National Academies Press: OpenBook

Convergence II: The Art Collection of the National Academy of Sciences (2021)

Chapter: Engagement Through Art at the National Academy of Sciences

« Previous: Front Matter
Suggested Citation:"Engagement Through Art at the National Academy of Sciences." National Academy of Sciences. 2021. Convergence II: The Art Collection of the National Academy of Sciences. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26371.
×

Introduction

Engagement Through Art at the National Academy of Sciences

By Marcia McNutt, President, National Academy of Sciences

Visiting the home of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in Washington, D.C., is a sensory experience. Bronze reliefs in the white marble façade depict contributors to scientific thought and history from Aristotle to Darwin. Inside the building, artistic details and contemporary art adorn the walls, the domed ceiling of the Great Hall, and even the knobs at the end of handrails. Designed with the intention of sparking the imagination, the building provides a memorable visual identity for the institution.

Located on Constitution Avenue, the NAS Building is within sight of the memorial to President Abraham Lincoln, who signed the congressional charter that founded the NAS in 1863. The NAS opened the bronze doors to its first permanent home in 1924, and its location on the National Mall within steps of the Lincoln Memorial positioned it and science, both physically and culturally, as a significant presence in our nation’s capital.

The building’s architect, Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, asked several significant artists of the day to create work for science’s new home. These artists included Hildreth Meière, a renowned muralist who collaborated with engineers and draftsman to design and oversee the painting of the Great Hall dome. For almost 100 years, visitors have looked up at the dome and have seen a constellation of ideas—the history of science and its impact on society depicted by Meière’s colorful artwork. The figures that depict milestones of scientific accomplishments and the world’s most prominent scientific institutions remind us of those who have come before and of the importance of carrying on the work of serving the nation and the public by providing expert advice on issues of science, engineering, and medicine.

The art in the NAS Building communicates our history, values, and connections with each other and the natural world. By engaging with artists whose work addresses connections with science, the office of the Cultural Programs of the NAS (CPNAS) celebrates the importance and impact of science, and engages a broader audience in the NAS’s mission. Science-themed art exhibits have been displayed in the building since the 1970s. More recently, other forms of public engagement have included theatrical readings, cross-disciplinary salons, and portrait collections of both Black American and women scientists, engineers, and medical practitioners who have influenced science in the United States and beyond.

J.P. Wilson

(1889–1976)

The Academy by Moonlight, 1925
Oil on canvas
28.25 x 34.25 inches

James Perry Wilson, architectural artist, was an associate of architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue during the construction of the NAS Building. He was also a self-taught plein air painter and is known for painting backdrops such as those at the American Museum of Natural History’s Hall of North American Mammals in New York City. This painting, completed in 1925, is unusual because Wilson combined his architectural rendering skills with his fascination in capturing the quality of moonlight.

Suggested Citation:"Engagement Through Art at the National Academy of Sciences." National Academy of Sciences. 2021. Convergence II: The Art Collection of the National Academy of Sciences. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26371.
×
Image

Robert Berks

(1922–2011)

Albert Einstein Memorial, 1979
Bronze and granite
144 x 252 x 135 inches
Albert Einstein Memorial Statue
© 1978 Robert Berks
Photograph by Alex Jamison

Probably the most noted and accessible work in the National Academy of Sciences’ collection, the Albert Einstein Memorial is located on Constitution Avenue in front of the NAS Building. In 1905, Albert Einstein created a body of work with ideas that would change humanity’s conception of the universe. The National Academy of Sciences’ memorial to Albert Einstein was unveiled at its annual meeting, April 22, 1979, in honor of the centennial of Einstein’s birth.

