SWT celebrates Math Awareness Month with art

SAN MARCOS, TEXAS — Mathematical artist or visual mathematician, either way, Southwest Texas State University’s Math Awareness Month presenter offers an equation of fascination. John Sims, artist and professor of mathematics at Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Fla., will discuss Mathematics and Art: Notes from an Artist at SWT’s Department of Mathematics Colloquium from 2 to 3 p.m., Friday, April 27, in Flowers Hall, room 341.

Sims, a native of Detroit, will receive his Ph.D. from Wesleyan University next month. He is internationally active in the areas of mathematical art, ethnomathematics and visual mathematics In addition to Friday’s lecture, Sims will present his current work in progress, Time Sculpture, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 26, at the San Marcos Activity Center.

Connections of mathematics, social structures, and cultural activities are often found encoded in artwork. Sims looks at issues of social justice and multiculturalism through his artwork.

“I want to be challenged in my way of looking at the world, at shapes, at sizes, at colors, in order to make change for a better society, a better community and a better self.” Sims said.

Please contact Hiroko K. Warshauer at hw02@swt.edu or (512) 245-8024 for more information. Sims’ visit is cosponsored by SWT’s College of Fine Arts and Communication, College of Science, Department of Mathematics, the Math Institute for Talented Youth (MITY), the San Marcos Art Council and the Houston-Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (H-LSAMP).