Art is all around us
Discover art at the Sciencenter! Explore vibrant, imaginative worlds brought to life with murals and kinetic sculptures.
Audra Lisner
Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you became an artist? I’m Audra, a muralist and graphic designer based in Aurora. In college, I studied advertising and citizenship/civic engagement, which ended up combining perfectly with my love of large-scale/public art! I painted my first mural five years ago and haven’t looked back since!
How would you describe your artistic style? My style is versatile – I describe myself as a commercial muralist. But I definitely gravitate toward doing bold, graphic artwork and I love getting to incorporate lettering. Above all – it has to be colorful!
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Can you describe the concept/inspiration behind the mural? When I met with the awesome Sciencenter team, they described their vision of a mini farmer’s market for Ithaca’s mini residents! I loved the idea and dove headfirst into “branding” the market through signage, and adding a lovely little slice of farm life on a wooden cutout.
Are there any specific themes or messages you wanted to convey through this piece? We wanted to brighten up the space for kids and families to have a cheerful time at their pretend farmer’s market while getting to play, learn, and have fun!
What do you hope visitors will take away from seeing your mural? I hope visitors will enjoy the energy the pieces bring to the outdoor area.
What impact do you hope this mural will have on the museum’s visitors and the community? As for impact, I’d love for visitors and community members to see how much the Sciencenter prioritizes creating such a wonderful, engaging world for anyone and everyone. It’s especially lovely and important that they invest so much in local artists.
What do you enjoy most at the Sciencenter? The Sciencenter is such an incredible place. What’s most special to me is getting to see how much any person of any age can truly enjoy themselves and appreciate the fun, the informative, and the downright cool!! It’s keeping play alive for all ages and I love it!!!
George Rhoads
George Rhoads (1926-2021) was a local sculptor best known for his “audiokinetic” ball machine sculptures. One of his notable works, Quantum’s Last Leap, was designed and built for the Sciencenter in 1994.
Rhoads initially constructed the ball machines in his metalworking shop. He later partnered with Bob McGuire, an artistic welder, leading to the creation of many sculptures by a team of engineers at McGuire’s Rockstream Studios in Ithaca, NY, based on Rhoads’s designs. Other works by Rhoads at the Sciencenter include the Wind Spinner in the Science Park and Screwball outside the museum entrance.
Justin Suarez
Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you became an artist? Born on a family farm in upstate New York, I am an aerosol and fine artist who celebrates wildlife with large-scale spray-painted murals. With over 20 years of experience, I have painted murals across the US, and my work has been exhibited around the world. I bring the intensity of a raptor to my artistic endeavors, as well as my work as a valued handler of birds of prey at Wild Wings Animal Sanctuary, located just outside Rochester, NY.
Can you describe the concept/inspiration behind the mural? I worked with Colin [Director of Live Exhibits], and Adrienne [Director of Exhibits & Facilities] to identify the eyelash viper as the inspiration for the mural. We liked the idea of showcasing an animal that was not part of the live animal collection. I love using my mural work to encourage people to research and learn about these different species.
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What impact do you hope this mural will have on the museum’s visitors and the community? As an avid lover of wildlife, it means a great deal to me to have my work included in this exhibit at the Sciencenter and to know that it will be enjoyed by so many children and families. The staff of the Sciencenter is always so wonderful to work with, and I always learn so much from Colin about the animals themselves, as well as the ways they are cared for.
Molly Reagan
Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you became an artist? Art has been a refuge, a joyful outlet and an obsession, since elementary school. The pandemic really launched my career because I had the time and the space to create intentionally and find my style. It was certainly a silver lining of distance and isolation. It was a way to connect and create and make sense of a confusing time.
How would you describe your artistic style? Crackling with joy, my illustrative abstract expressionist body of work is at once spontaneous, mischievous, dynamic and above all; optimistic. I employ playful, intuitive painting methods and color choices to evoke childlike exuberance, freedom, spirit. I delight in imperfect shapes, lines, patterns and groupings that play on the canvas.
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Can you describe the concept/inspiration behind the mural? For both murals I created at the Sciencenter, I wanted to convey the same sparkiness, anticipation and excitement that I’ve felt every time I’ve walked into the Sciencenter. Using color and movement and abstract expressionist symbols, I worked with the staff to depict their favorite components of the whole museum.
