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Science & Society challenges and goals to help establish ecological research sites [8].

Although
Science performance metrics for project assess-
ments [4] and investments to achieve
some seek to inspire action or activism,
or to increase civic engagement, almost
Communication impactful outcomes. 17% of the projects aim to foster interdis-
ciplinary work between artists and scien-
Through Art: Trends in Approaches to Arts- tists to enhance learning through more
Objectives, Based Science Communication creative and richer intellectual inquiry
A maturing body of work indicates that the (Figure 1). For example, Scientific Delirium
Challenges, and arts can deeply engage people by focus- Madness, a collaborative initiative of Leo-
Outcomes ing on the affective domain of learning (i.e.,
engagement, attitude, or emotion) rather
nardo/The International Society for the
Arts, Sciences and Technology and Djer-
Amy E. Lesen,1,* than on the cognitive domain (i.e., under- assi Resident Artists Program, brings
standing, comprehension, or application), together six scientists and six artists for
Ama Rogan,1,2 and
which is often emphasized in science edu- 1-month residencies that encourage cre-
Michael J. Blum1,3 cation [5]. Some contend that, by utilizing ative exploration, public engagement, and
both domains, arts-based science com- academic publication (http://djerassi.org/
The arts are becoming a favored munication catalyzes creativity and dis- scientific-delirium-madness.html).
medium for conveying science to covery by encouraging intuitive thinking
the public. Tracking trending [6]. Other work has found that a commu- A growing literature suggests that the
approaches, such as community- nity-based participatory approach to arts are particularly well suited to climate
engaged learning, alongside chal- communicating science through the arts science communication because they
lenges and goals can help establish produces meaningful change in commu- can foster understanding of the science
metrics to achieve more impactful nity behavior, prompting action on envi- and outcomes of climate change, and
outcomes, and to determine the ronmental issues and deepening because they can elicit visceral, emo-
effectiveness of arts-based science engagement [7]. tional responses and engage the imagi-
communication for raising aware- nation in ways that prompt action or
A review of 200 projects in the US (see behavior change [9]. With climate change
ness or shaping public policy.
Methods in the supplemental information affecting increasingly larger segments of
online) indicates that the arts have been the world's population, science commu-
Mounting concerns about anthropogenic widely adopted for science communica- nication is being reconsidered to cultivate
environmental change are motivating tion, although there are concentrations of creative and constructive approaches to
scholars, educators, and other profes- projects in states with larger populations raise awareness and engage vulnerable
sional practitioners to improve the way and numbers of institutions dedicated to communities about the risks it poses to
science, and climate science in particular, higher learning (e.g., California, Massa- everyday life [10]. Climate change is a
is communicated to policy makers and the chusetts, and New York). Most projects prominent focus of arts-based science
public [1]. The arts are emerging as a are based at universities, followed by non- communication across the US, and is
favored approach for science communi- governmental organizations, and then being addressed through a diverse array
cation in formal and informal settings for museums. Nearly 20% of projects were of platforms (Figure 1). An example of
the general public and constituencies of initiated by individual artists or indepen- a successful, ongoing arts-based climate
particular interest [2]. Despite a growing dent teams of artists and scientists; all science project is HighWaterLine (http://
proliferation of collaborative artistic exhib- others were initiated by institutions or highwaterline.org/), in which artist Eve
its, books, performances, and installations organizations. Most of the projects aim Mosher works with communities to
that aim to ‘activate’ science [3], it remains to increase public understanding or delineate, with a blue line chalked first
unclear whether arts-based science com- awareness about scientific concepts or in New York City followed by several
munication is uniquely effective in raising environmental concerns, including climate other cities, areas of flooding or the
awareness or shaping public policy. Thus, change and endangered species extent of sea-level rise predicted by cli-
it is timely to consider whether, and in (Figure 1). Some focus on a specific place mate models.
what ways, projects set and meet goals, or ecosystem such as the ‘Arts in the
as well as what steps can be taken to Parks’ program of the US National Park It is becoming clear that arts-based sci-
foster best practices. Here, we map trend- Service, as well as projects at field sta- ence communication is particularly effec-
ing approaches and register collective tions, marine laboratories, and long-term tive when the setting is an interactive

