SPACES & PLACES
Symbiosis in Physics and the Humanities:
How Fermilab Nurtures Creative Community
ART@CMS Gallery Reception. Photo by Reidar Hahn.
By Megan Guerber
Contributor
In the Chicago suburb of Batavia, Illinois lies works of art. The Fermilab campus reflects the
the sprawling campus of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory or Fermilab, America’s premier laboratory for particle physics and accelerator research. This 6,800-acre site is staffed
by 1,750 employees from around the world and
is home to more than just scientific research.
Open to the public from dawn until dusk, the
grounds offer ample opportunities to learn not
only about particle physics but also nature,
technology, and the scientific method.
Much like the field of art, the field of particle
physics aims to explore and understand our
existence. The study of subatomic particles,
their composition, and the forces that propel
their interactions has transformed society in
unprecedented ways. Many innovative technologies, including the Internet and PET scans,
have come out of particle physics laboratories,
greatly affecting both the health and industry fields. Even the use of synchrotron light
sources, Earth’s brightest light beams, have led
to discoveries that have affected how we restore
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wide-reaching influence of its research by bringing together many eclectic cultural events as a
means to celebrate both science and community. Film screenings, music performances, nature
trails, and even barn and folk dances help Fermilab to enrich the lives of its employees as well
as bring scientific knowledge to those who may
not otherwise experience it.
On the second floor of the landmark Wilson
Hall is the Fermilab Art Gallery, which endeavors to use visual language to talk about science.
The gallery is an open space with large windows
that employees frequently walk though, making
it both informal and inviting. As gallery director Georgia Schwender explained, it’s far from
your typical white cube. “The gallery itself is
a utilized environment. Employees and scientists meet in the gallery. [It] is not just a place
to look at artwork, it’s a way to enrich your life
on a daily basis.” The gallery strives to connect
artistic expression with the ongoing research at
Fermilab as a means of sharing information in
SciArt in America April 2015