Impact Program

Art x Science Collaborations

Art +

Science =

impact

Through the Impact Program, we facilitate collaborations between researchers and artists on creative projects that elevate, amplify, and communicate ocean research and conservation initiatives. Impact projects aim to bridge common gaps in scientific understanding and accessibility by leveraging the transformative power of art.

Our understanding of how a healthy or stressed ocean functions is determined by scientific research. Science offers evidence-based insights that inform policy decisions, nature-based and technical solutions, and calls to action that drive ocean conservation and sustainable, equitable use. However, science can be inherently complex, difficult to access, mistrusted, and challenging to translate across cultures and contexts. This has led to a lack of ocean science literacy amongst the general public.

The Impact Program provides a pathway for scientists and artists to work together to broaden the impacts of their work through the power of creative communication. Integrating research findings and concepts into artistic creations has the power to promote scientific literacy, make science relatable, memorable, and motivational, and build community around and local support for research and conservation initiatives.

WHAT DO IMPACT PROJECTS LOOK LIKE?

There are endless options for what an Impact project can look like! Imagine a large-scale mural or mural series that translates trends in locally sourced data to the community, a cleverly designed digital capacity-building toolkit for stakeholders, an immersive walk-through exhibit relating ocean issues to landlocked regions, or the opportunity for a scientist to work with a skilled underwater photographer, for example.

Are you a scientist, research group, institution, or conservation initiative that wants to partner to communicate your work? We’d love to work with you!