Initially, I never quite anticipated the wonders Yerkes Observatory would have for me as I began my expedition in what was expected to be an exciting and fulfilling journey in the start of a new career. In just the first month alone I had the privilege of attending speaker events such as Dean Regas of the PBS show Star Gazers and two-time U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith. Recently, the roster continues to grow and amaze after listening to 2006 Nobel Prize winner Dr. John Mather and conceptual artist for NASA Ashley Zelinskie.
Dr. Mather was recognized for confirming the Big Bang to remarkable accuracy, and in his presentation, further expanded on his work with the James Webb telescope. His findings, he explained, realized the birth of new stars and the making of new galaxies in real time. Capturing cosmic happenings and formations that were otherwise not entirely understood until recently.
Together they honed in their individual skills and learned from each other things that matched scientific and mathematical precision to create extraordinary pieces of art that captured truth and logic into something almost dream-like and abstract. After a visit to Yerkes, Ashley Zelinskie was inspired to create a piece of art that represented how mass and energy distort the four-dimensional
continuum of space and time. This sculpture came to fruition with marble stone and other materials from around the globe, including locations like Brazil. The creative piece now sits proudly as a perfect addition to our historical grounds.
What Zelinskie and Dr. Mather were able to achieve in their years of collaboration, was to perfectly exemplify the cross-pollination of two different backgrounds and bring them together seamlessly. They represented to us what we at Yerkes strive to do every day; to connect people, and to merge science, culture, and the arts together. That very idea is what defines our unique and extraordinary establishment.
