By Julia Watt, LSWA Creative Mentor
“You’re not going to change the world in a day, but you can do something good every day,” remarks Dr. Sara Adlerstein in front of a display of her spacious, sunny art studio. Adlerstein believes in the power of art as a communicator of mission and soul, as she expressed to a roomful of captivated Lloyd Scholars during LSWA’s September All-Community Meeting. Her presentation kicked off the Lloyd Scholars’ Arts and Sustainability Speaker Series, which was partially funded by the LSA Year of Sustainability Incentives and Innovations Fund. Adlerstein’s compelling presentation called upon students to bridge the gap between environmental science and art.
Adlerstein described the beginnings of her career at La Universidad de Concepción in Chile where she studied biology. “I think I started [art] when I was born,” she commented, though she began her scientific work through aquatic ecology research. One of the first moments she noted a “cross pollination” of art and science was through her work experiences with scientific illustration. Depicting microscope slides via observation influenced her art making, resulting in larger abstract pieces that emulate unicellular organisms and other life forms.
As her work took her to new places, from the Ministry of Fisheries in Chile, to research on management of sustainable fisheries at the University of Washington, then to Great Lakes ecological restoration in Michigan, her passions deepened. Her art became even more referential to the ecosystems she worked in. While the objective truths of her work show up in her art often — unicellular organisms, native mussels, etc. — the profound emotions that accompany the thankless work of environmental restoration and analysis come through as well. When working in Great Lakes ecosystem research, she expressed a deep despair. “I realized how these ecosystems were ‘down the tubes,’ and all my work was documenting those negative trends…I started using my paintings to communicate about these troubled waters.”
Adlerstein’s presentation led into an interactive art activity where students collaged from magazines based on their ideas of sustainability. The project will continue to be built on at each speaker event, highlighting different mediums of environmental artwork.
Currently, Adlerstein works in the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) at the University of Michigan. She teaches upper level undergraduate (ENV421: Restoration Ecology) and graduate courses (EAS501: Nature, Culture, and Landscape) that are interdisciplinary in nature. The courses have included beautiful capstone projects, production of children’s books, participation in LSWA’s very own FoolMoon, and much more. “These students have been told that they can’t do both art and science,” remarks Adlerstein. “They come to this class and feel validated. We don’t need to be either scientists or artists. We can be BOTH.”