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Rebecca Kamen: A Curious Life
This film, by Shawn Kornhauser, explores the significance of curiosity and collaboration in the development of
Kamen’s career as an artist.
Credits: Videography by Shawn Kornhauser, Artists: Rebecca Kamen, Zhao Shu Tong; A Bridge Between Cultures Film Footage, Filmmaker: Bob Nesson; Assistant Professor, Annenberg School of Communication: David Lydon Staley, Neuroscience Researcher, University of Pennsylvania: Dale Zhou; Curator: Sarah Tanguy; Exhibition Venue: American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center Washington, DC.
Publications
Whitehot Magazine published Siba Kumar Das’ article “The Nexus Between Art and Science: Growing a New Naturalism” on September 9, 2024 to showcase the Lamina Project online exhibit. Rebecca is mentioned in the article that explores the new naturalism in art as a representation of the influence of science. Click this to read the article at the Whitehot Magazine website and then click here to visit her work inside the Lamina Project website.
Through the lens: A digital depiction of dyslexia
Penn Today, the online news publication for the University of Pennsylvania, published this article by Nathi Magubane on January 26, 2023 exploring Rebecca’s work to convey how a dyslexic brain interprets information.
Click this to view the entire article at the Penn Today website.
The American Philosophical Society has published the 2023/2024 edition of their yearly News publication (find a link, below) in which they included Rebecca’s sculpture “Jumping Genes” on the cover. The story on the Women Scientists exhibition starts on page 6. Click this link to open a PDF of the full publication.
Portal Sculpture Installation included: Method Meets Art, Third Edition, Patricia Leavy, Author, August, 2020, Guilford Publications, Inc. NYC
Divining Nature: An Elemental Garden included: The Visual Experience, 4th Edition,
Emily Hood and Joe Fusaro, Authors, 2020, Davis Publications, Inc.
Constellation, a collaborative project with British poet, Steve Fowler is included in:
NEMESES: Selected Collaborations of SJ Fowler, Volume 2, Haverthorn Press, England, 2019
Kamen, Rebecca: Humanizing Science: Awakening Scientific Discovery Through the Arts and Humanities in “Extraordinary Partnerships: How the Arts and Humanities are Transforming America” edited by Christine Henseler, Lever Press, forthcoming and under contract.
Kamen, Rebecca: Arts-Based Research in the Natural Sciences (pp. 546-558) in Handbook of Arts Based Research edited by Patricia Leavy, Guilford Press, New York, 2017
Heller, Jules and Nancy: Encyclopedia of 20th Century North American Artists, Garland Press, NYC, 1994
Watson, Jones, Virginia: Contemporary American Woman Sculptors, Oryx Press, Phoenix, AZ, 1986
Who’s Who in American Art
Newspapers and Magazines
Henseler, Christine: “Humanizing Science: Rebecca Kamen Awakens Scientific Discovery Through the Arts and Humanities”, an interview by Christine Henseler with Rebecca Kamen for the HuffingtonPost.com, September 30, 2017.
Devine, Erin: “At Brentwood Arts Exchange, a New Exhibition Stretches the Limits of Drawing As a Medium” in the Washington City Paper, February 27, 2017.
Jenkins, Mark: “In the galleries: Remapping the boundaries of drawing” in The Washington Post, March 3, 2017.
Schoening, Elise: “Dyslexic Artist Shares Her Work and Wisdom” in The Signal, the College of New Jersey student newspaper, March 29, 2016.
Jenkins, Mark: “In the galleries: The roots of these gardens run deep” in The Washington Post, February 4, 2016.
Norusis, Lynn: “The powerful intersection of neuroscience and visual art in Reston” in Northern Virginia Magazine, February 2016.
Rems, Janet: “Exhibition celebrates art’s ability to re-imagine science” published January 8, 2015, in The Fairfax Times.
Julie Schauer: “Rebecca Kamen Continues Her Scientific Explorations Through Art” published in the Artventures blog, February 2016.
