UCLA Art|Sci Center

What UCLA Art|Sci Center does

The UCLA Art|Sci Center is a university research center established around 2005 within UCLA's Department of Design Media Arts, founded and directed by Victoria Vesna. Its mission is to pursue, facilitate, and promote research and programs that demonstrate the potential of media arts and science collaborations, with a focus on projects that address the social, ethical, and environmental dimensions of scientific innovation. The center is part of a worldwide network of artists and scientists engaged in philosophical dialogue and applied collaborative work.

The center's offerings are non-commercial and include the Art|Sci Gallery co-located on the 5th floor of the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI); recurring lecture series including LASER and Color Light Motion (anchored by the David Bermant Foundation collection); the Particles podcast on SoundCloud; the SCI|ART LAB+STUDIO summer institute and FEAST educational program; symposia such as LightFest; and touring exhibitions and installations such as Atmosphere of Sound, Noise Aquarium, Hox Zodiac, and Electronic Khipu. Outputs span physical exhibitions, performances (e.g., Atomic Gold Standard), publications (the Atmosphere of Sound book), and a digital archive distributed via Vimeo, Flickr, Instagram, X, Facebook, and a long-running weekly newsletter.

The center does not develop or sell commercial technology products. Operating funding derives from UCLA institutional support (channeled through Design Media Arts and CNSI), competitive grant funding (including the National Science Foundation for the multi-year Bird Song Diamond / acoustic communication networks project), foundation support (notably the David Bermant Foundation), and ancillary event revenue such as ticket sales at UCLA venues including the Nimoy Theater. Most events and exhibitions are free and open to the public. The center serves a mix of UCLA students and faculty, partner-institution collaborators (Fowler Museum, Harvestworks, Ars Electronica, Leonardo/ISAST, EMP Tsukuba, Die Angewandte, Beall Center, Peabody Essex Museum), and a general public audience attending events.

Name

UCLA Art|Sci Center

Legal name

UCLA Art|Sci Center

Website

https://artsci.ucla.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The UCLA Art|Sci Center is a university research center at UCLA that facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration between artists and scientists through exhibitions, lectures, symposia, podcasts, and educational programs addressing social, ethical, and environmental dimensions of scientific innovation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art-Science Research and Education Services

NAICS

Museums (712110), Publishing Industries (513), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Film, Television & Media Arts Colleges (EDAHAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD), Academic & Scientific Conferences (MPAGAGAD), Popular Science, Technology & Nature Trade Publishing (MPAJAAAJ), Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA)

Keywords

• Art-science collaboration
• Media arts research
• Interdisciplinary exhibitions
• Sound art installations
• STEAM education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding: The center is funded primarily through UCLA as a research center, with support from university resources including the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) and the Department of Design Media Arts.
2. Grant Funding: Receives grant funding for specific research projects, including National Science Foundation grants for collaborative projects like the Bird Song Diamond initiative.
3. Exhibition and Event Revenue: Some exhibitions may generate revenue through ticket sales, such as the Atmosphere of Sound events at various UCLA venues including the Nimoy Theater.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The UCLA Art|Sci Center operates an interdisciplinary research and programming platform at UCLA that hosts exhibitions in a gallery at the California NanoSystems Institute, runs lecture and podcast series (COLOR, LIGHT, MOTION; Particles; LASERs), and convenes symposia, workshops, performances, and summer institutes exploring intersections of media arts and sciences. It produces publications such as the Atmosphere of Sound book and collaborates with scientists, artists, and partner institutions worldwide on projects addressing social, ethical, and environmental issues related to scientific innovations.

