Andrea Strongwater, CALS first-ever artist-in-residence.

Andrea Strongwater ’70 named CALS’ first artist-in-residence

Artist Andrea Strongwater ’70 uses bright colors and fine details in her creations to evoke positive emotions and illuminate the world for herself and others.

“I want my art to tell stories,” she said. “It should make you happy. It should be enlivening.”

This vibrancy and emphasis on storytelling make Strongwater a natural fit as the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ (CALS) inaugural artist-in-residence.

Andrea Strongwater’s “Karner Blue Nabokov Butterfly” micrograph. 

“We are deeply honored to have Andrea Strongwater as the first-ever artist-in-residence at CALS,” said Benjamin Z. Houlton, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean. “We are a college driven by creative innovation, and her residency reminds us to think differently about how we can expand people’s understanding of the purpose-driven science done here.”

Strongwater’s residency, which ends March 6, is based in the Department of Entomology. With a lifetime appreciation of bugs, she has been exploring the Cornell University Insect Collection archives and sketching specimens, with education and conservation at the heart of her work. When she returns home to New York City, she will transform her sketches into paintings and other works of art.

“I don’t see as many bugs in nature as I used to,” she said. “I want this work to bring visibility to the importance of insects and the educational services Cornell provides to the public.”

“While we have many scientists visit the Cornell University Insect Collection, it is a rare treat to have an artist want to come and study the insects in our collection,” said Corrie S. Moreau, the Martha N. and John C. Moser Professor of Entomology and director of the collection. “Andrea brings a curiosity and creativity that has been so magnetic for everyone working in the collection to be around. She is really capturing the beauty of insects in her art and shedding light on an underappreciated group of important animals.”

Strongwater will be staying at the Carl Becker House as an artist-in-residence for a week, with activities planned for the student residents. She will also host two on-campus workshops on making butterflies using micrography, an art form developed by Jewish scribes in the ninth century that involves creating images with words.

The first workshop, organized by the Cornell Undergraduate Entomology Club, will be held Feb. 25 at 5 p.m. at 2123 Comstock Hall. The second workshop is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on March 5, at the CALS Zone in Mann Library. Strongwater said it’s gratifying to see attendees who doubt their creativity leave this workshop “feeling proud of the work they produced, having expressed themselves through their own words.”

Concluding her time at CALS, Strongwater’s historic series, “The Lost Synagogues of Europe,” will be showcased at Mann Library at 1 p.m. on March 6. The event, which includes a talk and Q&A session with the artist, tells the story of 77 destroyed European synagogues built from the early 1600s to 1930. Her book on the subject, to be published in November, includes 112 paintings and 50,000 words, and delves into her extensive research on the synagogues and their cultural significance.

“Andrea’s ‘Lost Synagogues of Europe’ collection beautifully illuminates over 400 years of architectural and Jewish history across 16 countries,” Houlton said. “Her work breathes life into the people and stories of these communities, preserving their legacy for future generations.”

As an active Cornell alumna, Strongwater is happy to return to campus and continue sharing her talents and art with the college community.

“Cornell is like a family,” she said. “They do so much for me that when I come back to do something, I don’t feel like I’m giving. I always feel like I am the one receiving more than I asked for.”

Katie Thomas is a writer for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

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