Art-Sci Currents

The Crearte Foundation

Art-Sci Currents explores the powerful intersection of art and science. Each episode features conversations with artists, researchers and interdisciplinary thinkers who are breaking boundaries by integrating creative and scientific ways of knowing. From neuroscience and dance to data visualization, biology, design and emerging technologies, podcast host and Founder of The Crearte Foundation, Nicia, explores untapped truths with hybrid thinkers at the intersection of disciplines. Curious about the space between art and science? This is where the current flows

Episodes

  1. 4d ago

    Scientific Storytelling Through Art: Jeff Tao's Mission to Reconnect People to Research

    What do you do when you've spent years building a scientific career, but there's a part of you that just won't stay quiet? In this episode, Jeff talks about growing up in an immigrant household where art had to be done in secret, the basement sessions he kept hidden through university, and how a single journal cover submission during his PhD changed the trajectory of everything. But the conversation goes deeper than illustration. Jeff shares what he sees as a quiet crisis in research culture — the loss of what a PhD was originally meant to be — and what it costs researchers when that spirit disappears. This is a conversation about identity and what happens when you finally stop choosing between the parts of yourself. Speaker Bios Jeffrey Tao - Guest I'm a PhD turned Science Illustrator and content creator. My past time involved developing DNA nanomachines for the targeted delivery of cancer therapeutics, and now I draw front covers of the science journals you read. I'm on a mission to connect people with the human side of science and research. Journal Cover Art: www.vividscience.ca Instagram: www.instagram.com/jefftao_ Read more about this episode here. Nicia John - Host Both a researcher and classically-trained ballet dancer, Nicia thrives at the intersection of science and art. Her explorations of motor memory, dance neuroscience and art-science interdisciplinarity have been shaped by international training and collaborations across Canada, the Caribbean, the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe. Drawn to the undefined and the unexplored, she approaches discovery with curiosity and creativity as she prepares to begin her PhD studies in London. At the heart of her work is a growing vision for The Crearte Foundation, a non-profit she founded to support Art-Scientists and foster interdisciplinary collaboration. In the last two years, the Foundation has built a global network of art-science practitioners spanning 29 countries. Informed by her interests in ballet, design and research, she is committed to bridging the gap between art, science and society, allowing new truths to emerge from complex questions. Thanks for joining us on Art-Sci Currents, Season 2 Episode 2. You can learn more about our work and get in touch with us at www.crearte.ca/artscicurrentsCreditsHost Nicia JohnGuest Jeffrey Tao, PhD Project Assistant Brune BettlerAudio & Video Production 1 Nicia John Audio Editing 2 Andrea GutierrezVideo Editing 2 Nomena Ramanarivo

    Scientific Storytelling Through Art: Jeff Tao's Mission to Reconnect People to Research

  2. Jul 16

    Todd Siler on 50 Years of ArtScience and Why Reintegration Matters

    In this episode of Art-Sci Currents, we speak with Dr. Todd Siler—artist, scientist, and author—about his concept of Metaphorming, a framework for creative and integrative thinking that explores why art and science are stronger together. Drawing from decades of work spanning neuroscience, education, visual art and innovation, Todd challenges the idea that creativity belongs to a gifted few. Instead, he argues that every person has the capacity to think creatively when they learn how to connect ideas, experiences and disciplines in meaningful ways. Together we explore metaphor as a thinking tool, why curiosity is the foundation of discovery, how art helps us understand complex ideas and why interdisciplinary thinking is essential for addressing today's global challenges. Whether you're an artist, scientist, educator, student or simply curious about how creativity develops, this conversation offers an inspiring perspective on learning, innovation and human potential. Todd's Materials To see Todd's PowerPoint on 50 Years of ArtScience 1976 to 2026 and additional materials, read here. Speaker Bios Guest - Todd Siler Todd Siler is an American multimedia artist, author, inventor, and innovation facilitator. He received a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies in Psychology and Art from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1986, becoming the first visual artist to receive this doctoral degree at M.I.T. His published works include Breaking the Mind Barrier (Simon & Schuster, 1990) and Think Like A Genius (Bantam Books, 1996). The World Cultural Council awarded Todd Siler the 2011 "Leonardo da Vinci” WORLD AWARD OF ARTS. Host - Nicia John Both a researcher and classically-trained ballet dancer, Nicia thrives at the intersection of science and art. Her explorations of motor memory, dance neuroscience and art-science interdisciplinarity have been shaped by international training and collaborations across Canada, the Caribbean, the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe. Drawn to the undefined and the unexplored, she approaches discovery with curiosity and creativity as she prepares to begin her PhD studies in London. At the heart of her work is a growing vision for The Crearte Foundation, a non-profit she founded to support Art-Scientists and foster interdisciplinary collaboration. In the last two years, the Foundation has built a global network of art-science practitioners spanning 29 countries. Informed by her interests in ballet, design and research, she is committed to bridging the gap between art, science and society, allowing new truths to emerge from complex questions. Thanks for joining us on Art-Sci Currents, Season 2 Episode 1. You can learn more about our work and get in touch with us at www.crearte.ca/artscicurrentsCreditsHost Nicia JohnGuest Todd Siler Project Assistant Brune BettlerAudio & Video Production 1 Nicia John Audio Editing 2 Andrea GutierrezVideo Editing 2 Nomena Ramanarivo

