In conjunction with the 2004 NCECA conference in Indianapolis, “INvestigations, INspirations: The Alchemy of Art and Science”, the Herron Gallery, Herron School of Art, IUPUI will hosted the NCECA 2004 Invitational Exhibition.  David Russick, Director of the Herron Gallery and Michel Conroy, NCECA Exhibitions Director jointly curated the Invitational Exhibition.

The theme of the exhibition was “Biomimicry, Art Inspired by Nature”.
     “Unlike the Industrial Revolution, the Biomimicry Revolution introduces an era based not on
     what we can extract from nature, but on what we can learn from her.” 
                           -Janine Benyus, in her book, “Biomimicry”, 1997
Biomimicry is a burgeoning field in which scientists, artists and designers alike mine nature for solutions to a wide range of problems and issues.  Although human engineers and artists have always looked to nature for inspiration, the most significant biomimicry breakthroughs have come not from merely copying nature, but from learning the principles and mechanics behind natural systems and then applying them to human needs and vision.  This exhibition will focus on the work of contemporary artists whose work is rooted in biological inspiration and the exploration of natural systems. 

The NCECA 2004 Invitational featured work by six U.S. artists:

Participating Artists

Holly Day and Dr Mark D. Pescovitz contributed essays for the exhibition catalog. A copy of the 2004 Invitational catalog may be ordered from the NCECA office. Click here to download the form in PDF or Microsoft Word format to print a copy of NCECA’s Publications Order Form.