Dionisio, Jennifer: Reframing Science: An Interview with Rebecca Kamen and Ivan Amato, Chemical Heritage Foundation Magazine, Fall 2010, p. 40-41
Schloetzer, Mattie M.: Rebecca Kamen, Greater Reston Arts Center, Sculpture, November, 2010, p.74
Amato, Ivan: C & E News: Rebecca Kamen: A Sculptor Nurtures an Elemental Garden, October 5, 2009 p 43
Donohoe, Victoria: Philosophical, and Now Artful, Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, PA, January 16, 2009, p. W30
Tanguy, Sarah: Rebecca Kamen, McLean Project for the Arts, Sculpture, May, 2006, p75-76
Ramirez, Jenny O: Abstract Ideas, Style Weekly, Richmond, VA, March 14, 2000, p.27
Reynolds, David: Quest: Rebecca Kamen, Elan, Great Falls, VA, November, 1999, p 27-30
Lewis, Nicole: For their Ties, the Perfect Coat, The Washington Post, Washington, DC, June 10, 1999, C-5
Banks, Anne: Must See, Rebecca Kamen, Ralls Collection, KOAN, Besthda, MD, October, 1996
Annas, Teresa: Reviews, The Virginia Pilot, Richmond, VA, June 23, 1996, E8
McCoy, Mary: On Common Ground, Art Takes Root, The Washington Post, Washington,DC, May 27,1996,C2
McCoy, Mary: Sowing the Seeds of Two Cultures, The Washington Post, Washington, DC, April 30, 1994, G2
Falk, Carole: Rebecca Kamen: Garden Series, Washington Review, Washington, DC, December 1993, p.20
Wilson, Janet: Oriented Towards the East, The Washington Post, Washington, DC, September 19, 1992, D2
Gibson, Eric: Garden Blends Indoor, Outside, The Washington Time, Washington, DC September 17, 1992, M6
Mahoney, J.W: Rebecca Kamen, The New Art Examiner, April, 1991
Welzenbach, Michael: Rebecca Kamen at Jones Troyer Fitzpatrick, The Washington Post, Washington, DC, September 15, 1990, p.D2
Parmelee: Terry: Rebecca Kamen, Sculpture, Eye Wash, Washington, DC, September, 1990
Fleming, Lee: Gardens of Stone, Museum and Arts Washington, Washington, DC, September, 1990 p.50-51
Mahoney, J.W: The Washington Object, Sculpture, May/June 1990 p.75-79
Mahoney, J.W: Washington, DC: Rebecca Kamen at Winston, Art in America, September, 1989, p.217-218
King, Laura: Abstract Sculptures Dominate Area Art Exhibitions: Rebecca Kamen, The Journal Newspapers, Alexandria, VA June 16, 1989, p.B4
Welzanbach, Micahel: Rebecca Kamen at FOTA, The Washington Post, Washington, DC, June 3, 1989 p. C2
McCoy, Mary: Rebecca Kamen, Painting and Sculpture, The Washington Review, Washington, DC, February/March, 1989, p.18
Lewis, Joanne: Rebecca Kamen at Winston, The Washington Post, Washington, DC. November 5, 1988, p E2
Rubenfeld, Florence: M& AW/Around Town: Rebecca Kamen, Museum and Arts, Washington, DC, December, 1988, p.38
McCoy, Mary: Rebecca Kamen: Sculpture, The Washington Review, Washington, DC, December, 1987, p.2
Welzenbach, Michael: Galleries: The Intimate and the Industrial, The Washington Times, Washington, DC, October 16, 1986 p. 2B
Powell, Mark: Galleries: Kamen’s Ancient Allusions, The Washington Post, Washington, DC, October 16, 1986
Forgey, Benjamin: Galleries: The Shape of Local Sculpture, The Washington Post, Washington, DC, August 21, 1986, p. C1
Lewis, Joanne: Making the Point, The Washington Post, Washington, DC, February 2, 1985, p G2
Allen, Jane Adams: Brightest lights in “Talent” are Washington’s Own, The Washington Times, Washington, DC, January 25, 1985, – 3-D
Swift, Mary: Rebecca Kamen: Polychrome Sculptures, Wall Reliefs and Works on Paper, The Washington Review, December 1984- January 1985
Lachman, Tom: School 33, The News American, Baltimore, MD, September 18, 1983, p.3C
Heller, Nancy: Washington, DC/Baltimore: Marilynn Horrom and Rebecca Kamen, Arts Magazine, New York City, February, 1982, p.48
Hertzog, Joan: Collage and Assemblage, Reporter-Reviews, Jackson, Mississippi, September 24, 1981, p.17
Perlmutter, Jack: Collage on Paper at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Art Voices, West Palm Beach, Florida, July/August 1981, p.83-84
Forgey, Benjamin: Corcoran Host Six Collagists, The Washington Star, Washington, DC, May 10, 1981
Merritt, Robert: Rebecca Kamen (University of Richmond), Richmond Times Dispatch Richmond, VA, April 2, 1980, p.c-3
Wittenberg, Clarissa: Lila Snow and Rebecca Kamen at Gallery 10, Art Voices South, West Palm Beach, FL, January/February, 1980, p. 99
Lewis: JoAnn: Galleries, The Washington Post, Washington, DC, September 29, 1979, p. B3
Links to Art/Science Articles and Videos
In May of 2023 Rebecca was invited to participate in the Beauty at Work symposium at The Catholic University of America. The organizer of the symposium, Brandon Vaidyanathan, has written an article and created a wonderful, short video about Rebecca’s practice of finding how her work overlaps with the worlds of science and philosophy and how this relates to the symposium topic. Click this to visit the symposium website. Click here to view the June, 2024 article by Brandon Vaidyanathan. Watch the video, below, which was produced by Grey Matter Group with the support of Templeton Religion Trust, and edited by Podcast Engineers.
