Unseen California + Norris Center
We are excited to launch a new Art + Science collaboration led by our Faculty Director, Professor Karolina Karlic, founding director of Unseen California, an arts research initiative which engages with artist-researchers, humanities scholars, scientists, and the public land of UC Natural Reserve System (UCNRS) to produce urgent creative research that frames California’s cultural histories and ecological landscapes beyond colonial perspectives while supporting new opportunities for public engagement. Unseen California has already demonstrated the ability for professional artist researchers to leverage UCNRS for critical arts ecology research, which has resulted in published research and engagement. The Norris Center + Unseen California provides an important platform for facilitating dialogue among our diverse student body and professional artists working in the field, leading to a better understanding of how to preserve and protect the natural world around us.
This collaborative initiative represents a groundbreaking approach to addressing the pressing challenges of California’s ecosystems through the integration of arts, cultural sectors, and scientific research. Together, we firmly believe that by integrating the creative power of the arts with scientific research and community engagement, we can inspire a more resilient and sustainable future for California and beyond.
Unseen California’s 2024-2026 Artist-in-Residence Program Awardees
Photography, Place, and Environment
Unseen California, an interdisciplinary arts research initiative co-founded by our Art+Science Faculty Director Karolina Karlic, in partnership with the Norris Center, is thrilled to announce the recipients of this year’s Artist-in-Residence Research Program awards: Shao-Feng Hsu and Lacey Lennon.
Both artists will engage with UC Natural Reserve System sites, collaborate with scientists, students, and local communities, and develop groundbreaking creative work that bridges art, science, and environmental inquiry. Their residencies will culminate in immersive installations and publications that challenge and expand our understanding of California’s ever-changing landscapes.
Where Land and Ocean Meet
2024-2026 Artist-in-Residence
Hsu’s project, Where Land and Ocean Meet, explores the dynamic intersections of coastal ecosystems, human history, and climate change through photography and immersive research at the Bodega Marine Reserve. His interdisciplinary work investigates shifting shorelines, marine biodiversity, and humanity’s evolving relationship with water.
Shao-Feng Hsu Artist- in Residence Project Researchers, Entities, and Collaborators
Jackie Sones – Research Coordinator, UC Davis Bodega Marine Reserve
I’ve been in conversation with Jackie Sones, who helps me connect with researchers across the marine field, shares books and ideas, and offers in-depth insights into my questions. We’ve talked a lot about the multiplicity of BML as a research site. She also helped facilitate access to a darkroom and workspace for me and regularly checks in to make sure I’m well situated each time I visit BML.
Kathy Ann Miller – Curator of Algae, University Herbarium, University of California, Berkeley
I visited Kathy Ann at the Herbarium, where she shared her extensive knowledge of seaweed and the Herbarium’s large seaweed collection. She also explained how they store, archive, and catalog their specimens.
Jason Herum – Dive Safety Officer, UC Davis
I photographed the scientific diving team there. Jason is deeply knowledgeable about scuba training and safety practices, and through him, I learned how diving safety and awareness shape the way people move and see underwater.
Maya Munstermann – Marine Biologist and PhD Candidate, UC Berkeley
I’ve followed her fieldwork on kelp long-term monitoring and population studies. We usually depart from Bodega Bay and have gone up to snorkel along the Mendocino, Van Damme, and Sea Ranch coasts. Observing her research and fieldwork process has given me a closer look at kelp ecology and how scientists read and move through the water.
Images below: Kelpgrams (work in progress), Home Studio View (work in progress), Fieldwork at Big Creek Reserve, 2025 — Snorkeling and surveying the creek bed.
.
.
Fire College
2024-2026 Artist-in-Residence
Lennon’s project, Fire College (working title) explores the intense physical, mental, and emotional training and rehearsals of California’s firefighter cadets and the symbiotic relationship to fire ecologists and foresters engaged with the transforming landscape.
Lacey Lennon Artist- in Residence Project Researchers, Entities, and Collaborators
Lucy Ferneyhough – UC Santa Cruz Arboretum: Accompanied Lucy and a team from the Arboretum as they conducted post-fire surveys at Wilder State Park.
Jared Childress – Central Coast Prescribed Burn Association: Photographed a Chainsaw training for Foresters at Wilder State Park. Photographing during a prescribed burn TREX for foresters at Blodgett Experimental Forest in late October.
Kerri Miracle – UC Davis: Photographing an ongoing ceanothus study Miracle is conducting at Big Creek Reserve.
Sites:
- Big Creek Reserve, UC Santa Cruz
- Sedgwick Reserve, UC Santa Barbara
- Wilder State Park, Santa Cruz
- Blodgett Forest, UC Berkeley
- Las Positas Fire Academy, Livermore, CA
- El Camino Fire Academy, Inglewood, CA
Images below: Fire College works-in-progress, Home studio works (in progress), Fire College works-in-progress 2
