Artist
Amie Esslinger

Project Title
Science Museum Research, Travel Sketchbook, and Paintings (Amsterdam and Leiden)

Grant Amount
$2,500
Antinori Visual Artist Grant

Website
amieesslinger.com

Project Description

With Idea Capital’s generous Susan Antinori Visual Artist Grant I’ll be traveling to Amsterdam and Leiden in the Netherlands to expand my visual repertoire. Through self-driven research in several specific science museums and libraries I intend to generate a new catalog of images of biological processes that have been central to my work over the past 10 years. I plan to document my discoveries with photos, sketches, and small paintings. By the end of the year I will transform my research into a new series. 
My interest in visiting the Netherlands was ignited instantly when I stumbled upon the Artis Micropia, a museum solely dedicated to microorganisms. Along with Micropia, I’ll also spend time in the city of Leiden where the Rijksmuseum Boerhaave and the robust archive of its associated library houses five centuries of scientific innovations from the Netherlands. I'm also eager to explore the surrounding neighborhoods in search of unexpected materials and resources. I look forward to both strengthening my existing practice and unfurling new ground.