From the gallery introduction by Djerassi Executive Director Margot Knight: "Djerassi Resident Artists Program provides monthlong residencies in a wild and remote environment. In its 39 years, more than 2,400 artists and scientists have been encouraged to take risks, pursue their individual practices and explore new collaborations. There is no work product requirement. But in the hands of the passionate creator, idle time is never really idle.
Five years ago, the Djerassi program created a partnership with Leonardo/ISAST, a relationship that now includes support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Academies Keck Futures Initiative and private donors. This made perfect sense for us. The late Dr. Carl Djerassi, co-founder of the Program and eminent scientist and playwright had initiated several art/science projects including plays, operas and books in the Program’s early days. Formalizing a science/art residency was the next logical step.
Selected from more than 200 applicants and nominees, 11 experimental souls arrived as strangers in June and left as friends in July. They included biologists, a choreographer, physicists, composers, an engineer, visual artists and writers. Renaissance men and women, all. They came from the east and west coasts of the US, Switzerland, France and Texas. All new relationships are tentative, but 30 days turned tentative into tenacious. The residents performed, read and created for each other. They stayed up all night talking. They danced together. No fewer than THREE brand new musical pieces were composed and performed. I have no doubt they and their predecessors are changing the world in seen and unseen ways."