March 21, 2003
A: FROM MENTOR AMY MCMILLAN IN NY
Hi Almira. Right off hand I can think of a couple of SET careers
involving the arts. If you are particularly good at painting or line
drawing, a biological illustrator is a terrific career. I have a friend who
specializes in drawing amphibians and reptiles, another friend who draws
only insects and yet another friend who draws many different kinds of
mammals. One works on contract to draw animal keys that help to identify
the organisms. Another worked for a museum. If your art involves writing,
there are science writers for magazines and newspapers, or even people who
write books incorporating science. If your art involves acting, stage work,
etc., many zoos and museums utilize people interested in science who can
deal well with the public in shows about animals or displays... Those are a
few things I thought of! Hope you find something you like!
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A: FROM MENTOR JOAN LUSK IN RI
There are medical illustrators and illustrators are needed for other kinds of scientific concepts. (All those drawings in your textbooks were made by human beings!) Here's a link to the first graduate program in medical illustration that I found - surely there are others. http://www.cia.edu/academic/graduate/medicalillustration/medicalillustrationp.asp
A background in the science of your choice and in visual art would prepare you for such a career.

Scientists are studying what goes on in the brains of musicians. Some computer scientists are interested in making robotic accompianists that can respond to a performer. If you were to teach science, being a good performer/actor/speaker could make you a more effective teacher.

And many scientists enjoy the arts in their spare time - you don't have to become a one-dimensional person to be a scientist.