GeminiFocus January 2015 | Page 22

Oh, and There Was Art Too! As Viaje al Universo wrapped up, Gemini South’s Artist in Residency Colleen McLaughlin Barlow arrived from Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada) to share her creativity. For the entire month of November (and a few days of October and December) Colleen immersed herself with Gemini’s staff to gain inspiration for her photos, paintings, and Japanese prints with graphite, india ink, and pastels; it was a magical marriage of art and science. This was Colleen’s second observatory Artist in Residency experience, as she previously held that distinction at the Canada-FranceHawaii Telescope; the Canadian government funded her time at Gemini South. Colleen’s interactions left a positive impression with staff who participated in activities like cyanotype printing, where one lays various objects on paper saturated in photosensitive chemicals before exposing it to direct sunlight. Colleen also shared with the staff the techniques of sumi-e — a Zen-like ink-wash painting method — and Sho-do calligraphy. Mistakes do not exist, but rather become part of the art. Of the experience, Gemini’s Constanza Araujo said, “In a blink of an eye I was refreshed in some special way, I felt inspired and re-energized for the rest of the workday.” Peter Michaud leads Gemini’s Public Information and Outreach Office and can be reached at: [email protected] Antonieta García is Gemini South’s Outreach and Media Specialist. She can be reached at: [email protected] Gemini South laser spotter Jorge Muñoz tries his hand at copying the Japanese technique called Sho-do. Optical engineer Constanza Araujo receives instructions from Artist in Residence Colleen McLaughlin Barlow as she prepares to work on a cyanotype piece of art. 20 GeminiFocus January 2015