Call for applications
Program dates: October 2 – 31 or November 1 – 30, 2023
Application deadline: Wednesday, August 16, 2023 at noon
$100 enrollment fee for successful applicants + cost of lab materials used.
For MAWA members of all genders
This pilot project is an extraordinary opportunity to have access to an Associate Professor of Neuroscience and the facilities of her lab. It is also an invitation to question the assumptions of science through art. Two artists will be selected for month-long residencies. One to take place in October and one in November.
Dr. Sari Hannila will work with each artist at the University of Manitoba’s Bannatyne campus for approximately 8 hours over the course of one month, to explore artist-driven questions and experiments. In addition to Dr. Hannila’s expertise and guidance, the successful applicants will have access to: microscopes, centrifuges, protein separators, lab glassware, basic lab chemicals, tissue samples, histological stains, live cells, ph testing, vortex mixers, pipettes, microscales and more. Unconventional materials could be viewed under the microscope, animators could film timelapse cell growth, painters could experiment with centrifuges and performance artists could apply a scientific process to the body in space! The lab space itself could also serve as a backdrop for photography or performance. The possibilities are vast. Use the time for production, research or experimentation.
Note: The use of animals is not permitted. Depending on the nature of the proposed work, successful applicants will be required to take online lab safety (WHMIS) training.
It is free to apply. Create a single PDF document containing:
- a letter stating why you want to apply, questions you are interested in exploring, and your preferred month (October or November)
- an artist resumé of no more than 3 pages with contact information
- 5-10 images of your work with caption information.
Email your application to Niamh Dooley at [email protected] and put “Art + Science” in the subject line. If you are not already a member, please also purchase a MAWA membership at mawa.ca/membership. MAWA membership costs $30/year or $15 for those with low income.
Questions? Ask Shawna at [email protected] or 204-949-9490. If finances would be a barrier to being a successful applicant, accommodation can be made.
Dr. Sari Hannila completed her PhD in anatomy and cell biology at Queen’s University and a postdoctoral fellowship at Hunter College in New York City. Her research focusses on the neurobiology of axonal regeneration in the central nervous system, with the goal of developing new treatments for spinal cord injury. She also studies the role of a protein called secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor in diseases such as Alzheimer’s. No stranger to art, Dr. Hannila initiated the Neurocraft project with the Manitoba Craft Council and was pivotal in the Dura Mater program at MAWA.