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, September 2016, Vol. 31, No. 9 657
(A) 90

(B) Key:
80 Public

Professional

70 University students

K-12
60
Unknown
Number of projects

50

40

Key:
30 Other
Mulple

20 Ongoing iniave

Residencies

10 Classes and pedagogy

Research and professional development


Exhibions, installaons and performances
0
Environment Climate Mulple Math & tech Earth & ocean Human biology Physical
change sciences
(C)
(i) (ii) (iii)

Figure 1. Art–Science Projects: Trends and Examples. A review of 200 arts–science projects in the US indicates that (A) by topic, projects most often focus on the
environment and climate change. Comparison of project deliverables (i.e., products, type of venue, or outcome of a project, such as a dance performance, workshop,
class, or exhibit) also reveals (A) that exhibitions (e.g., visual art shows in galleries, museums, or other public spaces); installations (i.e., temporary, 3D, or multimedia works
of art that are sometimes interactive or site specific); and performances (e.g., dance or theater) are more common deliverables than research and professional
development (i.e., projects in which data were gathered and analyzed or scholarship was produced, or a training workshop carried out for professional practitioners);
classes and pedagogy (e.g., educational materials, curricula, or courses); and residencies (i.e., projects providing the opportunity for artists and/or scientists to be
affiliated with, or reside at, a site, institution, or facility to engage in collaboration or produce works of art or scholarship). However, the prevalence of different deliverables
varies by topic. For example, projects on climate change did not emphasize classes and pedagogy, which were among the most common deliverables of projects that
focus on other environmental topics. The intended target audience (B) for most projects was the general public, illustrating that the arts are being widely adopted for
science communication, outreach, and engagement. Projects also frequently engage a professional audience, reflecting an interest in professional development and
fostering communities of practice. Postsecondary (i.e., university) students were a more frequent target audience than K-12 students. Settings for arts-based science
communication and engagement (C) include performances, community-based projects, and installations. (i) Erin Wilhelmi and Dan Domingues in the play ‘The Great
Immensity’, written and directed by Steve Cosson, Artistic Director of The Civilians, theater performance, 2014, New York premiere at the Public theater, New York City. (ii)
‘HighWater Line’, Eve Mosher, 2007, New York City. (iii) ‘Lay of the Land’, Naomi Fisher, 2013 video installation, Everglades National Park Artist-in-Residence.
Reproduced, with permission, Richard Termine (Ci); Canary Project (ii), and Naomi Fischer (iii).

658 Trends in Ecology & Evolution, September 2016, Vol. 31, No. 9
exhibit, show, or performance [11,12]. Box 1. Tools for Arts-Based Science Communication
Although exhibits and shows are well rep- Below is a list of recommended considerations for project development and execution, evaluation methods,
and performance measures for participants and audiences reflecting the prevailing theory on interdisciplinary
resented in our survey (Figure 1), most
collaboration [13–15] and our experiences implementing interdisciplinary residencies and participating in art-
focus on exposure to a product of art science collaborations.
(i.e., an art work or, more often, a museum
or science center exhibit) rather than Project Development Considerations
the process of making art, especially in  Intended overarching goals
 Project participants
a collaborative environment. Recent work
 Extent and depth of collaboration
suggests that participatory, community-  Artist goals versus scientist goals
based approaches, where the audience  Learning goals for audience
becomes collaborators or makers of art,  Performance measures for overarching goals
 Assessment of goal achievement
are more effective than adhering to mod-  Assessment of intended and unintended project outcomes
els where knowledge is imparted by  Assessment of artistic and scientific merit of the project outcomes
experts to a public that is posited to lack Evaluation Methods
 Consider professional project evaluators
scientific understanding [7]. Participatory
 Interview artist and scientist collaborators throughout project development and execution
approaches adhere to a simple principle:  Utilize multimedia formats, such as field notes, and audio and video recordings
having knowledge about a concept is not  Track audience size
the same as being engaged with that topic  Pre/post surveys or interviews of audience

in a constructive or useful way [7]. Despite Collaborative Team Performance Measures


