program is designed for beginning students in either discipline. The Sea accounts for a major portion of the biomass and diversity of life and plays a major role in global cycles. The Sea also is a source of inspiration for artists, and artwork provides insights into the relationships of humans to this environment. Currently, The Sea faces major crises caused by human activities such as habitat degradation and natural resource over-exploitation. Science and art can contribute to effective solutions to these major environmental problems by providing an understanding of natural phenomena and insights into how nature is perceived and valued by humans. We will examine how both visual artists and marine scientists use close observation to study The Sea and produce images to communicate the results of their work. We will also study how scientific findings can provide a foundation for expressive art and how art can effectively convey the implications of scientific findings to how humans relate with nature.

Activities will develop concepts and skills of marine science and visual art and examine how each discipline informs the other. Lectures will teach concepts in marine science and aesthetics and develop a basic scientific and visual arts vocabulary. Labs and field trips to local Puget Sound beaches, the San Juan Islands and Olympic Peninsula will provide opportunities to experience The Sea and to apply the concepts/skills learned in class. Weekly workshops on drawing and watercolor painting will provide technical skills for keeping illustrated field journals and strategies for developing observations into polished expressive thematic drawings. Seminars will explore how scientific and artistic activities contribute to solving environmental issues. For example, we will study how the understanding of human relationships with The Sea can be combined with knowledge of the science underlying marine phenomena to promote effective political change (artists and scientists as activists). Other themes that explore the interaction of science and art will include the Sea as: a source of food, a metaphor for human experience, a place of work or medium of transportation, and a subject of inquiry. Most assignments will integrate science and art.

In winter quarter, we will focus on marine habitats including estuaries such as the Nisqually River estuary, the inter-tidal zone and the deep sea. Spring quarter will focus on the diversity and adaptations of marine life. Both quarters will include week-long overnight field trips. This program will include an outreach component where students will contribute to environmental education by developing and presenting science and art curriculum to local schoolchildren.

Location

Olympia

Online Learning

Enhanced Online Learning

Books

Greener Store

Required Fees

$320 per quarter for overnight field trips, museum entrance fees, and art supplies.

Offered During

Day

Program Revisions