Media Contact: Savannah Koplon
Simon Peeples is graduating from UAB with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and a Bachelor of Art degree in art history, connecting arts and sciences. Simon Peeples, a graduating senior from Daphne, Alabama, is finishing their undergraduate journey at the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a unique combination of two majors that, on the surface, do not seem to go hand in hand — chemistry and art history.
During their time as a student in the UAB College of Arts and Sciences, Peeples realized the natural application of art to chemistry when they took honors organic chemistry with Jacqueline Nikles, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Chemistry. Nikles was collaborating with a student on a project that involved creating an art piece about chemistry. They had not yet considered any applications between the two areas, as art and chemistry seem to be quite polarizing.
“Seeing that creative exhibition of chemistry through art led me to learn more about art conservation and collection management,” Peeples said. “That’s where the conversations about applying art to chemistry and chemistry to art began. It really piqued my interest in how I could combine two academic and personal passions of mine in a way that I had not before.”
To blend their passions, Peeples became a student employee of Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts at UAB, which according to them, sparked their increased interest in art.
“Discovering AEIVA, the art department and its wonderful faculty was the best part of my UAB journey,” Peeples said. “As part of AEIVA, I was able to connect with its staff, get introduced to a lot of artists and engage with their galleries on a deeper level.”
Peeples credits UAB’s expansive arts community for their ability to blend their interests, culminating in their capstone exhibition. “Transmutation of Art, Chemistry, and the Public Perception of Alchemy in Early Modern Europe” was featured in the UAB Department of Art and Art History’s Capstone Exhibition. This exhibition was aimed at exploring alchemists’ drawings on reproductions of European oil paintings, woodcuts and illustrations.
"My favorite thing is thinking of science as an abstract form of art," Simon Peeples says.“Visual sources of alchemists and their work provide context of who alchemists were, their goals and methodologies,” Peeples said.
Paulina Banas, Ph.D., visiting assistant professor in the UAB Department of Art and Art History, has taught Peeples in two art history classes and supervised their capstone project. She says that they are a meticulous student and their eagerness and ability to tie meaningful connections and professional relationships across the UAB campus position them for career success involving art.
“By pursuing wide-ranging interests that span scientific and humanities-related fields, Simon has acquired skills that prepared them for careers in conservation, curatorial, archival and museum work, to name just a few,” Banas said.
Peeples has four years of instructional lab experience in eight forms of chemistry. In the future, they plan to intern at museums for art conservation and material chemistry research.
“My favorite thing is thinking about science as an abstract form of art,” they explained. “It’s part of the fun to see how passions that seem separate intertwine.”
Peeples has been a part of the Sci-Tech Honors Program and the J.L. Bedsole Honors Program in the UAB Honors College. Other than AEIVA, their extensive work experience includes internships with Penn Museum Conservation and UAB Sustainability Engineering. They have also been a Light Metals Art Studio Teaching fellow, where they specialized and helped instruct middle school students on how to work with light metals and utilize kilns, torches, polishers, jeweler saws, etc.
“Simon’s knowledge of art and science prepares them for an impressive range of potential careers, and I have no doubt that they will excel in whichever path they choose,” Yes said.
“I met Simon when they were preparing their art history senior capstone exhibition. Simon is a talented student of both arts and sciences, but what impresses me most is their ability to synthesize these two fields in their recent capstone research exhibition,” said Melissa Yes, program coordinator at the UAB Department of Art and Art History. “Simon’s knowledge of art and science prepares them for an impressive range of potential careers, and I have no doubt that they will excel in whichever path they choose.”
“UAB taught me how not to limit myself to just one thing and how it is very attainable to connect interests,” Peeples said. “The faculty and staff at UAB are very interested in and committed to helping you be where you want to be.”