6&6: A Transdisciplinary Approach to Art-Science Collaboration

Sarah E. Clark, Eric Magrane, Thomas Baumgartner, Scott E.K. Bennett, Michael Bogan, Taylor Edwards, Mark A. Dimmitt, Heather Green, Charles Hedgcock, Benjamin M. Johnson, Maria R. Johnson, Kathleen Velo, Benjamin T. Wilder

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

Despite an historical connection between the arts and sciences, in the past century, the two disciplines have been greatly siloed. However, there is a renewed interest in collaboration across the arts and sciences to support conservation practice by understanding and communicating complex environmental, social, and cultural challenges in novel ways. 6&6 was created as a transdisciplinary art-science initiative to promote a deeper appreciation of the Sonoran Desert. Six artists and six scientists were paired to create work that explored conservation issues in the Sonoran Desert and the Gulf of California. In-depth interviews were conducted with the artists and scientists throughout the 4-year initiative to understand the impact of 6&6 on their personal and professional behaviors and outlook. The findings from this case study reveal the role that intensive, place-based, and transdisciplinary art-science programs can play in shaping narratives to better communicate the patterns and processes of nature and human-environment interactions.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)821-829
Number of pages9
JournalBioScience
Volume70
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 18 2020

Keywords

  • Sonoran Desert
  • art-science
  • conservation practice
  • science communication
  • transdisciplinary

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Agricultural and Biological Sciences

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