Congratulations to John Jay sophomore Kiki Segal, winner of the University at Albany’s High School Science Research Art and Science competition!
Kiki's painting, done in acrylic, depicts a mother and baby; the mother's hand, covering the child’s mouth and nose, lends ominous meaning to the gray swirls that surround them.
Not only was Kiki’s piece featured on the Science Research Symposium’s program cover, but it was also highlighted onstage during the awards ceremony.
“The Art Department is excited to celebrate Kiki’s well-deserved recognition,” said art teacher Amy Stockfield. “Kiki is a dedicated and creative artist, and we look forward to seeing where her artistic journey will take her.”
The teen’s inspiration came through a chance conversation in John Jay’s Earth Rise club. The advisor Krista Munger, who also teaches Science Research, mentioned the contest to the students and used club co-president Austin Omin’s science research topic as an example.
Kiki followed up with Austin and learned more about his project: “Examining the Relationship Between Air Pollution-Induced Asthma and Air Pollution-Induced Cognitive Impairment.
She painted the piece in two hours! “I began it at home, and then finished up in my Studio Art class,” said Kiki.
Abigail Jensky, a representative of the UAlbany in the High School Program, said that the piece drew their attention because of its painterly style and arresting image of mother and child in distress. “We think it encapsulates the real danger environmental pollutants pose to the individual and expresses the subject of the Research Project in grounding and human terms.”