College of Engineering students at Texas A&M University have found a way to balance engineering with art at the 2024 Inaugural Engineering Art Contest, which took place from August 19th to October 4th and was spearheaded by Dr. Robert Bishop ’79, dean of engineering.
The competition launched at the beginning of the semester with over 120 registrants, ranging from freshmen to Ph.D. candidates. With only 40 pieces selected for display, the competition was fierce. Despite the tough selection process, students exceeded expectations, submitting a wide variety of impressive pieces — from digital art to physical paintings and even electrical components — all based on the theme: 'Aggie Engineering: Forging the Future.'
“Engineers are widely known for their technical design skills, but this competition gives them the opportunity to showcase their artistic creativity as well,” Bishop said.
Below are the top five art submissions for this year’s Engineering Art Competition.
Cognitive Functionality
Description: Being a first-year engineering student, I find that I am becoming more and more aware of the way that technology works and how I can use it to my advantage to create things I never thought of before. The eye itself depicts the creative, inquisitive, human aspect of engineering, while the computer elements demonstrate the technological, machine-like aspect of the same topic. Together, they represent how, through the ever-evolving nature of engineering, the understanding of how the brain and technology work together to create beautiful ideas is continually developed.
Artist: Mackenzie Edwards
The Intricate Beauty of Endothelial Cell Architecture
Description: And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you — this time with a million brilliant blue pupils. The secrets of biology lie behind and beneath the enigmatic prisms of cells, each being as important as the clusters they form in synergy.
This image captures Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells stained with V-Cadherin (green) and DAPI (blue). The glowing blue nuclei contrast with green cell junctions, revealing the intricate cellular architecture that supports vascular health, offering a glimpse into the beauty of endothelial organization.
Artist: Sreelakshmy Suresh
The Future Starts Now
Description: This is a mixed media artwork using copper wire, recycled metal and electronics to recreate the Century Tree over silhouettes of people. Represented is the idea that the future starts here at Texas A&M where the passion for our fields and Aggie values are forged in our hearts and souls. The juxtaposition of nature versus technology represents the many problems and challenges that await our generation of Aggie engineers, yet we look to the future, eager to help change the world for the better.
Artist: Maria Cochran
Future in the Making
Description: A hand is honored with an Aggie Ring and working with a collection of various devices, including a circuit board, a screen displaying atoms, gears, and blueprints. The motion of the work represents the constant effort to "forge," create, or explore new areas of interest and design. The layered elements represent the multidisciplinary nature of Texas A&M engineering and how the combination of these disciplines make the future wide with possibility. The drawing is sprinkled with university references, and the background landscape represents how Texas A&M is integrated into and supporting research and Innovation.
Artist: Erin Nishikubo
Illumination Guiding Tomorrow
Description This digital artwork draws inspiration from monumental historical pieces like Gast's American Progress and Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People, which depict powerful visions of forward motion and transformation. Similarly, this scene represents the dawn of a new era, where the spirit of Aggie engineers gazes over the landscape, embodying the drive to shape the future.
To honor the interconnectedness of engineering disciplines, symbolic elements are woven throughout the piece: binary code spelling "Howdy" speaks to the language of technology, circuitry radiates as sparks from the guiding torch, mechanical gears symbolize the machinery of progress, and blueprints lay the foundation for what’s to come. The Texas A&M torch, a central figure, illuminates the path ahead, leading the way as we carve out our future.
Artist: Gabrielle Nichols
"This art competition gave me an opportunity to present my research in a way that piques the curiosity of students and hopefully promotes research in STEM. This encouraged me to participate," said Ankit Kumar, who placed in the top 10.
The 40 selected art pieces were proudly displayed on the fifth floor of The Zachry Engineering Education Complex in front of the Dean’s Suite.