ENGAGEMENT

Poets for Science at the National Academy of Sciences

Washington, D.C.

An installation of the Poets for Science exhibit is on view at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. from March 27, 2023 to September 8, 2023.

From images generated by the Hubble Telescope and MRI machines to childhood cognitive development, biology, ecology, and natural history, this exhibition features poems printed on human-sized banners that explore unexpected connections between the seemingly divergent disciplines of scientists and poets.

The concept for this exhibition originated on Earth Day, April 22, 2017, when demonstrators around the world participated in the March for Science in a call to support and safeguard the scientific community, fact-based decision making, basic research, and freedom of speech for scientists. Partnering with Poets for Science founder, poet, and environmental spokesperson Jane Hirshfield, the Wick Poetry Center joined the pre-march Teach-In on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Today, Poets for Science is both an exhibition and a movement exploring the ways that poetry and science are allies in working toward the greater good.