    Todd Siler on 50 Years of ArtScience and Why Reintegration Matters

  3. Jul 14

    Prelude: What is Art-Science and Why Does It Matter? Introducing Art-Sci Currents Season 2

    In this prelude episode, The Crearte Foundation founder Nicia John and collaborator Brune Bettler sit down to open Art-Sci Currents Season 2, answering the question that sits behind the whole series: what is art-science, and why does it matter? They talk about how they found each other inside the art-science community, what it actually means to live and work between disciplines, and why this intersection is about more than creative projects. It's a way of thinking, a permission structure, and increasingly, a global community. This is the conversation before the conversation. The guests ahead have decades of experience at the intersection of art and science, and Nicia and Brune share what it was like to meet them, and why the episodes coming are worth the wait. Curious? Get on board! Speaker Bios Nicia John Both a researcher and classically-trained ballet dancer, Nicia thrives at the intersection of science and art. Her explorations of motor memory, dance neuroscience and art-science interdisciplinarity have been shaped by international training and collaborations across Canada, the Caribbean, the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe. Drawn to the undefined and the unexplored, she approaches discovery with curiosity and creativity as she prepares to begin her PhD studies in London. At the heart of her work is a growing vision for The Crearte Foundation, a non-profit she founded to support Art-Scientists and foster interdisciplinary collaboration. In the last two years, the Foundation has built a global network of art-science practitioners spanning 29 countries. Informed by her interests in ballet, design and research, she is committed to bridging the gap between art, science and society, allowing new truths to emerge from complex questions. Brune Bettler Brune Bettler is currently pursuing a Master's in Computational Neuroscience. She is drawn to ideas of connection, synchrony, cycles, and dynamics, and is fascinated by the patterns that shape both the brain and the world around us. Alongside her scientific work, she explores the arts through community initiatives and personal projects in visual arts such as photography and written media, where her love of movement often comes to life. Curious by nature, she sees art and science not as separate disciplines, but as complementary ways of asking questions and making sense of the world. Film Link: vimeo.com/806827406 Thanks for joining us on Art-Sci Currents, Season 2 Prelude. You can learn more about our work and get in touch with us at www.crearte.ca/artscicurrents Credits Speaker 1 Nicia John Speaker 2 Brune Bettler Project Assistant Brune Bettler Audio & Video Production 1 Nicia John Audio Editing 2 Andrea Gutierrez Video Editing 2 Nomena Ramanarivo

    Prelude: What is Art-Science and Why Does It Matter? Introducing Art-Sci Currents Season 2
  • 3 Episodes

About

Art-Sci Currents explores the powerful intersection of art and science. Each episode features conversations with artists, researchers and interdisciplinary thinkers who are breaking boundaries by integrating creative and scientific ways of knowing. From neuroscience and dance to data visualization, biology, design and emerging technologies, podcast host and Founder of The Crearte Foundation, Nicia, explores untapped truths with hybrid thinkers at the intersection of disciplines. Curious about the space between art and science? This is where the current flows

Information

  • Creator
    The Crearte Foundation
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Crearte Foundation
  • Show Website
    Art-Sci Currents