Science meets art at the Lakeville Public Library

An exhibit of natural science artwork at the Lakeville Public Library came to a close on July 31, a couple of weeks after an artist meet-and-greet and a people’s choice vote where the public picked their favorite pieces.

The show featured work from members of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, a group of artists from around the world who specialize in making science visible through art. The organization began in 1968 at the Smithsonian.

Artwork in the exhibit fell into two categories. The first was Traditional Science Illustration, which includes detailed, realistic drawings and paintings of animals, plants and anatomy. These are the kinds of images often found in textbooks, field guides and scientific journals.

The second category, called Broader Visual Science Communication, included a wide range of creative approaches to sharing science. Artists used everything from sculpture and fiber arts to animation and knitting.

“It’s not all traditional what we think of as art,” said Ruth Gross, a member of the Great Ponds Gallery arts committee. “[The artists] were welcome to really extend themselves however they’d like, within their concept of art.”

This year’s theme was Visual Storytelling, encouraging artists to not just show scientific subjects, but also explore the stories behind them.

Artists ranged from professionals who have authored books to amateurs who were simply exploring the theme.

“One of the [people’s choice] winners was a dentist who did a thing for her office,” Gross said.

While the exhibit included dozens of pieces, only five received a people’s choice award. Most votes were cast during a reception for the exhibit on July 14. Library patrons and staff also voted. Roughly 175 people cast ballots for their favorite piece.

The winners include: Kathy DeVries for "The Rabbit That Ate My Garden,” Sandra Hunter for "Painless Dentistry," Brittany Cheung for "Kinetic Beaks: Exploring Rhynchokinesis in Shorebirds," Stacy Cheavens for "Life Through Geologic History," and Carol Schwartz for "Beach Strand Habitat Plants."

The next exhibit in the Great Ponds Gallery will celebrate the 20th birthday of the “new” library building.