I know what you may be thinking, “Wait… There’s no A in STEM.” And you’re absolutely right- there isn’t. But maybe there should be. The following list of extraordinary women, both historical and current, have helped show that integrating Arts into STEM is almost seamless. They paired their creative nature with some scientific wonders to create amazing works of art. 

Mary Shelley (1797-1851): Author of “Frankenstein”

Mary Shelley’s most famous book Frankenstein, published in 1818, is considered to be one of the early examples of Science Fiction. Some even say she created the entire genre of Science Fiction. She got the idea for the novel when she was on a trip with her husband Percy Bysse Shelley, along with some of their friends who were staying close-by. Her story was the first of its kind; it blended science and medicine with fiction and story-telling. Through her novel, she showed that these areas can be blended together into an amazing story that has remained a favorite through the last 200 years.  

Zaha Hadid (1950-2016): Architect

Zaha Hadid is considered to be the greatest female architect of all time. She earned the nickname “Queen of the Curve” for her inclusion of different geometric shapes and asymmetrical curves into her designs. She was also awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004, referred to as the Nobel Prize of architecture, and was the first woman to ever be awarded it! Some of her most famous designs include the London Aquatic Center, which hosted the 2012 Olympics, the Galaxy Soho in Beijing, and the Phaeno Science Center in Wolfsburg.

“There are 360 degrees, so why stick to one?” -Zaha Hadid

Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717): “The woman who made science beautiful”

Maria Sibylla Merian was taught to paint watercolors by her mother’s second husband. She loved to paint flowers, and started to notice the metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly while painting. She continued to paint her observations of caterpillars and butterflies, in all stages of life, and eventually published them all in three volumes. Her paintings were able to confirm the theory that insects are born from eggs, which had previously only been assumed to be true. Her paintings contributed greatly to the field of entomology, and at a time when these types of observations and confirmations were only being made by men. 

Anna Atkins (1799-1871): Botanist

Anna Atkins was interested in capturing how sea algae looks, but wanted a more accurate way to do so than just drawing. She utilized cyanotyping, a type of cameraless technology that was invented only a year prior to her using it. Cyanotyping uses chemicals to create a cyan-blue print of an object; it is not what’s called blueprinting. With this technology, Anna was able to make over 300 cyanotypes over a decade; each type of algae she captured she identified by name. She put together several volumes with these cyanotypes, and published what is now considered the first book to include photographs, and earned her the title of the First Female Photographer! 

Rebecca Skloot: Author of “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”

Rebecca Skloot is an author, specializing in topics within the realm of science. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences and a masters in creative nonfiction. One of her most famous books is the New York Times bestseller The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. This book takes the reader on the journey of special cells- cells taken from a woman named Henrietta Lacks, without her consent. These cells, named HeLa cells after the woman they came from, have changed the medical game entirely. Through the research done on these special cells, so many important scientific discoveries were made. The polio vaccine came out of research on these cells, as well as information on cloning, gene mapping, and so many more ground-breaking medical advances. This story, that combines the creative aspects of writing with the facts of science and research, has sparked so many conversations about consent, bioethics, and treatment of the less privileged. 

 “Good science is all about following the data as it shows up and letting yourself be proven wrong, and letting everything change while you’re working on it - and I think writing is the same way.” - Rebecca Skloot

Anicka Yi: Artist, self-taught Scientist and Artist

Anicka Yi didn’t start making art until she was in her late thirties, but the art she made was incredibly unique to anything out there. She likes to create art using a very different kind of medium- smell. Her art is there to give the viewer an olfactory experience, not just a visual one. Her creative artwork earned her the spot of visiting artist at MIT’s Center for Art, Science, and Technology in 2014-2015. Some of the things she uses to make her art include microbes, snails, and medications. To create her artwork, she works with people in different STEM areas, including biologists and chemists. Her idea with her artwork is to get the viewers to take a deeper experience into the smells, instead of calling them gross right off the back. 

“Using smell is a way to take communication a little further. Smell can prompt a transference of environment, of time, of memory.”-Anicka Yi

Susan Aldworth: visual artist, Experimental printmaker and filmmaker

Susah Aldworth is using her artwork to learn about one of the most amazing and complex organs- the brain. She works with neuroscientists to make her artwork; some of which are actual pictures of brain tissue. She also works on other areas within the brain, like the human consciousness and what happens when we’re sleeping. She has collaborated with scientists to complete projects on treatment for patients suffering from epilepsy, and for a sleep disorder clinic. Through her art, scientists and researchers are being given information on different treatments for disorders involving the brain, the human consciousness, and how the brain truly works. 

Janet Saad-Cook: pioneer in the field of multidisciplinary art

Janet describes her own work as lying “at the intersection of light and space and time” (11 Fascinating Artists Inspired by Science). Her artwork is created using light, and playing on the different ways light scatters off objects. She often collaborates with experts in many STEM areas to create her art; working with scientists, architects, astronomers, and engineers, she is able to capture the different ways light can be reflected depending on the time and location of the sun in the sky. She has presented her artwork at many scientific institutes, such as MIT and the International Astronomical Union (IAU), as well as speaking at lectures all across the US. 

            These amazing women in the Arts, as well as the powerful STEM women in the article “STEM Women: Past, Present, and Future”, chose to rewrite the narrative that had come before them. They have helped pave the way for more women to follow in their footsteps- to change their own stories. Though you can never know where the path will lead you, you can take solace in the fact that all these strong women have done it and believe that you can do it too. All it takes is the courage to take the first step. To take a chance. To follow your dreams and find your own happy ending.

References

11 Fascinating Artists Inspired by Science. (2017, October 23). Retrieved from https://theartofeducation.edu/2017/10/26/11-fascinating-artists-inspired-science/

7, U. (2019, March 06). Retrieved August 03, 2020, from https://susanaldworth.com/about-me/

The Artist - Janet Saad. (n.d.). Retrieved August 03, 2020, from https://www.janetsaadcook.com/contact

Buder, S. (2019, November 08). Zaha Hadid's Most Iconic Buildings. Retrieved August 02, 2020, from https://www.afar.com/magazine/zaha-hadids-most-iconic-buildings-around-the-world

David Barnett @davidmbarnett. (2018, January 26). Women in science fiction: 200 years after Mary Shelley, whither the brides of Frankenstein? Retrieved August 02, 2020, from https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/women-science-fiction-authors-mary-shelley-frankenstein-200-ursula-k-le-guin-sci-fi-writers-female-a8177556.html

Editorial, A., & Lebowitz, R. (2018, February 23). 9 Artists Who Made Contributions to Science-from Leonardo da Vinci to Samuel Morse. Retrieved August 02, 2020, from https://www-artsy-net.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-9-artists-made-contributions-science-leonardo-da-vinci-samuel-morse/amp?amp_js_v=0.1

An eventful life. (n.d.). Retrieved August 02, 2020, from http://www.sibyllamerian.com/biography.html

Hay, N. (2019, November 12). 7 Inspiring Female Figures in Art and Science. Retrieved August 02, 2020, from https://www.activekids.com/parenting-and-family/articles/7-inspiring-female-figures-in-art-and-science

Literary Birthday – 19 September – Rebecca Skloot. (2019, September 18). Retrieved August 03, 2020, from https://www.writerswrite.co.za/literary-birthday-19-september-rebecca-skloot/

Rebecca Skloot Journalist, Teacher, Author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. (n.d.). Retrieved August 03, 2020, from http://rebeccaskloot.com/

Zaha Hadid's 10 best buildings in pictures. (2016, March 31). Retrieved August 02, 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/mar/31/zaha-hadid-10-best-buildings-in-pictures