Art and STEM in Flagstaff

Art and STEM are more the same than they are different. Both subjects are an attempt to understand the world around us. While art frequently requires a similar process to engineering design, STEM requires a good deal of creativity and imagination. It won’t come as a surprise that America's first STEM Community is filled with public art. Many of the art pieces in Flagstaff express scientific knowledge and are inspired by natural surroundings. 
A few in particular include:

via GIPHY

A Solstice Clock was built in 1999 by Geoffrey Gross for NAU’s centennial celebrations. The clock is made of granite, carrara marble and stone. This piece especially resonates with our Dark Sky City because of its connection to solar objects and astronomy. Unfortunately, since the clock was moved to a new side of campus, the artwork does not function as it was originally intended. 

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The Ponderosa Tremuloides was created by Shawn Skabelund in 2009, inspired by trees local to the area including Ponderosa Pine, Quaking Aspen and Pinyon Pine. The sculpture, located on the NAU campus, acts like a chime with metal leaves. The audible interaction with the physical environment makes this a special piece.  ​

The Rainbow de Rio Mosaic Project consists of 22 tile mosaics created by Karen Knorowski. The panels colorfully celebrate the biodiversity of Rio de Flagstaff. Many of the plants and animals depicted are found in the nearby Frances Short Pond and Rio de Flag habitat. This was a collaborative project that included the help of workshop participants, local volunteers and students from the Hopi reservation and Flagstaff Unified School District.

​​Art provokes an emotional response that continues to change human perceptions of our experience, an important aspect of STEM. The  Public Art program is coordinated through the Beautification and Public Art Commission at the City of Flagstaff, easily accessible through their public art map.

Written by Kelly Randazzo 

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