BioArt courses for all ages

Slime mold doesn’t have a brain — but it can remember, problem-solve, and work collaboratively. This remarkable decomposer creeps along the forest floor, feeding on carbohydrates and bacteria. When it discovers food, the single-celled organism sends out chemical signals, gathering others to form a powerful super-colony.

In “Designing with Slime Mold,” artist Nikki Romanello guides students in building their own Petri-dish mazes and watching slime mold chart the most efficient path to its meal.

This workshop is part of a five-class BioArt series taught by Romanello and presented by Wickham Works at the Warwick Valley Community Center, beginning Feb. 8. Other hands-on workshops include Kombucha Paper Making, Sculpting with Mycelium, Casting with Agar, and Painting with Bioluminescence. BioArt is an emerging art form that blends creativity with living systems, using scientific experimentation as a medium for artistic expression.

To welcome a wide range of ages, workshops are offered in two formats. Adults and teens participate in three-hour sessions featuring an illustrated lecture, hands-on experimentation, and Q&A. Children ages 6 to 12 enjoy a 90-minute version focused on simple science and creative play. Every participant works with living microbes and creates a living artwork to take home and observe.

The price for the workshop is $125 for Children and $225 for Adults/Teens, and includes all five classes. There’s a $50 supply fee.

Nikki Romanello (nikkiromanello.com) is an experimental sculptor, educator, and BioArt practitioner based in Greenwood Lake.

“I convert scientific research and procedures into an artistic practice,” Romanello said. “Art and science share the same spirit of discovery. I encourage scientists to explore creativity and help artists engage confidently with scientific tools and techniques.”

Wickham Works is a community-driven arts non-profit based at the Warwick Valley Community Center.

Class sizes are limited. Register at WickhamWorks.org.