Minga Opazo: REwoven, Recycled hand woven textile, mycelium, 15"x5, 2023
Minga Opazo, Jenifer Wightman, and Tracy Debenport in conversation
Friday, November 15
3-5:30 PM
Clark Center Auditorium
(318 Discovery Walk)
Bacteria and fungi count among Earth’s most essential workers. Join us to hear a panel presentation and engage in Q&A with artists and scientists working to make microbes, mushrooms, and their lifeways more visible through approaches ranging from microscopy to sculpture.
This event features textile artist Minga Opazo, photomicrographer Tracy Debenport, and science-based artist Jenifer Wightman. The Q&A will be moderated by SAI Denning Family Director Hideo Mabuchi and ITALIC Associate Director Kim Beil.
About the Speakers
Minga Opazo
Minga Opazo is a fourth-generation textile artist whose work critically engages with the intersections of climate change, contemporary textile production, and the historical narratives of Chilean textile design. Born in Chile and immigrated to Los Angeles at the age of 16, Opazo’s practice interrogates the implications of textile waste through the lens of Solastalgia—a term denoting the emotional distress associated with environmental degradation in an age of excessive consumption.
Her artistic endeavors emphasize rigorous research into the textile industry, aiming to illuminate systemic challenges while proposing innovative solutions to the pressing issue of textile waste. Opazo holds a BFA from the University of California, Berkeley (2016) and an MFA from the California Institute of the Arts (2020).
Jenifer Wightman
Jenifer Wightman is a scientist and artist interested in the co-evolution of life and landscape. Formally trained in cell biology (Carnegie Mellon) and environmental toxicology (Cornell), Jeni has spent the last 2 decades chasing greenhouse gas mitigation strategies on working lands and microbial biosynthesis of pigments in diverse ecosystems ranging from swimming holes to Superfund sites. She lives in New York. You can find some of her work at Mudpaintings.com
Tracy Debenport
Tracy Debenport is an award-winning photomicrographer and graphic designer who is passionate about highlighting the beauty and importance of microbes through visual art.
She holds an M.S. in microbiology and has 8 years of research experience that includes enhancing therapeutic proteins through glycoengineering, understanding the ecological role of Aspergillus flavus and aflatoxin production, leveraging plant microbiomes to discover novel beneficial microbes for agricultural application, and exploring the ability of microbes to solve waste challenges. She currently runs a science photography and design business and is also a microbiologist and creative producer at The Microbe Institute. Her images have appeared in national and international magazines, scientific publications and books. They have drawn a diverse customer base that includes Chloé, The Beauty Chef, Women’s Wear Daily, Dorling Kindersley Limited and K18 Hair. Her art has also been displayed in galleries (Nikon Small World touring exhibit), at leading universities, and at science communication conferences.
This event is hosted by the Stanford Arts Institute (SAI) in collaboration with ITALIC and with support from the Office of the Vice President for the Arts.
If you need a disability-related accommodation for this event, please contact us at artsinstitute@stanford.edu at least two weeks prior to the event.
Contact:
Stanford Arts Institute
artsinstitute@stanford.edu
