Why Art Matters in an Increasingly Analytical World: Artistic Means of Communicating Scientific Concepts

Historically, through the combined forces of scientists and artists, there have been periods of revolutionary discovery and growth in the sciences. However, in today’s society, science and art are often considered separate disciplines and in some instances are even seen as conflicting areas of study. This review examines the current debate of STEM vs STEAM in primary educational settings and the lack of scientific literacy in the United States today, as well as important research on how art can combat public disinterest in scientific research and policy. It discusses the importance of science based art, and the renewal of artistic and scientific collaboration. The artists statement and explanation will review the process of taking a scientific publication and creating three art pieces: a visual art piece, a written art piece, and a movement art piece, all based on the publication “Jellyfish extract induces apoptotic cell death through the p38 pathway and cell cycle arrest in chronic myelogenous leukemia K562 cells”