MoSAIC Math + Art Festival
Presidential Lectures are free public colloquia centered on four main themes: Biology, Physics, Mathematics and Computer Science, and Neuroscience and Autism Science. These curated, high-level scientific talks feature leading scientists and mathematicians and are intended to foster discourse and drive discovery among the broader NYC-area research community. We invite those interested in the topic to join us for this weekly lecture series.
Columbia University will be hosting a festival celebrating the connections between mathematics and the arts on Saturday, October 25 and Sunday, October 26, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The festival will be held at Columbia Secondary School (425 W. 123rd St between Amsterdam Ave. and Morningside Ave.) and is free and open to the public.
The MoSAIC Festival includes a variety of hands-on workshops, lectures, a mathematical art exhibit, short films and an area for informal exchange. It is designed to be easily accessible to audiences high-school age and up.
Some of the featured presenters at the festival include:
• Kelly Delp, professor of mathematics at Ithaca College in New York, who will talk about how geometric topology applies to fashion design.
• George Hart, research professor of computer science at Stony Brook University in New York, who is also an internationally known sculptor and contributes the Mathematical Impressions video series to simonsfoundation.org.
• Craig Kaplan, professor of computer graphics at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, who makes amazing graphic art and designs, including Islamic star patterns.
• Mark Mitton, a professional magician who performs all around the world and will demonstrate the amazing power of mathematics.
• Frank Morgan, professor of mathematics at Williams College in Massachusetts, who makes it exciting to study the geometry of soap bubbles.
MoSAIC stands for Mathematics of Science, Art, Industry, Culture. The purpose of the MoSAIC project, which holds festivals at several universities each year across the U.S., is to promote awareness of and interest in mathematics through its connection to the arts. MoSAIC is a joint venture of the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) and the Bridges Organization.
“Mathematicians see math as art, and many artists love math. At a MoSAIC Festival these usually separate worlds can unite! The sparks generated will be inspiring,” says David Eisenbud, director of MSRI. “A student who is engaged in mathematics through the arts may be hooked and go on and explore further on their own,” adds George Hart, Bridges board member and MoSAIC director.
From its location in Berkeley, California, MSRI hosts visitors from all over the world to pursue advanced mathematical research, and is committed to furthering mathematics education from elementary school to the postgraduate level, as well as furthering the public understanding and appreciation of the beauty and excitement of mathematics.
The Bridges Organization oversees the Bridges conference, an annual five-day conference on connections between mathematics and the arts.