The Phoenix Bioscience Core and its PBC Arts Committee announced the four recipients of the first PBC Student Art Grant, which will encourage students to explore the intersection of art and their academic journey studying health care and life sciences.

The grants, which were awarded at the PBC Arts Committee’s Deep Dive into its Artist + Researcher Exhibit, were given to three students at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix and one student at Northern Arizona University’s College of Health and Human Services. The grants totaled roughly $2,400. Students will work throughout the academic year to develop a piece of art based on their academic studies in health care, medicine or life sciences, and will present them to the public in April 2024.

Additionally, the Phoenix Bioscience Core is excited to announce the opening of its third cohort for Artist + Researcher. The applications are open through October 15. You can learn more about this exciting opportunity here.

The Student Recipients are:

• Kennedy Sparling – A student at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Kennedy’s inspiration behind her project centers around a patient panel she participated in with patients who have a history of diabetes. Her work will focus on the impact chronic conditions have on a patient’s life, but does not define who the patient is. Kennedy will create a canvas for various chronic conditions and seek to demonstrate how these conditions can way on a patient’s psyche. Kennedy received $241 for her work.
• Olivia Triplett – A student at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, Olivia’s work will focus around the concept of guilt and how it permeates throughout the health care system. From medical students facing imposter syndrome to caregivers handling negativity around their role, guilt is a concept that is pervasive and hard to dissect, Olivia says. She will use film, photography and other forms of multimedia to capture the feelings that are ever-present in our health care systems today and how caregivers, students and clinicians deal with them. Olivia received $512 for her her work.
• Nicole Jimenez – is a postdoctoral student at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix focused around women’s health research. Nicole works in a lab that is “for women, by women” studying important, yet underfunded and understudied gynecologic conditions such as endometriosis and adenomyosis. The stories Nicole hears from research subjects have a profound and deep impact on her and her work, so she plans to capture that through her art. Nicole aims to use Petri dishes of bacteria relevant to her area of study that forms a life-sized silhouette. Her goal is to showcase the importance of women’s health and inspires new students to study these vital areas. Nicole received $1,000.
• Isabel Ticlo – A student in Northern Arizona University’s College of Health and Human Services, Isabel is a doctor of physical therapy student that wants to capture the relationship between stress and its impact on the human body. Her work will utilize sensory play through an interactive exhibit to encourage students, staff and faculty who walk by to engage with the exhibit through touch, sound and other senses, not just sight. Nicole believes art therapy is a form of health care that can be used in multiple settings. She received $677.34 for her work.

Stay tuned to learn more about the PBC Arts Committee, its Artist + Researcher Program and the Student Art Grant recipients. Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on all of the latest happenings around the PBC.