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Arts and Humanities

Take a look at this artistic and scientific crossover

Students merge printmaking and biology in Bob Goldstein and Beth Grabowski’s interdepartmental course.

Four-photo collage of UNC-Chapel Hill students working on art projects in their course titled
(Johnny Andrews/UNC-Chapel Hill)

When Beth Grabowski and Bob Goldstein team up, science becomes an art and art becomes a science.

The Carolina professors co-teach Art & Science: Merging Printmaking and Biology, an interdepartmental course in the College of Arts and Sciences. According to its syllabus, the class “brings art majors and science majors together to make artwork that arises out of scientific inquiry.”

Goldstein, the James Peacock III Distinguished Professor in the biology department, handles the science. Grabowski, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Distinguished Professor of Art, lends artistic expertise.

“We often get students with a foot in both worlds,” Grabowski said. “Most Carolina students carry a double major or a major and multiple minors. We’ve had art students with STEM majors and plenty of people with other majors that also inform their work.”

In the work students produce, science influences art and vice versa. “Often the science content becomes the vehicle for something with a lot of emotional and personal meaning,” Goldstein said. “In lots of ways, the art influences the science as well, and that’s really interesting to think about because it’s subtle.”

Once the work is complete, the students will display their pieces at an art show in the Genome Sciences Building lobby in January. Take a look at last year’s show.

Check out photos of students and teachers at work.

A student, Sophia Oh, and a professor, Bob Goldstein, looking a large painting Oh is working of. The painting is of a woman with a dark blue background.

Sophomore Sophia Oh receives guidance from Goldstein while working on her project at the Hanes Art Center.


Close-up image of a student, Sophia Oh, working on an art piece.


A student, Jacqueline Ari, laughing with a professor, Beth Grabowski, as she uses a rolling tool on an art piece

Junior Jacqueline Ari works with Grabowski on her project at the Hanes Art Center.


Professors Bob Goldstein and Beth Grabowski examining a large tapestry of art created by student Jacqueline Ari.


Photo with an angle from above featuring an art piece being worked on by student Aliha Younus, whose hands are seen using a tool to carve on her tapestry.

Junior Aliha Younus works on her art piece at the Hanes Art Center.


A student, Sophia Atkinson, and a professor, Beth Grabowski, looking at Atkinson's artwork.

Senior Sophia Atkinson receives guidance from Grabowski on her project at the Hanes Art Center.


Angle from above of a student using a tool to carve a piece of a large tapestry they're working on with the student's laptop also in sight.

Sophomore Jesse Patete works on his art piece at the Hanes Art Center.


Close-up image of a student looking down at their artwork as they work.