Oregon State University

At Oregon State University, our programs stress arts-based engagement with complex, multi-dimensional issues that invite the combined efforts of scientists, engineers, and creatives.

From the hub of the Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts – a new 49,000-square-foot facility with multiple performing and exhibition venues – we emphasize science- and technology-based programming and offer a range of residencies for artists in field stations, research laboratories, and experimental contexts. A significant endowment supports the artistic exploration of annual transdisciplinary themes (from “watersheds” to “polar regions,” “artificial intelligence” to “nanotechnology”) through a traveling exhibition and associated programming in music, theater, and experimental performing mediums. Via a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation, Oregon State University manages the NSF’s Antarctic Artists and Writers Program and deployments for educators to both poles. A component of the Spring Creek Project, the Long-Term Ecological Reflections program – aligned with the NSF’s Long-Term Ecological Research network – funds artists and writers to contribute to an evolving, 200-year creative exploration of the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest. Other programs and projects that directly support arts-based approaches to science and engineering include the L.L Stewart Faculty Scholars Initiative, the Art-Sci Collaborative, the Marine Studies Initiative, the Design for Social Impact certificate, and the School of VIsual, Performing, and Design Arts. The installation of a series of temporary artworks featuring science and technology content began in 2022 with John Grade’s monumental sculpture Emeritus.

Banner Image Credit: John Grade, Emeritus (2022). Memorial Union Quad, Oregon State University. Presented by the Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts, College of Forestry, and the Provost’s Office.