Art as Interdisciplinary Communication
By Tanner Purdy
December’s First Friday marked the opening of URSA project award winner Tehya McLeod’s “Exploring Shifting Landscapes” exhibit at Arctic Java. Her beautiful collection of acrylic landscapes with layered colors aims to bring attention to climate change and evoke respect for the land around us. McLeod’s adventurous Alaskan childhood instilled a love for the environment that inspires her paintings. As she worked through her engineering and design degree, she noticed the difficulties of interdisciplinary communication thus decided to use her art to do something about it. “Scientific research is hard to put out there in a way that appeals to a large audience,” Mcleod pointed out, “there’s a lot of draws to visual and sensory learning.”
The collection on display took McLeod into the field around Fairbanks. She accompanied UAF researchers on sampling and data collection missions. Their research locations inspired paintings showcasing environmental struggles Fairbanks faces like wildfires, air and water pollution, and thawing. “I was trying to illustrate things that are invisible,” McLeod explained. The bright colors in the scraped backgrounds juxtaposed with neutral tones in the landscapes highlights unseen pollutants that permeate the air and water. Some of McLeod’s personal favorite pieces are “Release and Revival”, highlighting the cycle of wildfires in boreal forests, and “Imminence” depicting thunderstorms brought on by increasing temperature trends. She hopes her art can act as a bridge to help people connect with nature and broaden support for climate change issues.
She expressed her gratitude to all those who emboldened her to apply for the URSA Award and hopes that others do the same. “It takes a lot of work but even applying is worth the experience,” she encouraged.
The Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Activity aims to promote experimental learning. Undergraduate students in any discipline taking six or more credits are eligible to apply individually or in groups of two or more. More information on available awards, eligibility, and how to apply can be found on URSA’s page on the UAF website. Tehya Mcleod’s art can be found on her website borealrootsstudio.com.
Teyha McLeod “Imminence” 2022
Tehya McLeod “Deeper Elements” 2022
Tehya McLeod “Remnants” 2022