What impact do you hope this mural will have on the museum’s visitors and the community? I hope these murals will further energize an already extremely peppy and sparky place. The Sciencenter helps makes this community what it is. It has been an honor to work alongside the true pros there. This project was a career highlight.
Paulina Melechkina
Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you became an artist? I grew up in a family of musicians, writers, and art lovers so my creative talents were nurtured from an early age. I began my formal art education at the age of ten and eventually attended Hartwick College, where I was able to pursue dual degrees in Fine Art and Molecular Biology. While I work full-time as a researcher at Cornell University, I have maintained a steady business of custom portraiture, landscapes, and more recently, murals. Completed in 2017, the Ocean Gallery mural at the Sciencenter was my first large-scale mural commission.
How would you describe your artistic style? I’m an impressionist at heart, but my commissions frequently call for a more realistic approach. One of the things I love about painting murals is the freedom afforded to me by the scale of the work. When painting, nothing brings me more joy than some well-placed brush strokes coming together to sculpt an object from light and shadow.
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Can you describe the concept/inspiration behind the mural(s)? At present, I have four murals in the Sciencenter. The Ocean Gallery mural that surrounds the touch tank exhibit depicts the coast of Maine and dips below the water’s surface into the North Atlantic. It was primarily inspired by Acadia National Park, and all fauna and flora were chosen carefully to represent species native to the region.
Also housed in the Ocean Gallery is the coral reef and mangrove mural, which supports the aquariums above it, both visually and literally. Teeming with life, the mural is suffused with a turquoise glow and bathed in the warmth of this Caribbean habitat. I am particularly fond of the closed anemones, their tentacles hidden within jelly-like bowls.
The Hispaniola exhibit, home to the beloved iguana Strawberry, was inspired by Jaragua National Park. Located on the southern tip of the island, it is one of the Dominican Republic’s most significant natural preserves. The ecosystem is known as a tropical dry forest and is home to a great variety of cacti and reptiles.
Finally, the rainforest exhibit is meant to depict the Amazon but includes some Central American plants, such as Monstera deliciosa. I had so much fun painting the dappled light shining through the foliage and it remains my favorite mural to date.
Are there any specific themes or messages you wanted to convey through these pieces? The murals depict the natural habitats of the animals on display. After some consideration, we decided to include as little evidence of human activity as possible.
I also have a small mural on the fence outside the Sciencenter. The prompt for this project was “What does the Sciencenter mean to you?” and I wanted to convey the sense of wonder that the Sciencenter fosters in our children. The two boys depicted in the mural live in the neighborhood and were chosen to be honored by community leader Ms. Phoebe Brown. The older of the two boys had lost his father to police violence and it was important to the community that the mural capture a moment of Black joy.
What do you hope visitors will take away from seeing your mural? My murals are meant to serve as the backdrop for the lovingly curated live animal exhibits at the Sciencenter so in a way, I do not expect them to be seen. I do hope that my work can enhance the experience of visitors, young and old, and create an atmosphere of wonder and joy.
What impact do you hope this mural will have on the museum’s visitors and the community? It is my dream to help foster the next generation of scientists (and artists) and remind caregivers of the necessity of preserving the many imperiled ecosystems for this and future generations. As we begin to feel the impact of climate change more acutely, I hope exhibits such as these will inspire us all to pursue the systemic changes needed to combat it, rather than simply serving as reminders of a planet that was.
What do you enjoy most at the Sciencenter? I have so many fond memories of the Sciencenter. While painting, my favorite part was chatting with all the patrons who stopped by to check out the progress. As a visitor, my first stop is always the live animal exhibits on the first floor. But my favorite exhibit of all is the set of sound dishes located outside. Talk about awe-inspiring!
Rachel Feirman
Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you became an artist? I’m a self taught artist that was raised by very artistically inclined parents, and had a very creative upbringing, so naturally with my creativity being nurtured I was able to try many things and gain skills at an early age. I later grew apart from visual arts and became a circus teacher for six years. Once the pandemic hit, my work temporarily slowed down which enabled me to rekindle my love for creating visual art. I balanced doing my art on the side for about a year and then decided to make the leap to become a full-time artist. This has allowed me to grow my artistic skills and collaborate with others in unforgettable ways.