Seeing Differently: Curiosity, Creativity & Dyslexia with Rebecca Kamen:
Curiosity and the Art of Reimagining Scientific Discovery podcast
Click the video, below, to listen to the Curiosity and the Art of Reimagining Scientific Discovery (21st Century Renaissance, Ep.3, Part 1) podcast interview with Rebecca.
Part 2 of the Curiosity and the Art of Reimagining Scientific Discovery podcast
Curiosity and the Art of Reimagining Scientific Discovery (21st Century Renaissance, Ep.3, Part 2) podcast interview.
Rebecca Kamen Reimagines Science Through Her Artwork, an interview with the Stroke Forward podcast with Marcia Moran. Watch below or click this to listen at the Stroke Forward website.
Dyslexic Artist #133
Click the video, below, to watch the interview with Rebecca for the Dyslexic Artist: Translating Curiosity into Art podcast. Click this to visit the Dyslexic Artist website to learn more and click this for a more in-depth article at the DyslexiaWork.com website.
Erasing The Stigma, Episode 11
Click the video, below, to watch Julia de Montagnac’s interview with Rebecca in Episode 11 of the Erasing The Stigma series on the Coloring Confidence website. Julia created the website as part of her mission to help improve the self-esteem of elementary school students with dyslexia. After watching her interview with Rebecca, click here to see the entire collection of Julia’s interviews at the Coloring Confidence website.
Lever Book Talk: Extraordinary Partnerships: How the Arts & Humanities are Transforming America
This Lever Book Talk features Rebecca Kamen and Ari Epstein, both contributors to Lever Press title “Extraordinary Partnerships: How the Arts and Humanities are Transforming America” (Christine Henseler. ed.). The conversation focuses on the interactions and intersections of science with the creative process from the perspective of an artist and a scientist who regularly cross these boundaries. (Taken from the Lever Online You-Tube write-up)
Lever Book Talk: Extraordinary Partnerships Episode 1
In the first episode, Rebecca Kamen (an artist) and Ari Epstein (a scientist and faculty member at MIT) talk about how they met and the creative synergies they both find at the intersections of science and art.
Lever Book Talk: Extraordinary Partnerships Episode 2
In Episode 2, Rebecca discusses her piece _Portal_ and how she was inspired by collaborating with scientists who study black holes.
Lever Book Talk: Extraordinary Partnerships Episode 5
Episode 5 features Rebecca’s piece “Divining Nature” and how it makes the essential beauty of the Period Table of Elements accessible to both scientists and non-scientists.
Podcast: Talking in the Library Podcast discussing the PLOT Project,
The Library Company, Philadelphia, 2019 (click below to listen)
Video: Art Masterclass Lecture on Curiosity and the Creative Process,
Arts Education Conference in Singapore, November, 2018
The Analytical Scientist magazine included Divining Nature: An Element Garden in their Image of the Month Series for July, 2019. Click this to see Charlotte Barker’s write-up at The Analytical Scientist website.
