Connective Tissue by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya

The Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art is pleased to present Connective Tissue, the first large-scale assembly of works by renowned neuroscientist-turned-artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya. The exhibition features large scale murals and interactive installations enriched by Phingbodhipakkiya’s belief that power and impact are created through connections and networks. “Just as a flawless pirouette requires recruitment and control of nearly every muscle group in a dancer’s body, the things we hope to achieve as a society cannot be done by individual effort alone,” she says, “they require collective action.”

Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya is an internationally recognized artist whose multidisciplinary practice uses interactive installation, augmented reality, and biodesign to bring science and society closer together. She is the founder of several large-scale collaborative initiatives, including The Leading Strand, which pairs scientists and designers to create accessible explanations of complex scientific concepts; ATOMIC by Design, a science-positive fashion line and afterschool science & maker club for girls; and Beyond Curie, a dynamic portrait series of pioneering women scientists and mathematicians. Her work has been recognized by the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the International Design Awards, and the New York Times.

She is currently partnering with the Smithsonian Institution to take her exhibition at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences on tour to museums and Smithsonian affiliates around the world. Community of Microbes, her design exhibition about the impact of microorganisms on the human experience, will be shown at Cooper Union, New York, from October - November 2019. She has created public artworks in Breda, the Netherlands; at Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa; and in Atlanta, Georgia, where she collaborated with young local artists to paint a large-scale mural. Phingbodhipakkiya is a public speaker, whose presentations for TED, Harvard University, and Google explore how artists, designers, and storytellers can encourage understanding between different disciplines. Working to create interactive experiences that reward closeness and group engagement, she strives to bring more play and belonging into our world.

Connective Tissue was supported, in part, by the Nevada Arts Council, a state agency, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, and the state of Nevada. The project is also supported by the UNLV College of Fine Arts, Google, Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art, UNLV Department of Art, UNLV Department of Dance, Women's Research Institute of Nevada, and the UNLV Women's Council. Connective Tissue is in collaboration with the Clark County School District Career & Technical Education Program, the UNLV School of Music, Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada, the UNLV Scientista Foundation, and our local partners from Sherwin-Williams, PPG Paint, Dunn Edwards, and Home Depot. The exhibition is accompanied by an essay written by New York-based technologist and playwright, Kat Mustatea.

-DK Sole, Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art (June 24, 2019)

Digital catalog for "Connective Tissue"

Press Release for "Connective Tissue"

"Barrick Museum of Art Opens 'Connective Tissue' Sept. 13; Artist to Meet with UNLV Graphic Design Students" by Jennifer Vaughan for UNLV News Center

"Future Shock" by Andrea Heerdt for Double Scoop

"Neuroscientist-turned-artist presents first show in Las Vegas" by Janna Karel for Las Vegas Review-Journal

"Pratt Alumna Blends Art, Design, and Science to Connect Viewers with the Natural World" by Pratt News