How would you describe your artistic style? My style has best been described to me as “bold, vibrant, and whimsical”, and I would have to agree. I am most inspired by the local flora, fauna, and funga of upstate, New York!
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Can you describe the concept/inspiration behind the mural? The inspiration for this mural was my passion for spreading awareness about the importance of pollinators, and the hilly country landscape surrounding Ithaca which has been a major muse of mine growing up in the rural areas in Tompkins County.
Are there any specific themes or messages you wanted to convey through this piece? This mural conveys that developing a healthy relationship with nature and all of its diversity is an important message to share with children from a young age. Children often grow up with a fear of many things in nature, and bees are one of them. I wanted these misunderstood pollinators to be playful and inviting, and for kids and their caregivers to see how beautiful an environment full of pollinators can be.
What do you hope visitors will take away from seeing your mural? Every individual has a different way of interpreting artwork, but my hope is that it will spark a fascination in families to continue learning about the different types of pollinators/pollinator plants, and what their purpose is.
What impact do you hope this mural will have on the museum’s visitors and the community? Hopefully it will encourage them to put inspiration into action! Doing something as simple as letting more of your lawn grow over with dandelions, planting a pollinator garden in your yard, or organizing to do so in the community. Overall, I just hope it gets people thinking about improving the earth in some little way.
What do you enjoy most at the Sciencenter? Growing up as a visitor of the Sciencenter I always enjoyed the live beehive exhibit! That exhibit did for me what I hope my mural will do for other kids. Inspire, engage, and educate!
Mini Murals
The Sciencenter partnered with Ithaca Murals and TCAction to transform our plain fence facing Franklin Street into a vibrant wall of art! The fence features 20 separate panels, each depicting a unique mini mural painted by local artists from our community.
We spoke with Caleb R. Thomas, the founder of Ithaca Murals, about his experience working on the project.
Caleb, could you tell us a bit about your background and Ithaca Murals? Sure! I was born and raised in Ithaca and have been organizing murals here since 2010. Ithaca Murals isn’t just a beautification initiative; it’s a justice organization. We believe in the power of grassroots cultural arts organizing to achieve our goals. Our network transforms gray walls into beautiful, meaningful works of art that tell the stories of the diverse people who live here. We prioritize the leadership of people of color, under-employed and working-class individuals, those with jail experience, women, LGBTQ+ community members, youth, and anyone passionate about justice.
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Can you share your perspective and experience working on this project? Collaborating with the Sciencenter was amazing. The project was incredibly successful. We publicly announced the mini-mural opportunity with a small amount of funding for the artists selected. Soooo many amazing proposals came in and Sciencenter visitors voted to select which artists would have their art on the fence.
What do you hope visitors will take away from seeing these murals? The Sciencenter mini-murals successfully transformed the fence into a more welcoming entryway for the beautiful diverse low-income neighborhood adjacent to the Sciencenter. The Sciencenter made new friends through the project and immediately saw an upswing in neighborhood participants.
What impact do you believe these murals have on the museum’s visitors and the community? Besides the new relationships built with the neighborhood, the Sciencenter also met so many artists and continues to grow those relationships through additional murals throughout the building!
Lastly, what’s your favorite part of the Sciencenter? My favorite part of the Sciencenter is the people involved. I love the passion every staff person has for the organization’s mission. This passion shows in the care of every exhibit and program.
Ithaca Murals would love to collaborate with the Sciencenter over the years ahead! Let’s dream big!
Mini Mural Artists
Rachel Feirman • Oriana Teran Puma & Paloma Vianey Martinez • Mary Milliken • Kaitlyn Holmes • Ava Clare Ciaccia • Margaret Guo • Hayley Shroeder & Annika Salzberg • Justin Suarez • Katie Del Rosso • Paulina Melechkina • Yen Ospina • Tori Burdick • Kristina Strang • Ivy Stevens-Gupta & 26 BJM Elementary 1st graders • Tompkins Community Action Head Start
The Sciencenter’s programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support
of the Office of the Governorand the New York State Legislature.
