Molecules That Matter Programs and Events

All events take place in the Faulconer Gallery unless otherwise noted, and are free and open to the public. Call 641.269.4660 for more information.


Opening Reception
Friday 25 September, 5–6:30 pm
Help Faulconer Gallery and Bucksbaum Center for the Arts celebrate 10 years of art at Grinnell College by attending the opening reception and birthday party. Music provided by Damani Phillips, instructor in music and jazz studies, Music Department. Watch for other celebratory events as well.


Community Day—Get Molecular
Faulconer Gallery/Bucksbaum Rotunda
Saturday 26 September, 1–3:30 pm
In conjunction with our 10th anniversary, we invite people of all ages to enjoy ten ways to get molecular with hands-on activities, stories, refreshments and tours of the exhibition. As an added plus, September 26 is Museum Day, a Smithsonian affiliates’ event and a great day to see the new exhibition, make and eat a molecule cookie, listen to molecule stories, make a molecular model, and more.

Yoga in the Gallery
Thursdays 1 October thru 10 December, 12:15-12:50 pm
Co-sponsored by Grinnell Wellness Program
Connecting breath and movement, this short 30-minute yoga practice offers a mid-day break, helping you move into the remainder of your day feeling refreshed. Free and open to the public. No experience necessary. Mats provided. (No yoga on November 26)

Gallery Talk: X-Ray Visions of Aspirin--a Penetrating Look at the Wonder Drug
Friday 2 October, 5 pm
Dr. Ilia Guzei, Noyce Visiting Scholar and Director of the X-ray lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will give a presentation on the history and significance of aspirin, the most widely used drug in the world. Aspirin is the product of fortuitous discoveries, amazing scientific creativity, personal ambition, serendipitous crystallizations and corporate rivalry.

Gallery Tour: Human Rights and Molecules That Matter
Wednesday 7 October, 7 pm
The Rosenfield Program in Public Affairs, International Relations, and Human Rights, Peace Studies and Faulconer Gallery will host a gallery tour of Molecules That Matter, exploring the relationship between molecules and human rights. Speakers include Eric Carter, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, on DDT; Mervat Youssef, Assistant Professor of French, on progestin and the dialectic of family planning and culture in Egypt; David Western, Mellon Post-Doctoral fellow and Lecturer in Peace Studies, on Prozac; and Leslie Gregg-Jolly, Professor of Biology and Associate Dean of the College, on DNA. Introductory remarks by Lesley Wright, Director, Faulconer GallerySarah Purcell, Associate Professor of History and Director of the Rosenfield Program.


Gallery Talk: Creating a Science/Art Exhibition
Thursday 8 October, 7 pm
Co-curators John Weber, Director, Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College and Ray Giguere, Class of 1962 Term Professor of Chemistry, Skidmore College will speak about the adventure of curating Molecules That Matter, an exhibition combining art and science.


Gallery Talk: Art That Matters
Wednesday 14 October, 7 pm
The premise in Molecules That Matter sets up a hierarchy between science and visual art. In an attempt to understand the meaning of this relationship, Assistant Professor of Art Andrew Kaufman and Lecturer in Art Donna Stack will examine the contexts of the catalog and exhibition, and examine their impact on the art on view.


Concert: Faculty Recital, Fresh Flutes
Thursday 29 October, 7 pm
A concert of flute music, selected to complement the exhibition, by Claudia Anderson, Applied Music Associate, Department of Music, and colleagues.


Gallery Talk: DDT and Malaria Control: Environmentalism vs. Public Health?
Tuesday 3 November, 4:15 pm
Eric Carter, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, explores the complicated and dilemma-filled history of DDT’s use in malaria control. DDT, a revolutionary technology that promised to eradicate malaria once and for all, helped to eliminate malaria in some countries, but the global malaria eradication campaign was ultimately unsuccessful. Why did DDT-based eradication fail? And, given that malaria kills millions of people each year, should the spraying of DDT be renewed in countries where the disease is endemic?


Gallery Talk: Bryan Crockett
Thursday 5 November, 4:15 pm
Molecules That Matter artist Bryan Crockett will speak about the development of his sculptures in the series Seven Deadly Sins. Crockett’s art is part of the work associated with DNA in the exhibition.

Open Mic Night
Thursday 5 November, 7:45 pm
Read or perform your original works or the works of your favorite writers and composers. Students, staff, faculty, and members of the community are all invited to take part. A microphone, podium, and a piano will be provided. Refreshments will be served.

Community Day: Raptors and Young Artists Reception
Saturday 14 November, 1–4 pm
During October, Grinnell-Newburg K-2nd graders will make a molecule exhibit of their own at the Faulconer Gallery. Students, family and friends are invited to attend a reception to honor the young artists. Enjoy gallery tours, hands-on activities, and refreshments. As a special event, SOAR (Save Our Avian Resources) will bring a live bald eagle, peregrine falcon, and osprey to the Faulconer Gallery. Raptor specialist Kay Neumann will talk about the impact of DDT on these species and their recovery, as well as the looming threat of lead on raptor populations.
Raptor presentations at 1 pm and 2:30 pm
Walk-by raptor viewing from 1:30–2:30 pm and 3–4 pm.


Panel: Mental Health and MoleculesThat Matter
Tuesday 17 November, 7 pm
Co-sponsored by Faulconer Gallery, Grinnell College Health Center, Active Minds, Poweshiek County Mental Health, and Peace Studies
Discovered in 1980, Prozac has had a profound impact on the way we view, experience and treat mental health issues. This panel will look at mental health issues from a variety of points of views and experiences. Panelists include David Western, Mellon Post-Doctoral Fellow and Lecturer in Peace Studies; Karen Cochran, Director, Grinnell College Health Center; Alecia Sundsmo, Poweshiek County Mental Health Center College Services Director; and students from Active Minds.


Concert: Rebecca Stuhr—20 Minutes of Music @ Noon
Wednesday 18 November, noon
Rebecca Stuhr will perform a selection of solo flute tunes from contemporary and more distant times to ease you into the second half of your day. Enjoy Molecules That Matter while you listen.

Melissa Gwyn, DDT, 2007, oil on wood panel, 36 x 24 x 2 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Buckyball model as installed in Molecules That Matter at the Tang Museum.
Bryan Crockett, Anger, Gluttony, Sloth (clockwise from top), from the Seven Deadly Sins series, 2001, cultured marble, sizes vary. Courtesy of the Joy of Giving Something, Inc., New York City.
Tony Cragg, New Figuration, 1985, plastic wall construction, 113 x 54 inches, Collection Speed Art Museum.
Photos: Art Evans, courtesy of The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College.