On the front lawn outside the building, the Albert Einstein Memorial is a favorite among visitors to Washington, D.C., who love to climb on his lap and have their photos taken. Meant to honor the great physicist for his contributions to science, the highly popular memorial, like the NAS art collection, reminds us of much more. Part of Einstein’s legacy is that the process of science is interconnected with all areas of human endeavor, and the resulting synergy benefits us all. For Albert Einstein, who famously stated that art and science are branches of the same tree, imagination and creativity were critical in all areas of inquiry. Einstein, who played both violin and piano, once said, “If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician.” Conversely, his contributions are said to have had an impact on the arts, influencing Cubism and Futurism, illuminating the potential and unexpected outcomes of scientific investigation.

The advancement and understanding of science are vital to addressing many of the global challenges we face. An investigation of science through the lens of art can help us become sensitive to the personal and cultural context of how scientific knowledge is developed and applied. It reminds us of the humanity of science. As you look at the work in this catalogue and the constellation of ideas it represents, imagine the possibilities of looking at the familiar from a new perspective. The NAS art collection, like Hildreth Meière’s iconography in the Great Hall, or the polymathic nature of Einstein’s thought processes, exemplifies the idea that the convergence of disciplines is far more interesting, and potentially beneficial, than their differences.

Hildreth Meière

(1892–1961)

Great Hall, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C.
Commissioned 1922, completed 1924
Gesso-based paint and gold leaf
Photograph by Mark Finkenstaedt

The iconography of the ceiling of the Great Hall was designed by artist Hildreth Meière and painted and gilded by the Mack, Jenny & Tyler Company. It depicts the history and significance of science. The eight basic disciplines in the dome are Physics, Astronomy, Chemistry, Geology, Anthropology, Zoology, Botany, and Mathematics. Four older, more well-established science academies depicted in the arches are The Royal Society, London; Académie des Sciences, Paris; Accademia dei Lincei, Rome; and the Museum of Alexandria, Egypt. The four elements of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water are depicted in the pendentives.

The project was Meière’s first major architectural commission and launched her 35-year career. The commission presented several technical challenges that required her collaboration with building engineers, a significant accomplishment for a woman working in the 1920s in a male-dominated field. The designs are in the streamlined Art Deco style that became her trademark. Meière went on to complete more than 100 commissions, including the roundels of Dance, Drama, and Song at Radio City Music Hall in New York City and the iconographic suites at the Nebraska State Capitol.

Suggested Citation:"Engagement Through Art at the National Academy of Sciences." National Academy of Sciences. 2021. Convergence II: The Art Collection of the National Academy of Sciences. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26371.
×
Image
Suggested Citation:"Engagement Through Art at the National Academy of Sciences." National Academy of Sciences. 2021. Convergence II: The Art Collection of the National Academy of Sciences. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26371.
×
Page 7
Suggested Citation:"Engagement Through Art at the National Academy of Sciences." National Academy of Sciences. 2021. Convergence II: The Art Collection of the National Academy of Sciences. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26371.
×
Page 8
Suggested Citation:"Engagement Through Art at the National Academy of Sciences." National Academy of Sciences. 2021. Convergence II: The Art Collection of the National Academy of Sciences. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26371.
×
Page 9
Next: The Convergence of Knowledge »
Convergence II: The Art Collection of the National Academy of Sciences Get This Book
×
Buy Hardback | $40.00 Buy Ebook | $32.99
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

Science relies on the rational. Art celebrates the intuitive. Together they inform one another.

The second volume catalog of the art collection of the National Academy of Sciences illustrates by example how Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences' art exhibits and collection provide a platform for thinking about the impact of science on our society. Through a cultural and personal lens, the topics found in the collection range from diversity and equity to climate change and collaboration. This catalog contains beautiful reproductions of more than 30 original artworks from the National Academy of Sciences collection, including such artists as Tim Rollins and K.O.S., Mike and Doug Starn, Tavares Strachen, Neri Oxman, Camille Seaman, Diane Burko, Renée Stout, Alfredo Arreguín, Jeffrey Kent, David Maisel, and many more. Essays from leading scholars and curators are included that illuminate the work.

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    Switch between the Original Pages, where you can read the report as it appeared in print, and Text Pages for the web version, where you can highlight and search the text.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  9. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!