Chemistry of Art and Design Materials: An Academic Minor Utilizing Contexual Learning and Faculty Research

 

Teaching chemistry to art and design students is not always and easy task. We have found that by tying the chemistry to the context of their major studies and interests this can be accomplished in a successful way. Our underlying basis is that all art and design is made of materials and that it may be worthwhile for artists and designers to learn about why certain materials behave the way they do and why they change over time. We have developed several courses at the interface of chemistry and art such as Chemistry of Pigments in which general chemistry principles are taught within the context of pigments. Organic chemistry concepts are taught in the course Chemistry of Modern Polymers. We are currently working on the implementation of a minor in Chemistry of Art and Design Materials into the curriculum something past students have encouraged us to pursue. Other courses in the minor include faculty research topic such as the Degradation of Art and Design Materials and Directed Research in Art and Design Materials. These courses incorporate faculties own research as case studies. In this way students get the opportunity to get directly involved in current research projects. An example here is the conservation of Louise Nevelson’s Chapel in Saint Peter Church where students have been involved in technical studies helping to inform the conservation decisions to be performed.

 

 

CINDIE KEHLET

Associate Professor

Pratt Institute

 

 

 

 

Cindie Kehlet has a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Aarhus, Denmark, and is an associate professor of chemistry at Pratt Institute in New York. Trained in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, she spent three years at the technical university in Munich during her studies. In 2006 she received the Danish Young NMR researcher prize. Since joining Pratt she has developed several chemistry- and art-related courses for nonmajors, among them Chemistry of Pigments and Nature of Color. These courses are rigorous in science and developed based on proven pedagogy. She has been mentoring several graduate and undergraduate students in science- and art-related research projects. Her research is focused on the noninvasive investigation of artist’s materials with a specific focus on the application of unilateral NMR.