Species - Evolution and genetics for artists

Evolutionary ecology course for artists
10 daily webinars from July 14 - 25, 2025

Species is an online course for artists to learn about evolutionary ecology that features lectures form researchers around the world. It will take place over 2 weeks on-line in the summer of 2025. The program will offer daily video chats with evolutionary biologists, naturalists and artists on topics that focus on the development of life on earth and the connections between living organisms. The program will also facilitate many short one-on-one meetings with artists who make art related to wildlife. Built in to the 2 - 2.5 hours of daily programming are discussions, recommended assignments and show and tell.

Biophilium residencies are designed to facilitate research that will enrich conceptual artists' practice within a group of like minded creative people. Visual artists, writers, musicians, film makers and dancers are encouraged to apply. The jury will select seven international artists based on their portfolio rather than how they fit into any description of an artist.

Outline

- Genetically modified organisms in Contemporary Art with the director of the Biophilium.

- Biology and naturalist resources for artists.

- How did we get this way? From the origens of life to evolutionary anthropology with Carleton University.

- Mycorrhizal Relationships: How Plants and Fungi worked together to bring life on land with Kew Gardens.

- Agricultural genetics and heirloom seed saving with Just Food's seed library.

- Crisper: DIY genetic modification

- Birds Who Lay Eggs in Other Bird's Nests: The Evolution of Brood Parasitism with the University of Illinois.

- The Evolution of Spider Vision and Color Manifestation with the Institute for Research in Sensing at the University of Cincinnati.

- The Chaos of Bacterial Evolution with the Krassen Lab, University of Ottawa

- Evolutionary Anachronisms: plants that outlived their pollinators and seed spreaders

- The evolution of hearing and auditory communication.

- The Industrial Revolution vs the Peppered Moth Evolution: How animals' bodies change in responce to us.

-The Future of Evolution: Adapting to climate change.