Discovery Museum Announces Two Public Events to Celebrate the Launch of New Exhibit Focused on Women in STEAM Careers

Museum to host Picture Yourself: Women in STEAM virtual and in-person events on September 29 and October 2

ACTON -- Who do you see when you picture a scientist? Do you see a stranger in a lab coat, or perhaps a family member, a friend, or a neighbor down the street? Do you see yourself when you picture a scientist?

Discovery Museum’s newest exhibit, Picture Yourself: Women in STEAM, features portraits of local female scientists painted by local female artists, with panels that describe each scientist’s work, hobbies, backgrounds, and childhood interests. Displayed throughout the Museum, together the portraits depict a range of ethnicities, backgrounds, research areas, professions, interests, and childhood memories.

“We are thrilled to host these public events to celebrate and launch the Picture Yourself: Women in STEAM exhibit, featuring accomplished local female scientists and artists and the influences, beginning in childhood, that led them to STEAM careers,” said CEO Neil Gordon. “The exhibit is just one piece of a broader set of initiatives aimed at expanding representation across gender and ethnicity at the Discovery Museum as we aim to better reflect the people and perspectives of all of the communities we serve.”

“As with our Meet the Scientist programs, our objective for Picture Yourself is to put kids in direct contact with women whose curiosity and creativity—skills all children naturally master—have led them to fascinating adult careers and discoveries,” said Director of STEAM Education Elizabeth Leahey. “As they come to understand the real roots of scientific and artistic inspiration, children can envision themselves as STEAM contributors and future innovators.”

Each scientist portrayed in the exhibit has completed the Discovery Museum Science & Engineering Communication Fellowship program, which trains local scientists and engineers to effectively communicate to the public about their work and research, culminating in a Meet the Scientists event at the Museum on a free-admission Friday night.

EVENT 1: VIRTUAL

Picture Yourself: A Virtual Celebration of Women in STEAM
When: Wednesday, September 29 from 6:00pm-7:30pm
Where: Presented Virtually via Zoom Webinar

Registration required: https://26033.blackbaudhosting.com/26033/Picture-Yourself-A-Virtual-Celebration-of-Women-in-STEAM or https://bit.ly/3DZFhVd

Join Discovery Museum as we celebrate the women behind the Museum’s newest exhibit, Picture Yourself: Women in STEAM. Listen in as a group of local scientists and artists talk about their work, research, and interests, and be inspired as you learn why they find science and art cool and exciting. They’ll answer your questions as they share what it’s like to be a scientist and artist. Your registration confirmation will include a short survey to provide your questions for the artists and scientists in advance—including whether you or your child would like to ask a question live during the event. This live, virtual event is for children, ages 7+ years, and their caregivers to enjoy together.

Featuring:

Professor Piali Sengupta – Sensory Neuroscientist; Professor of Biology, Brandeis University
Professor Maureen Ritchey – Cognitive Neuroscientist; Assistant Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience, Boston College
Dr. Suanna Selby Crowley – Geoarcheologist; Founder, HeadFort Consulting
Ellice Patterson, M.S. – Biologist; Founder/Artistic and Executive Director, Abilities Dance; Executive Director, BalletRox
Katie Runde – Contemporary realist painter; Bristol, Vermont

EVENT 2: IN-PERSON AT DISCOVERY MUSEUM

Picture Yourself: A Celebration of Women in STEAM

When: Saturday, October 2, 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Where: Discovery Museum, 177 Main Street, Acton, MA

To attend: This event is during public hours at the Museum. Advanced reservations are required to visit the Museum and can be made 10 days in advance at www.discoveryacton.org.

Join Discovery Museum as we celebrate the women behind the Museum’s newest exhibit, Picture Yourself: Women in STEAM. Visit each of 6 portraits installed around the Museum and meet the local scientists and artists who are represented in the exhibit or who created these amazing works of art. Learn about their work, research, and interests, and discover why they find science and art cool and exciting. They’ll answer your questions as they share what it’s like to be a scientist or artist.

Featuring:

Professor Bulbul Chakraborty – Condensed Matter Theorist; Professor of Physics, Brandeis University
Professor Maureen Ritchey – Cognitive Neuroscientist; Assistant Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience, Boston College
Dr. Suanna Selby Crowley – Geoarcheologist; Founder, HeadFort Consulting
Ellice Patterson, M.S. – Biologist; Founder/Artistic and Executive Director, Abilities Dance; Executive Director, BalletRox
Wing Na Wong – Photorealist painter; Danbury, Connecticut

The exhibit, Picture Yourself: Women in STEAM, is made possible in part by an IF/THEN® Gender Equity Grant, a program created through a partnership between the Association of Science and Technology Centers and IF/THEN®, an initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies. This is the second round of the grant program designed to support U.S.-based ASTC member museums as they embark on projects to increase the representation of women and gender minorities in STEM across museum content.

To learn more about the exhibit, visit https://www.discoveryacton.org/exhibit/picture-yourself-women-steam.