HIGH POINT, N.C., April 28, 2016 – High Point University students worked alongside students at Penn-Griffin School for the Arts conducting science experiments earlier this semester. The students at Penn-Griffin School for the Arts were then challenged to generate art inspired by the science experiments they conducted on HPU’s campus.
The students were able to show off their finished work on April 23 at the High Point Public Library, where their art was on display in the Morgan Community Room.
“This collaboration not only allowed students to connect real-world concepts to classroom lessons, but gave the students another view for applying science,” said Tarsha Reid, science teacher at Penn-Griffin School for the Arts. “Students are accustomed to seeing science applied to the medical field; however, this collaboration allowed Penn-Griffin students to use their special talents in the various art majors to interpret their vision of the science concepts.”
The event, titled EURICA (Emerging Undergraduate Research-Inspired Cell Art), challenged the high school students to think outside of the box and use the science experiments to create new and different art.
“Being able to help combine science and art with these students was really exciting,” said HPU student Gabby Hayes. “Being able to share some of what I’ve learned at HPU with a group of art students was an incredible opportunity. The best part was seeing everything that they came up with; I was so impressed. They inspired me to always continue to look at science in new ways and to be creatively inspired by the work we do in lab.”
“Collaborative and interdisciplinary projects like this not only help HPU faculty and students strengthen their ties with the community, but it also allows them to inspire others to think about non-traditional careers in the sciences,” said Dr. Veronica Segarra, assistant professor of biology at HPU.