Feeling feelings about a permanent exhibition at ShanghaiTech University

At Chemical & Engineering News, one of my roles is to manage Chemistry in Pictures (cen.chempics.org) a content stream where we post two captivating chemistry-related images per week with a short caption. It's something I came up with a handful of years ago and have led since. Originally a photoblog on tumblr, the feature now appears on an irregular basis in C&EN's print edition, is translated into Chinese and shared on the American Chemical Society's WeChat account, and is one of the most popular types of content shared across C&EN's social media presence.

In August of 2018, we worked with ShanghaiTech University to create an exhibition at the school titled "Science Meets Art: C&EN’s Chemistry in Pictures" The show premiered in connection with an ACS Publications symposium on "Innovation in Materials Science."

It was originally slated to stay up through September. Then they decided to leave it up longer. And today we learned that the university has decided to convert it into a permanent exhibition.

I'm floored. An art and science exhibition I curated has become part of a major university's permanent collection. I would never have guessed that would be something I'd be able to say. And because one of the images in the show is a photo I took, it's also now a true thing that my photojournalism is part of a university's permanent collection.

When I got the news, my thoughts turned immediately to my brother. Carl was an artist who also studied art history. He told me once that he aspired to be an art museum curator. Carl died in 2008. My interest in art and advocacy for artists is, in part, a way I honor his memory.

But it feels a little weird to accomplish one of his goals. It feels satisfying and gratifying and I'm honored and excited. But it also feels a little like I've taken something of his.

Which, is odd. I mean, the law in Louisiana, where lived when he died, clearly defines me as his next of kin and therefore heir to everything he owned. I have his boots and jacket in my closet, his artwork on my walls, his bicycles in our parent's garage. But that's just stuff. He didn't care much about stuff. This feels a little like I beat him at his own game, which doesn't feel great.

It's a very different thing I do than what he did. Professionally, this is a huge win, it's going on my résumé. I'd love to go to Shanghai and see it in person. I'd love to do more work like this. And when I do, I'll continue to think about him. Overthink it, in all likelihood. And I guess that's okay. He's gone, so I have to hold up both parts of the conversation. I think he'd be excited for me, and he'd want to know how I was going to build on it.