Catalyst Conversations

Catalyst Conversations CATALYST CONVERSATIONS presents provocative talks by artists and scientists, whose work resonate and create dialogue and synergy.

Maria Molteni joined us in April for our Catalyst Conversations “Transcendence and Entanglement.” Molteni’s work lives a...
05/25/2026

Maria Molteni joined us in April for our Catalyst Conversations “Transcendence and Entanglement.” Molteni’s work lives at the edges of art, science, mysticism, and the sea, so it makes perfect sense that their next destination is the Arctic Circle Residency.

They are currently raising funds in support of their expedition for spring of 2027. Check out the landing page on their site to learn how you can support them!

http://mariamolteni.com/arctic-circle-residency

You can also check out their online store, which offers limited edition artwork, tarot readings, apparel, publications and more!

infinite-goddetc-x-mm.square.site

Finally, you can sign up for their newsletters and follow along on social media @‌strega_maria for special offers, including a forthcoming tarot portrait series, which also supports this work!

http://mariamolteni.com/newsletters

IT’S TONIGHT! || What if beauty isn’t just something we see, but something woven into the fabric of reality?Join us for ...
05/12/2026

IT’S TONIGHT! || What if beauty isn’t just something we see, but something woven into the fabric of reality?

Join us for Catalyst Conversations: Seeking Beauty. Finding Truth. An evening exploring where art and science meet, with Frank Wilczek, Nobel Prize winning physicist and author of A Beautiful Question, and Shelley Reed, an evocative contemporary painter whose work explores beauty through perception, emotion, and form.

MODERATOR
Dr. Leonie Bradbury, Curator of Emerson Contemporary and Foster Chair of Contemporary Art at Emerson College

Together, they’ll ask: Is the universe itself a work of art?

May 12th
6 to 8 PM | Doors open 5:30 PM
650 East Kendall Street, Cambridge

Reserve your seat on Eventbrite.
Space is limited.

IT’S TOMORROW || What if beauty isn’t just something we see, but something woven into the fabric of reality?Join us for ...
05/11/2026

IT’S TOMORROW || What if beauty isn’t just something we see, but something woven into the fabric of reality?

Join us for Catalyst Conversations: Seeking Beauty. Finding Truth. An evening exploring where art and science meet, with Frank Wilczek, Nobel Prize winning physicist and author of A Beautiful Question, and Shelley Reed, an evocative contemporary painter whose work explores beauty through perception, emotion, and form.

MODERATOR
Dr. Leonie Bradbury, Curator of Emerson Contemporary and Foster Chair of Contemporary Art at Emerson College

Together, they’ll ask: Is the universe itself a work of art?

May 12th
6 to 8 PM | Doors open 5:30 PM
650 East Kendall Street, Cambridge

Reserve your seat on Eventbrite.
Space is limited.

Holding 500 years of history in your hands hits different. 🔭 Our Luminous Circle patrons had exclusive access to Harvard...
05/09/2026

Holding 500 years of history in your hands hits different. 🔭 Our Luminous Circle patrons had exclusive access to Harvard’s Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments on April 12th, up close with a 1730 Culpeper microscope, a 1764 Gregorian telescope, and a Nuremberg ivory pocket sundial. It wasn’t just the kids included; minds were blown. 😉

When a Nobel Prize winning physicist says this, it carries weight. Wilczek’s work in understanding the fundamental force...
05/01/2026

When a Nobel Prize winning physicist says this, it carries weight. Wilczek’s work in understanding the fundamental forces of the universe depends not just on logic, but on imagining the ability to see patterns, envision possibilities, and think beyond what’s immediately visible. In other words, the same mental tools artists use to create meaning and expression.

This idea challenges the way we often separate disciplines. Creativity isn’t confined to studios, and analytical thinking isn’t limited to labs. They overlap more than we think and that overlap is where real insight happens.

At Catalyst Conversations, that’s exactly what we explore. By bringing together different perspectives and ways of thinking, we create space for ideas that are both rigorous and imaginative. Because the most powerful conversations, like the most impactful discoveries, happen when boundaries blur.

Where do you see art and science intersect in your own thinking? ✨

Meet the speakers.What happens when a physicist who studies the hidden symmetries of the universe sits down with a paint...
04/29/2026

Meet the speakers.

What happens when a physicist who studies the hidden symmetries of the universe sits down with a painter who explores beauty through perception and emotion?

Frank Wilczek, Nobel Prize winning physicist and author of A Beautiful Question, has spent his career uncovering the deep structures that shape reality.

Shelley Reed brings a different lens, translating beauty through form, feeling, and the act of seeing itself.

Together, they’ll explore where art and science meet and what that reveals about truth.

May 12
6PM - 8PM
Cambridge

Reserve your seat. Space is limited.

What turns a good conversation into a great one?
04/25/2026

What turns a good conversation into a great one?

Save the date.What if beauty isn’t just something we see, but something woven into the fabric of reality?On May 12, a ra...
04/23/2026

Save the date.

What if beauty isn’t just something we see, but something woven into the fabric of reality?

On May 12, a rare conversation unfolds between Nobel Prize winning physicist Frank Wilczek and contemporary painter Shelley Reed, exploring the deep connection between art, science, and the nature of truth.

Catalyst Conversations: Seeking Beauty. Finding Truth.
6 PM to 8 PM
650 East Kendall Street, Cambridge

Reserve your seat. Space is limited.

04/17/2026

A night of resonance across body, cosmos, and thought 💫

Alan Lightman brought the conversation to the threshold of science and spirit, reflecting on transcendence as something rooted in the material brain. Like fireflies blinking in unison, he offered a vision of connection that resists explanation yet binds us together.

Russell C. Powell traced transcendentalism as a living intellectual tradition, one that began in resistance and continues to shape how we think about ecology, ethics, and our place in the world.

Maria Molteni grounded the evening in practice, sharing their murals as “altars to the sky,” where public space becomes a site of layered meaning, collective memory, and resistance.

From the opening STETHOSUIT soundscape to a dialogue shaped by antiphony and exchange, the evening unfolded as a study in entanglement.

A HUGE thank you to for providing an onsite selection of transcendent titles.

Follow us for more engaging conversations!

Introducing our 2026 Luminous Circle Patron Experiences.Beyond our public programming, we have curated a yearlong series...
04/10/2026

Introducing our 2026 Luminous Circle Patron Experiences.

Beyond our public programming, we have curated a yearlong series of behind the scenes, hands on experiences, private studio visits, dinners with speakers, and Catalyst Salons.

Join us to engage with artists and scientists and community members at the intersection of art and science.

Link in bio or DM to learn more.

Address

15 Newbury St
Boston, MA
02116

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Catalyst Conversations posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category