Remembering the past while looking forward
Penn Today, the online news publication for the University of Pennsylvania, published this article by Erica K. Brockmeier on July 17, 2019 to highlight the participation of Penn’s community with the Apollo missions. The article explores Rebecca Kamen’s thoughts, as their artist-in-residence for the Department of Physics and Astronomy, regarding art and science as it relates to the Apollo 11 program and her work for the PLOT project.
Click this to view the entire article at the Penn Today website.
The Periodic Table: Interpreting a Cultural Icon
In her website Mirror Gaze, Lee West writes about the languages of art and science and explores an area of intersection: the Periodic Table. The author interviewed Rebecca at the time of her Periodic Table presentation at Science History Institute in May of 2019. That lecture and Rebecca’s Divining Nature: An Elemental Garden installation provided inspiration for West’s essay published in June of 2019.
Creators – Rebecca Kamen by Alice Fleerackers is an interview with Rebecca published June 13, 2019 in the Art the Science blog, a Canadian Science-Art nonprofit organization.
SciArt Website Member Interview recognizing Rebecca as the SciArt ‘Member of the Month’ for January, 2018.
The August/September 2017 issue of Neurology Now includes Rebecca Kamen in the article “The Art of illness: Four artists talk about how their neurologic conditions affect their art” by Lisa Collier Cool. The article shares the story from four artists who have experienced neurologic health challenges that have influenced their art. In the article Rebecca shares her experience learning about the work of Nobel Laureate Santiago Ramon y Cajal through neuroscientists at the NIH and how that changed her life.
Click here to view the article at the NeurologyNow.com website and then click this to download the article as a PDF.
Rebecca interviewed by curator Angela McQuillan for the May 19, 2017 Esther Kline Gallery Podcast in Philadelphia, PA:
Click this to listen to Rebecca Kamen in a podcast interview by Nikki Brugnoli recorded in February, 2017. The interview was recorded in Rebecca’s McLean, Virginia studio as part of her participation in the “Drawn Out Drawn Over” Exhibition at the Brentwood Arts Exchange, Brentwood, MD.
STEM Brought to Beautiful Life in the Bullis School online newsletter:
In early December, 2016, Rebecca Kamen completed a residency Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland where she guided biology students in creating their own art based on concepts from their studies in biology. Her residency was provided by a grant from the Bullis Parents Association and involved 11th grade biology students along with their faculty. Click this to read the entire article and then click here to see their online gallery of the event.
Video: Bullis School residency project
Courtesy of the Bullis School: www.bullis.org
Issue #1 of E-Squared Magazine showcases Rebecca’s work along with an article about her exploration into various topics of science and how that inspires her art. This appears in the debut issue of E-Squared, a quarterly print publication with the mission to present works of both art and science and combinations of the two. The article about Rebecca’s work explains how her abstract interpretations of matter and space help demystify the complexity of science. Click this to see a PDF of Rebecca’s work in the Autumn issue of E-Squared and then visit the E-Squared Magazine website: http://www.esquaredmagazine.com/issue-1/
The December 2015 issue of SciArt in America magazine includes an interview with Rebecca Kamen in their “Straight Talk” section. The article examines how Rebecca’s work is inspired and informed by the worlds of neuroscience, cosmology, astronomy, chemistry and many others. SciArt asks about Rebecca’s collaborative process with her most recent NeuroCantos project in which sound, video and poetry became components. Much of Rebecca’s art is included in the pages of the December issue. Click this to visit the article at the SciArt website or click here to view a PDF of the interview with Rebecca.
The August 2015 issue of The Analytical Scientist includes a cover story about Rebecca and her art. The topic “When Art Meets Science” is the focus of this issue in which they publish the interview “The Invisible Becomes Visible” with Rebecca. The interview explores Rebecca’s fascination and inspiration from the world of science. The Analytical Scientist includes quotes about Rebecca from Marjorie Gapp, the curator of Art and Images at the Chemical Heritage Foundation. Click this to see the entire article at the Analytical Scientist website or click here to open a PDF of the pages that include Rebecca’s work (915k PDF document).
“Forum.” Issues in Science and Technology 31, no. 4 (Summer 2015):
Rebecca’s work is showcased throughout the “Forum.” section of Issues in Science and Technology 31, no. 4 (Summer 2015). Click this to open a PDF version of this section of Science and Technology to see Rebecca’s work displayed in the science publication.