Product overview

The UCLA Art|Sci Center is an interdisciplinary research center that serves as a platform for art-science collaboration, rather than a traditional software product company. The center operates through physical exhibitions, lecture series, educational programs, and publications rather than digital products. Its core offerings include the Art|Sci Gallery at CNSI hosting rotating exhibitions; the COLOR, LIGHT, MOTION lecture series featuring media artists; the Particles podcast series with interdisciplinary conversations; and the SCI|ART LAB+STUDIO summer institute. Major initiatives include the Atmosphere of Sound exhibition (part of Getty's PST ART), the Hox Zodiac program exploring genetics through art, and the LightFest symposium on light and imaging technologies. The center also publishes books and produces installations like Noise Aquarium and performances like Atomic Gold Standard.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Art|Sci Collective: The collective of artists and researchers associated with the center
• Art Sci Now
• Color, Light, Motion
• Particles
• Atmosphere of Sound

Products and services

• Art|Sci Center Gallery at CNSI A gallery space on the 5th floor of the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) hosting rotating exhibitions and installations exploring the intersections of art and science, open to the UCLA community and visiting public.
• COLOR, LIGHT, MOTION Lecture Series An ongoing media arts lecture series featuring artists and scholars in dialogue about artworks from the Bermant Collection of media and kinetic arts, exploring color, light, and motion in art and science.
• Particles Podcast Series An episodic podcast and conversation series featuring artists, scientists, and scholars discussing interdisciplinary topics at the intersection of art and science.
• SCI|ART LAB+STUDIO A summer institute program combining art and science education for participants interested in interdisciplinary collaboration.
• FEAST (Future of Emerging Art, Science and Technology) An educational program exploring future directions in art, science, and technology convergence.
• Atmosphere of Sound Exhibition A major exhibition series running September 2024 through June 2025 as part of Getty's PST ART: Art & Science Collide, featuring sonic art installations exploring climate disruption across multiple UCLA venues.
• Atmosphere of Sound Publication A published book documenting the sonic arts and climate disruption research and exhibition program, part of Getty's PST ART initiative.
• Hox Zodiac Program An interdisciplinary collaboration exploring Hox genes and zodiac symbolism through artistic installations and dinner events that connect art, science, and animal biology.
• Atomic Gold Standard Performance A participatory performance experience exploring the cultural, scientific, and cosmic significance of gold through storytelling and food experiences.
• LightFest Symposium An annual symposium celebrating UNESCO's International Day of Light, featuring AI tools for microscopy in medicine and media arts.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNSI hosts the Art|Sci Gallery on its 5th floor and serves as a key collaborative space. The center is physically embedded within CNSI on UCLA's South Campus, facilitating ongoing collaboration with nanoscience researchers and facilities.
• Leonardo (MIT Press / ISAST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeonardo is the international society for arts, sciences and technology. UCLA Art|Sci collaborates on publications, the LASER lecture series, and joint programming. Victoria Vesna serves as North American editor of the Leonardo journal published by MIT Press.
• Fowler Museum at UCLAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFowler Museum serves as a key venue for Atmosphere of Sound exhibitions as part of Getty PST ART initiative, hosting works like Electronic Khipu by Patricia Cadavid.
• Harvestworks (New York)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew York-based organization for experimental media arts. Co-presents the Color Light Motion series and hosts artist residencies and collaborations with UCLA Art|Sci Center.
• Beall Center for Art + Technology (UCI)minorOthersUniversity of California Irvine center for art and technology, part of the network of art-science centers collaborating regionally.
• Electronic Arts (EMP) - University of TsukubaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational academic partnership with Japan's Electronic Arts program for student and faculty exchanges and collaborative projects.
• Universität für angewandte Kunst Wien (Die Angewandte)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVienna University of Applied Arts partnership for international exchanges and collaborative art-science programming.
• Ars Electronica (Linz, Austria)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading international festival and research institute for art and technology. Collaborates on residencies, exhibitions, and the STEAM Imaging program with Fraunhofer MEVIS.
• David Bermant FoundationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundation supporting Color Light Motion series and acquisition of media art works. Provides funding for exhibitions featuring works from the David Bermant Foundation collection.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/uclartsci
• YouTubevimeo.com/artsci
• Facebookfacebook.com/artscicenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/ucla_artsci
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ucla-art-sci-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UCLA Art|Sci Center