 Artist and scientist collaborative capacity
the growing allure and popularity of ‘maker  Changes in knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of other disciplines
movements’, more rigorous conceptuali-  Changes in understanding, knowledge, and attitudes about the project topic(s)
zation and evaluation of participatory  Contributions of the project to collaborators’ own work and discipline
Audience Performance Measures
approaches would clarify how the arts
 Awareness, interest, and appreciation of project topic(s)
serve as a vehicle for science  Engagement with project subject matter
communication.  Learning and understanding of specific concepts
 Emotional and aesthetic responses

Collaboration: Defining Goals,


Overcoming Challenges
Since 2014, we have implemented the
‘Flint and Steel: Cross Disciplinary Com- the projects we examined involve collab- and how goals are being achieved can,
bustion’ residency program (www. oration between artists and scientists), in turn, help identify practices that yield
astudiointhewoods.org/thematic_ disciplinary integration is not always intui- intended and unintended outcomes.
residencies_asitw.html) that partners tive or simple to resolve [13]. Expectations
artists with academic scholars, including may differ as a consequence of disparate Building Communities of
natural scientists. The residencies serve to training, methods, values, vocabulary, Research and Practice
illustrate that interdisciplinary collaboration funding, and income. With interest in arts-based science com-
can be vital to engaging the arts for sci- munication building, it is important to
ence communication. We have found Collaboration can require synchronization foster communities of research and prac-
that challenges can arise during the col- at the outset of a project by defining a tice in education, the sciences, and the
laborative process and that, as in other common vocabulary and by discussing arts. Our review revealed that it is often
interdisciplinary endeavors, arts–science goals, motivations, and desired out- difficult to glean information about project
collaborations span a continuum. On comes. It is important to establish open goals and that few projects disseminate
one end, artists might take inspiration from dialogue for the consistent flow of infor- performance assessments. Accordingly,
science but not work directly with scien- mation and ideas as well as regular reflec- we urge practitioners to clearly articulate
tists, and likewise there might be scientists tion throughout a project [13,14]. A and communicate their goals, and report
making art without direct contact with responsive evaluation strategy (one allow- evaluations of project execution and out-
artists. At the other end of the continuum ing adjustments throughout the project as comes in publicly available (e.g., Internet-
are integral partnerships between artists evaluation and assessment are carried based) project descriptions, and project
and scientists (and those who practice out) organized around cross-disciplinary archives. A range of performance mea-
both science and art). Although interdisci- goals and performance measures can sures can be assessed and reported on
plinary collaboration is gaining in popular- also help by serving as a guiding frame- the structure of a project, project execu-
ity as an intellectual practice (over 65% of work (Box 1) [15]. Determining whether tion, and project outcomes, such as

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, September 2016, Vol. 31, No. 9 659
changes in understanding, knowledge reporting. Having these in mind from the Book Review
of, or engagement with the subject mat- onset of project development can also
ter (Box 1). Guidance on performance better ensure that projects proceed The Design of Life's
assessment can be sought from other
fields (e.g., informal science learning) that
according to measurable goals and that
meeting project goals yields intended out-
Interactions:
explore the role that the arts have in comes. Other added benefits, such as Biomechanics as a
science learning outside of the classroom
[5,14]. Some work suggests that it is
further conceptualization of arts–science
collaborations, could bolster an already
Key Tool in Ecology
helpful to engage professional evaluators flourishing field. and Evolutionary
who have training in education research
or the social sciences and experience Appendix A Supplemental Information
Biology
assessing arts-based or arts-science Supplemental Information associated with this article Anthony Herrel1,*
projects [15]. can be found, in the online version, at http://dx.doi.
org/10.1016/j.tree.2016.06.004.
Consideration should be given to develop- 1
Tulane-Xavier Center for Bioenvironmental Research,
ing a common reporting platform for data Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
2
and metadata on project outcomes and A Studio In The Woods, Tulane University, New Orleans,
LA 70118, USA
assessment. This process can be informed 3
Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Tulane
by examples of well-articulated arts-based University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
science communication projects sup-
*Correspondence: alesen@tulane.edu (A.E. Lesen).
ported by research and evaluation. One
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2016.06.004
example is the climate science-based play,
The Great Immensity, created by the New References
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additional guidance for assessment and tries to demonstrate how complex

660 Trends in Ecology & Evolution, September 2016, Vol. 31, No. 9

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