The August 2015 edition of SciArt in America published Energy Landscape from Rebecca’s 2013 series art/science. Click this to see the full-page spread that includes Rebecca’s work and then click here to see the fully interactive publication (Rebecca’s work is on page 22). To learn more about Rebecca’s art/science series click here to view the art/science gallery page.
The Value of Arts Education at Hive Learning Network Blog:
In this January, 2015 blog post by Kathleen Costanza at the website for Hive Pittsburgh (a program of The Sprout Fund and part of the Pittsburgh Kids+Creativity Network) Rebecca Kamen was interviewed about her work with and inspiration from scientists. Click this to read about The Value of Arts Education.
Rebecca Kamen: Merging Art and Science in JMU Art Stories:
Liz Connor wrote about Rebecca in the October, 2014 article Rebecca Kamen: Merging Art and Science in which Rebecca’s relationship with James Madison University is detailed. Click this to read about Rebecca sharing her experiences with students at JMU.
“Putting the A in STEAM” at NYTimes.com:
The New York Times showcased Rebecca’s installation “Divining Nature: An Elemental Garden” in their July 25, 2014 article “Putting the A in STEAM” by Susan Hodara. The article quotes Rebecca and includes images of the Divining Nature installation. Click here to see the entire article that includes Rebecca’s work.
“Unwitting artists” in Chemistry World:
The Royal Society of Chemistry in England showcases Rebecca’s “Divining Nature: An Elemental Garden” in the July, 2014 issue of their Chemistry World publication. Jennifer Newton also includes a “Periodic Art” sidebar in her article that shares thoughts about Rebecca’s work from organic chemist Tami Spector. Click this to see the entire article as a PDF graciously provided by Chemistry World (http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/) copyright: Royal Society of Chemistry.
“Bridging the Gap: Rebecca Kamen explains science with art”
The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) publication Photographic Sciences Bulletin includes the article, “Bridging the Gap: Rebecca Kamen explains science with art” in their Spring 2014 edition. Click this to see the full article and videos.
Click this to find the full Spring 2014 PDF on the Photographic Sciences Bulletin web page at the RIT.edu website.
“Rebecca Kamen Discoveries Between Art and Science” at 3dotMag.com:
http://3dotmag.com/rebecca-kamen-discoveries-between-art-and-science/
Click to see the full video interview on YouTube.
The Periodic Table inspired sculpture installation: Divining Nature: An Elemental Garden:
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/science/87/8740sci3.html
Lectures: Art/Science Program Series sponsored by Leonardo Journal:
DASER- National Academy of Science:
LASER-University of San Francisco:
TEDx Lectures:
Making the Invisible, Visible: Discoveries Between Art & Science at TEDxGeorgeMasonU
Books as Catalyst: Discoveries Between Art and Science
National Institutes of Health-Summer Fellowship Lectures, 2012:
http://videocast.nih.gov/summary.asp?file=17339&bhcp=1
http://videocast.nih.gov/summary.asp?live=11592&bhcp=1
Articles
Growth Cone, by Rebecca Kamen published in [SLIPPAGE] no. 3, Summer 2014:
http://slippagelitmag.wixsite.com/issuethree/growth-cone
Healing with Art: A Cincinnati Children’s Project by Litsa Spanos and published in her blog at the ADC Fine Art website:
http://adcfineart.com/healing-with-art-a-cincinnati-childrens-hospital-project/
Portrait of a dyslexic artist, who transforms neurons into ‘butterflies’ at PBS.org, part of the PBS News Hour “Science Wednesday” series published April 16, 2014:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/neuroscience-art-brain/
Rhode Island School of Design Kamen Art/Science Interview
http://www.risd.edu/about/news/2013/visualizing-the-unseen/
And at STEAMconnect.org:
http://steamconnect.org/visualizing-the-unseen/
Articles from Modern DC Business:
http://www.moderndcbusiness.com/art-science.html
http://www.moderndcbusiness.com/the-aspiring-scientists-summer-internship-program.html
Virginia Association of Museums
Lecture: Cajal Institute, Madrid, Spain
http://www.efeverde.com/contenidos/noticias/el-arte-tambien-se-empapa-del-legado-de-ramon-y-cajal
http://www.eldiario.es/politica/arte-empapa-legado-Ramon-Cajal_0_107789861.html
Radio interview with Canadian Public Radio recorded during Rebecca’s artist residency in the Science Program at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.