Species: Evolution school 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

Science talks:

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

- Aquatic Beginnings: Photosynthetic microbes

- Evolutionary Arms Races and birds who lay their eggs in other birds’ nests 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.

- When One Plant Becomes Another: Pollinator driven speciation with Kew Gardens

- Feral Pigeons and the genetic flow of species between urban areas with Washington University

- How life Stepped Out of the Sea Tetropods and decoding the fossil records with Carleton University

-The Future of Evolution: How Novle ecologies are adapting to climate change.

Artist talks:

- We invite you to give a private artist talk to share your work with the group.

- Engineering Monstrous Plants in the Studio and at Large

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

- Biology and naturalist resources for artists.