Forget STEM—At CU Boulder, The NEST Program Bridges Painters And Petri Dishes

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Photo: CU Boulder NEST Science And Arts
Toma Peiu, a filmmaker and graduate student, and Alice Hill, a post-doctorate hydrologist, stand in front of their multimedia project, "Migrant Water," on Sept. 26, 2018. The piece is showcased in CU's NEST Studio for the Arts.

It may seem like artists and scientists live in separate worlds—the studio versus the laboratory. But CU Boulder is building a bridge between them with a new project called NEST.

Standing for Nature, Environment, Science and Technology, NEST Studio for the Arts just opened its first exhibit. NEST pairs scientists and artists to create hybrid work inspired by research.

Co-director Erin Espelie talked to Colorado Matters about how the pairing benefits artists and scientists by making their work more accessible and interactive.