Perpich Center's ArtScience Final Design Presentations on Synthetic Biology

Perpich Center for Arts Education is in the second year of its ArtScience Program. We started working on the ArtScience theme of Synthetic Biology just prior to winter break and have been taking Seed Ideas through Design development.

ArtScience Prize students engage in in-depth learning in the arts, sciences, and idea development to cultivate creativity and the ability to realize innovative project ideas generated in the classroom. Student projects focus on concepts in the arts and design fused with cutting-edge areas of study in the sciences. These project concepts start as “seed ideas” proposed by artists, designers, scientists, and entrepreneurs that evolve into collaborative student-led ventures through brainstorming and workshops with skilled adult Project Mentors and Teaching Artists.

Through this groundbreaking curriculum that builds social skills, knowledge of project development techniques, and a basic foundation in creativity and the artistic process, students develop both the confidence to project a dream into concrete and realizable steps, and the ability to convince others to invest in dream realization.

Our projects are:

Chromatophore Bracelet-- "mood" bracelet for non-communicative children with autism.
Green Chair--Anti-anxiety chair based on genetically modified plants
Colored Cotton--genetically modified cotton plant that grows deep hues of colored cotton
Filter Bud--Water filter using hyperaccumulator plants
BioLume--Light Therapy Room using bioluminescent light (algae)
Protopia--"Choose Your Own Story" Novel based on a SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY Protopian World
Seamstress--Children's book with SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY theme