From the earliest days of Fermilab, Founding Director Robert R. Wilson identified and prioritized the relationship between the arts and science, recognizing that both are expressions of creativity.
The Guest Artist and Guest Composer Program at Fermilab initiates and stimulates interactions among scientists, artists and the public in order to increase the laboratory’s connection to the artistic community and to open up a pathway to a new target audience, thus increasing public appreciation for Fermilab.
The guest artist and guest composer interacts with Fermilab scientists either virtually or on-site at the laboratory, learns about their research, and considers how it connects to society. This exploration is then used to create a body of work, leading to community presentations and possibly an exhibition in the Fermilab Art Gallery.
Applications are now being accepted for the 2027 Guest Artist and Guest Composer at Fermilab. The call is open to artists who are U.S. citizens, based in the Midwest, and active in their communities.
Visit the website for more details and apply free online. The deadline is September 10, 2026, midnight CDT.
For frequently asked questions about the GA and GC programs or email us at art@fnal.gov with any questions or concerns.
Check out the Fermilab Office of Education and Public Engagement webpage and Instagram for updates about the programs and additional events.
2026 Guest Composer
Guest Composer Isaac Smith draws inspiration from science, from spacecraft landings on Titan to Earth’s atmosphere. His work often explores the intersection of technology and nature, including themes of climate change and sustainability. At Fermilab, he will explore the invisible world of particle physics, using music to express these phenomena.
Learn more about Isaac Smith and our past Guest Composers at Fermilab.
2026 Guest Artist
Guest Artist Eleftheria Lialios works with data from neutrino experiments and cosmic ray detectors to explore particle interactions at the moment they are first recorded as flashes of light and timing signals. Her project focuses on detection itself rather than interpretation, highlighting how scientific instruments accept, delay, or filter information. Drawing on the history of early optical tools and photography, she creates viewing devices that reveal images only under specific conditions, making the act of looking essential to what is seen.
Learn more about Eleftheria Lialios and our past Guests Artists at Fermilab.
Past event
The Harp inside Schrodinger’s Box
By: Amy Nam, Guest Composer 2025 | Friday, May 29, 2026 from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. at Wilson Hall, Ramsey Auditorium -open to the public
The Harp Inside Schrödinger’s Box is an immersive dramatic concert experience for harp, live electronics, and audience participation that integrates art with science communication. Developed during Amy Nam’s tenure as Guest Composer at Fermilab, in collaboration with Fermilab scientists, the flow of musical movements traces the historical evolution of quantum theory, interweaving archival recordings and quotations from pioneering 20th-century physicists including Feynman, Heisenberg, Dirac, Einstein, and Fermilab’s own Robert R. Wilson. Much more than a series of historical highlights, The Harp Inside Schrödinger’s Box invites participants on a journey into the heart of scientific inquiry, to share the wonder and joy of discovery firsthand.
Contact
If you have any questions about the Guest Artist and Guest Composer Program at Fermilab, email art@fnal.gov or review the frequently asked questions. Visit Fermilab’s Education and Public Engagement website and follow their Instagram for updates on programs and additional events.