Public Invited to “Science of Scale” Mural Celebration on Sunday, December 3

The City of Bloomington, in partnership with a Center for Chemical Innovation sponsored by the National Science Foundation (CSENND: csennd.iu.edu/) that includes researchers from Indiana University’s Chemistry Department, and in collaboration with the WonderLab and CFC Properties, invites the public to celebrate the new mural Science of Scale by local artist Erin Tobey at 3:30pm on Sunday, December 3. 

The mural project was conceived of by Indiana University James H. Rudy Professor Sara E. Skrabalak, who received a grant from the National Science Foundation in part to create an artwork to enhance scientific literacy of the general public about a topic that affects their quality of life. The Bloomington Arts Commission worked with Skrabalak and her team to select artist Erin Tobey to execute the mural Science of Scale, a visual journey through the microscope to the inside of plants and a demonstration of how its properties can be turned into useful technologies to enrich human and environmental health.

"The NSF mural initiative exemplifies the power of applying the arts to scientific understanding to bring new awareness and appreciation for the ways that the natural world and humankind depend on each other,” said Mayor John Hamilton. “The City celebrates the precedent this project sets for meaningful public art.”

The celebration will kick off in front of the mural located on the alley wall on the east side of The Kirkwood Apartments, 315 W Kirkwood Ave, directly west of WonderLab, and continue in the lobby of WonderLab, with mural-based activities for all ages. 

The mural site is accessible from the alley immediately west of WonderLab and visible from Kirkwood Avenue and the B-Line Trail.