Microbiologist Jerri Bartholomew elevates microbes to fine art

“Through collaborations with other artists and scientists, I explore ways to encourage that curiosity and wonder in others.”

In “Abstracted,” Bartholomew’s extensive work on endemic wild Pacific salmon myxozoan parasites becomes vibrant and accessible. In Murky Waters, a decade of temperature, water flow and parasite data is translated into sound in real time, allowing the listener to hear how climate change will affect salmon survival.

In video piece Weapons of Microdestruction, a piano performance and live drawing turn microscopic processes into a riveting drama. The original composition expresses the musical tension of the parasite-host relationship, while broad brushstrokes elucidate the flow of parasite development.

Microscope slide boxes and slides integrated into the show reference Bartholomew’s affection for her own research tools. “As a microbiologist, glass microscope slides are the tools of our trade, but every time I sit down at a microscope it is with the anticipation that something interesting or beautiful will be revealed,” she said. “I find microscope slides themselves to be magical; small pieces of glass that hold an invisible surprise that changes with magnification.”

Bartholomew believes scientists are obligated to disseminate their research and that dynamic, interactive communication can expand science’s impact. “Although the increasing specialization in science during the last century seems to have drawn a line between science and art, those lines are becoming blurred,” she said. “Scientists increasingly see the value of art in interpreting their research and in collaborating with artists in looking for solutions to the problems that face society.”

She encourages scientists of every level to experiment with artistic media, because creativity and curiosity are equally important for both art and science. Even artwork not directly linked to research can have a positive impact on your scientific potential.

“Art has largely been a tool for communicating science, but I believe there is room for a larger role,” Bartholomew said. “Being an artist has helped me, as a scientist, by providing a different perspective either through examining a topic using a new medium or through collaborations and discussions with other artists.”

In 2017, Bartholomew led the formation of ART-SCI, an inter-college faculty network that sponsors events and offers curricula designed to foster discussions about the convergence between the arts and science. ART-SCI supports student engagement with interdisciplinary knowledge through the Seminarium, a student club dedicated to promoting art-science crossover.

“For me, Seminarium has been an opportunity to work with folks who share my interests in using art to communicate science, and to expand my own horizons of how the two intertwine,” said Grace Deitzler, club co-founder and microbiology Ph.D. candidate.

“Seminarium has always been about bringing together the members of the OSU community who love art and science — whether they are scientists who are also artists, or artists who are also scientists, or folks who just enjoy both — and showing the beauty of the liminal space that exists between the two disciplines.”

“Scientists increasingly see the value of art in interpreting their research and in collaborating with artists in looking for solutions to the problems that face society.”

Students and faculty interested in exploring the connection between art and science are invited to apply to participate in the ArtSci Fellowship, a year-long program in which students will develop a creative project informed by active engagement in lab or field research under the mentorship of artists, writers, musicians and scientists from OSU and the local community. Fellows are awarded a $1,000 stipend, a modest materials budget, ongoing networking opportunities, art and science mentorship and more. Graduate and undergraduate students from any college can apply. For more details, contact Jerri Bartholomew.