In this special Beaty@Home session, we’re joined by fine art photographer and author Josie Iselin, the creative artist behind The Curious World of Seaweed, the spotlight exhibition currently on display at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum until April 24, 2022.
In this exhibition, contemporary scans of seaweed collected from the Pacific Coast are layered onto historical lithographs of particular algal species, creating a taxonomic vector from past to present and into an uncertain future. Visit The Curious World of Seaweed in person or online!
Artist Biography:
Josie Iselin is the photographer, author and designer of many books, with new projects always in development in her San Francisco studio, Loving Blind Productions. Her books focus on those forms in nature we find at hand and in particular, at the beach. Her newest book, The Curious World of Seaweed features sixteen visually rich narratives of our iconic West Coast seaweeds and kelps. It was released by Heyday Books in August 2019 and has been shortlisted for the Northern California Book Award and the Alice Award, recognizing illustrated books.
Josie’s mission is to produce enticing, well-researched and well-designed books that combine art and science, leaving the reader with new information about, and an appreciation for, the world around them. Her writing and art focusing on seaweed, kelp and sea otter put her at the forefront of ocean activism, presenting and working with scientists and environmental groups working to preserve the kelp forests off our Pacific Coast.
Josie holds a BA in Visual and Environmental Studies from Harvard and an MFA from San Francisco State University. She currently teaches in the School of Design at SFSU. For over twenty years Josie has used her flatbed scanner and computer exclusively for generating imagery. She is still captivated by the fluidity with which this technique allows her to render and design with three-dimensional objects. As a fine artist, Josie exhibits large-scale prints at select galleries, museums, hospitals and other public spaces. Synthesizing the scientific stories of our coast is her overriding passion, bringing thoughtfulness and stewardship to this extraordinary place of discovery.
This interactive session with Josie Iselin and museum staff is recommended for visitors of all ages! If your child hasn’t used Zoom before or needs help with typing, occasional support from an adult or older sibling may be helpful. You’ll have the opportunity to ask questions if you join us live!
Join all of the Beaty@Home sessions from anywhere around the world. All you need is an internet connection. You can also call in over the telephone, simply register below for the Zoom link and the list of numbers. Zoom auto-transcriptions (captions) will be turned on for virtual programming. This session will be livestreamed on Facebook and archived on the Beaty Museum’s Facebook page or YouTube Playlist.
If you would like to contribute to the museum, you can pay what you can on the registration page. In addition, we appreciate any donations (tax-deductible), purchasing a membership, planning to visit in person, and sharing information about the museum with friends and family. Thank you for your support of the Beaty Biodiversity Museum!
The Beaty Biodiversity Museum reserves the right to cancel, change or modify Beaty@Home sessions due to unforeseen circumstances, such as staffing conflicts.