Science and nature intersect in public forum at SoFA tonight

The School of Fine Arts Gallery will hold a free public discussion tonight in conjunction with its exhibit, Human Nature I: The Natural World. The forum will open with a brief discussion between artist/scientists Linda Adele Goodine and Roger Hangarter. Both artists' work has been displayed in the gallery since the exhibit opened last month.\nParticipants will then be invited to offer their opinions and questions about the works currently in the gallery and to discuss the themes raised.\n"The forum's main topics will include using scientific data in art, how to reconcile scientific research and artistic creativity, and how each presenter's beliefs about the future of man's relationship to nature and science influences the aesthetic quality of their work," public relations gallery assistant Jennifer Eberbach said.\nGoodine has three photographic color prints on display that are "eloquent descriptions of agricultural life that seek to reconcile the human-nature relationship," according to a press release from the SoFA Gallery. Hangarter is an IU biology professor who created the short film, "Brood X," which is shown on the giant screen in the first room of the gallery. It documents the life cycle of cicadas.\nThe exhibit will remain in the gallery until Saturday. The second half of the two-part series will open in February and will be titled, "Future Worlds."\nThis exhibit will focus on works that synthesize information about scientific research in the areas of genomics, medical research, biotechnology and genetic engineering, Eberbach said.\nEberbach explained that the forum "aims to draw in a diverse and multi-disciplinary crowd of artists and art educators, scientists, and members of the general public who are interested in learning more about art, scientific imaging and the natural environment."\nThe public forums will be held at 7 p.m. in the SoFA Gallery. For more information, visit www.indiana.edu/~sofa/human_nature/index.php.