Experience
For over two decades, I have taught art to undergraduate biology and ecology students in colleges and universities, biological field stations and marine labs. I have also taught adult workshops in science museums, arts centers, libraries, and other settings. Below are some of the institutions where I have taught art-science, led faculty professional development workshops, or presented about art for science engagement. Read more about me here.
Archbold Biological Station, Venus, FL
Artisan’s Asylum, Boston, MA
asIF Center: Art + Science in the Field, Bakersville, NC
asIF Studio: Art + Science in the Field, Petersham, MA
Asheville Collider, Asheville, NC
Association of Environmental Science and Studies meeting, Washington, DC
Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta, GA
Atlanta College of Art (now Savannah College of Art & Design), Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Public Schools, Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Science Festival, Atlanta, GA
Avery Mitchell Correctional Institution, Spruce Pine, NC
Black Rock Forest Consortium, Cornwall, NY
Cambridge Foundry, Cambridge, MA
Cambridge Science Festival, Cambridge, MA
Chattahoochee Nature Center, Roswell, GA
Clarke County, GA Schools, Athens, GA
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Ecological Society of America (ESA) meeting, Baltimore,MD
Emory University, Department of Environmental Sciences, Atlanta, GA
Georgia State University, Biology Department, Atlanta, GA
Grinnell College, Getting Your Eyes On: Art/Biology Connections, Grinnell, IA
Guild of Natural Science Illustrators meeting, Asheville, NC
Harvard Forest, Petersham, MA
Highlands Biological Station, Highlands, NC
MacLeish Field Station (Smith College), Whately, MA
Mayland Community College, Spruce Pine, NC
Nantucket Field Station (U Mass Boston), Nantucket, MA
North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Durham, NC
Organization of Biological Field Stations meeting, Beaver Island, MI
Organization of Biological Field Stations meeting, Georgetown, SC
Penland School of Craft, Penland, NC
Shoals Marine Lab (Cornell, U New Hampshire), Appledore Island, ME
Smith College Biology Department, Northapton, MA
Society of Conservation Biology of North America (SCBNA)
Spelman College Biology Department, Atlanta, GA
Spelman College, Teaching Resource and Research Center, Atlanta, GA
Spruill Center for the Arts, Dunwoody, GA
The Franklin School of Innovation, Asheville, NC
The Howard School, Atlanta, GA
The Paideia School, Atlanta, GA
The Umbrella Arts Center, Concord, MA
University of Georgia Costa Rica, San Luis de Monteverde, Costa Rica
University of Georgia, Special Collections Libraries, Athens, GA
University of Tennessee, EEB Graduate Program, Knoxville, TN
Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, NC
Western Carolina University, Culowhee, NC
Wofford College, Goodall Environmental Studies Center Spartanburg, SC
For biology & ecology education, ART can:
- Improve observation skills
- Enhance retention and recall
- Strengthen spatial reasoning
- Clarify complex biological concepts
- Enrich fieldwork skills
- Promote active learning
- Increase student engagement and retention
- Foster creativity and innovation
- Build STEM identity
- Reach all kinds of minds
- Support interdisciplinary collaboration
- Appeal to non-STEM majors
- Expand creativity
Below are some of the workshops I offer:
Faculty Professional Development: I lead workshops for biology and ecology faculty, to share practical ways to use art as a teaching tool in biology. Skills and resources that I share are tailored to align with the 4DEE framework for ecology, the Vision & Change recommendations for biology, and the Next Generation Science Standards for high school life science. I offer:
- Remote workshops for your biology / ecology faculty group, at a time frame that works for you.
- Remote one-on-one consulting for biology / ecology faculty, tailored to your needs.
- In-person workshops for faculty groups at colleges, universities, community colleges, and high schools located in the northeastern US.
- In-person workshops for staff and faculty professional development at biological field stations and marine labs located in the northeastern US.
Drawing for Biology: I teach basic drawing skills for undergraduate biology and ecology students, as well as formal scientific illustration. In these workshops we draw organisms and patterns in nature using slow looking, a practice that helps students become better observers. The emphasis is on process, not product. I offer:
- In-person workshops for colleges, universities, community colleges, and high schools, located in the northeastern US.
- In-person workshops at biological field stations and marine labs located in the northeastern US.
- Remote workshops, or remote follow-ups to in-person workshops, sharing skills for drawing and watercolor painting in biology and ecology.
Nature Journaling: I teach workshops for using nature journals as a tool for serious science learning. Workshops are tailored for college and high school level, biology, ecology, and environmental science. I offer:
- In-person workshops for colleges, universities, community colleges, and high schools, located in the northeastern US.
- In-person workshops at biological field stations and marine labs located in the northeastern US.
- Remote workshops, or remote follow-ups to in-person workshops, sharing skills for nature journaling in biology and ecology.
Art for Science Communication: I present examples of work at the intersection of art, science, and natural history and help students develop innovative art-science projects. From data visualization to conceptual art, encouraging your students to work across disciplines will build their creativity. I guide students to think both as artists and as scientists, and to develop innovative art-science projects of their own. I offer:
- Remote workshops and presentations on using art for science communication, for formal and informal science education.
- In-person workshops for colleges, universities, community colleges, and high schools located in the northeastern US.
- In-person workshops at biological field stations and marine labs located in the northeastern US.
Informal Science Education: At museums, nature centers, parks, and other informal science institutions, I lead workshops for education staff and also teach workshops for the public. Drawing and other art-science tools are an innovative way to connect with your audiences and enhance public understanding of science. I offer:
- Remote workshops for education and outreach staff at informal science education institutions.
- In-person workshops for education and outreach staff at informal science education institutions located in the northeastern US.
- In-person workshops for the public, at informal science education institutions located in the northeastern US.
Let’s talk about about art for science engagement.
Nancy Lowe
Contact me at sciencecandance@gmail.com.
