Art & Science Collaboration: Exploring Neuroscience Through Printmaking

In a groundbreaking collaboration between Montclair State University’s Department of Art & Design and the Biology Department, Visual Arts students embarked on a journey into the neuroscience research of Dr. Thomas Mueller. Professor Cathy Bebout, Head of Printmaking along with faculty Sharon Lindenfeld and Bridget McGuire led this innovative Art-Science collaboration this Spring semester. Titled, “Zebrafish and the Art of Fear: A Creative Inquiry into Memory and Emotion.”

This printmaking collaborative project explores the intersection between biology and art. Following Dr. Mueller’s lecture, the visual arts faculty presented to participating students the selected drawings of Nobel Prize scientist Dr. Santiago Ramón y Cajal, renowned for his work in neuroscience, in addition to work by contemporary artists whose imagery explores the complexities of brain science.

This collaboration was funded by a National Science Foundation grant and Montclair State University’s departments of Art & Design and Biology. Inspired by the scientific research of how fear and anxiety is stored in the memories of brains of zebrafish and relates to the human brain, the number of students participating were selected from Illustration, Visual Communication Design, Visual Arts, and Art Education majors. This collaboration resulted in a series of interdisciplinary discussions and mixed media printmaking demonstrations in a series of “Print Jam” sessions, where the scientific research led to an innovative approach to artistic expression and student learning. After a five-hour printmaking marathon where students completed the final round of prints, the overall sessions fostered a fruitful exchange of ideas resulting in a series of captivating images of prints on paper.

The art faculty will curate a collection from over a hundred prints produced during the project for an exhibition to be showcased at the Mid-America Print Council Conference and the Kistler Museum of Art at Kansas State University’s Manhattan campus in Fall 2024. They will then return to Montclair State University for an exhibition at Finley Gallery and a research symposium in Spring 2025.

“The value of the project is to use art and science as a social practice and teaching tool for how to create forums for dialog and learning between these disparate disciplines. The project illustrates the multiple ways in which the transformative power of the arts can be a pro-active tool for dialog and civic engagement.” – Cathy Bebout

This collaboration highlights the power of interdisciplinary exploration, showcasing how art and science fusion sparks creativity, innovation, and deeper understanding. Through this project, students expanded their artistic skills while gaining insight into neuroscience, paving the way for future interdisciplinary collaborations at Montclair State University.