The Department of Botany and Plant Pathology is proud to announce the opening of an art exhibition, showcasing 8 larger than life works by Maxwell Eckelbarger. Displayed on the first and second floors of Cordley Hall, the exhibition is made up of two collections on loan from the Plant Cell Atlas Consortium and Carnegie Institution for Science, Department of Plant Biology (Stanford, CA).
The colorful cloth banners highlight the lives and contributions of Edmond Albius, Marie Clark Taylor, George Washington Carver, and Percy Labon Julian, four pivotal Black and African American botanists. An additional 2022 collection outlines cutting edge applications of plant science in African Ethnobotany, Molecular Farming, Phytoremediation, and Plant Structure Engineering. These works display astounding images of plant and fungal tissues as well as beautiful representations of scientific discoveries.
As part of our commitment to fostering creativity and diversity in science, the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology invites everyone to visit this temporary art exhibit and learn about the people and discoveries of plant science. The banners are available to visit during business hours, Monday to Friday 8 AM to 6 PM in the hallways of the first and second floor of the recently remodeled West Wing of Cordley Hall.
Visitors who want to learn more can use their mobile device to follow QR codes embedded in each artwork. If you are a teacher wanting to incorporate these works into your course, researchers from Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford University, Bowie State University, Morgan State University, and Howard University provide additional detail about the works and suggestions for how they can be used in a the classroom in a recent peer-reviewed publication. If you are a digital artist interested in collaborating with the Plant Cell Atlas on their next exhibit, please see their call for artists. If you are interested in getting involved in plant research, the Plant Cell Atlas hosts online training and research seminars that feature the latest in Plant Biology from around the world. The Department of Botany and Plant Pathology as well as colleagues in the Oregon State University, College of Agricultural Sciences and College of Sciences host exciting research programs related to the work showcased in the exhibit.
Written by Samuel Leiboff