Leonardo Network News

The Newsletter of the International Society for the Arts, Sciences and Technology and of l’Observatoire Leonardo des Arts et Technosciences

RUTH WEST ELECTED LEAF CHAIR 2018–2019

The Leonardo Education and Art Forum (LEAF) is pleased to announce that artist and scholar Ruth West has been elected to chair LEAF starting February 2018. This term will follow Alan Boldon as LEAF Chair 2017–2018. As a pillar in the art-science community, West is a veteran creative catalyst. Working with emerging technologies, she is pioneering cross-resonance‚ a new approach in research and creative work that builds resonant connections between art and science. West is an associate professor at the University of North Texas and the director of the XREZ Art + Science Lab. See <http://viewingspace.com/about/>.

WELCOME ANN DABOVICH AND JOEL SLAYTON TO LEONARDO GOVERNING BOARD

We are happy to announce that Ann Dabovich and Joel Slayton —both pivotal figures in the art-science community—have accepted our invitation to join the Leonardo Governing Board.

Dabovich joined Goodwill Industries International, Inc., in fall 2016 to create a contributed income program. She is phasing out from the Exploratorium: The Museum of Science, Art and Human Perception, which she joined in 2008 when she signed on to lead the $300M campaign for the move to Piers 15/17 on San Francisco’s Embarcadero in 2013. She has raised approximately $400M in all contributed funding during this time. Dabovich has been involved with both grant making and resource development for cultural organizations since the early 1980s and has helped many prominent organizations fulfill their visions, including facility development projects. She was a fundraiser with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra during the development of the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Hall, and, in 1989, she became the associate director of development for the San Francisco Symphony. Dabovich served as director of development for the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco from 1994–1999 and was the architect of its capital campaign for the renovation of their home in the civic center. She has headed philanthropy efforts at an artist residency and a not-for-profit biotech organization. Dabovich holds a BA in art history from the University of Oregon and an MA in not-for-profit arts management from the University of Illinois.

Slayton is an internationally recognized artist, curator and researcher. He is a professor at San Jose State University, where he founded the CADRE Laboratory for New Media, an interdisciplinary academic institute in the Department of Art and Art History. During his time as a Leonardo/ISAST Board Member from 1998–2007, Slayton led the effort to conceive and create the Leonardo MIT Press Book Series, overseeing publication of the first fifteen books in the series. From 1999–2006 Slayton was president of C5 Corporation, a hybrid artwork in the form of a Silicon Valley startup company that focused on information visualization involving large datasets and social networks. From 2008–2016 Slayton served as executive director of ZERO1: The Art and Technology Network. Under his leadership ZERO1 built program relationships intersecting cultural, academic and business sectors through four international Biennials of art and technology; the ZERO1 Garage exhibition and events venue in San Jose, CA; and an innovation-challenge-driven Fellowship program. He also led the efforts to realize the American Arts Incubator in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau, is a senior fellow of the Silicon Valley American Leadership Forum and serves on the Advisory Board of the SETI Artists in Residency Program.

THANK YOU TO THE SCIENTIFIC DELIRIUM MADNESS 2.0 RESIDENTS

Scientific Delirium Madness (SDM) is a collaborative initiative of Leonardo/ISAST and the Djerassi Resident Artists Program (DRAP) that explores and expands on connections in the creativity of scientists and artists during a month-long residency.

Our second annual SDM residency—SDM 2.0—just wrapped up, and we want to extend a big thank you to Margot H. Knight, director of DRAP, and her amazing staff for a fascinating and inspiring month of art-science collaborations, ideas, explorations, “think tank” activities and overall excitement generated at this year’s residency. We also want to thank...