In Vivo: Within the Living
University Art Gallery
Thu, Feb 5, 11:00 am
– 4:00 pm
In Vivo: Within the Living is curated by Taryn Möller Nicoll, with assistant curators Emma McKillips and Nicola Morasch, and will open with a public reception at the University Art Gallery on Thursday, February 5, 4:00–6:00 PM. The show will be on view through Saturday, March 14, 2026.
Featuring works by Allison Abel; Elise Butler; Jeff Day, MD; Jennifer Fairman, CMI, FAMI; Juan Garcia, CCA; Ethan Gernerd; Lydia Gregg, CMI, FAMI; Jamie Hefley; Taryn Möller Nicoll; Tim Phelps, FAMI; David Rini, CMI, FAMI; Katelyn Sima; and Melody Zhang.
In Vivo reveals the powerful role of art in advancing medicine, science, and human understanding. Connecting science and empathy, the exhibition showcases medical illustrations and prosthetics from the Department of Art as Applied to Medicine in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and medical portraits that capture the courageous health journey of cancer patient Richard C. Colton, Jr. Aligned with national STEAM initiatives, the exhibition brings together fine art, illustration, graphic design, biological science, and lived human experience through an expansive range of artistic techniques and technologies rarely witnessed by the public.
By moving from the laboratory into the gallery space, the works in In Vivo illuminate the fusion of artistic excellence and unparalleled scientific knowledge cultivated by interdisciplinary graduate programs such as Art as Applied to Medicine at Johns Hopkins. The exhibition highlights both pioneering medical innovations and the deeply personal, emotional journeys of patients, offering a compelling reflection on how art can communicate complex medical narratives while embracing emerging scientific and communication technologies. The works are realized through traditional analog media such as painting and drawing; digital practices including illustration and animation; and sculptural processes such as mold-making and casting used in clinical anaplastology, commonly known as prosthetics.
Revealing the lesser-known symbiosis between art and science is particularly meaningful for student audiences. As technology continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, awareness of viable and impactful careers in the arts is increasingly important. This exhibition highlights several alternative career options offered by medical illustration graduate programs today; granting artistically inclined students a fresh perspective on how their skills could aid science, education and patients in a profound way.
This exhibition has been made possible through the generous in-kind support of Mr. Richard C. Colton Jr., whose sponsorship was instrumental in bringing this project to fruition. We are deeply grateful for his commitment to advancing the visibility of art, medicine, and human resilience.
Presented in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’s Department of Art as Applied to Medicine and the Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives.
Additional programming:
Curator Talk: Friday, February 6th, 12:00–1:00 pm