From Engineering to Empathy: A Mediator's Journey Through Art, Science, and Connection
Written by Jenny Fierro, Emory University Graduate 2024, Science Gallery Atlanta Mediator 2020 - 2024
I began my journey as a student mediator in the Fall semester of 2020. I was lured into the experience by the promise of engaging with a diverse pool of students, staff, and Science Gallery guests on various subjects within the arts and sciences. My goal then was to use my experience as a Science Gallery Mediator to practice public speaking and as a professional development endeavor while studying engineering sciences. After training, my initial tasks as a mediator were to engage with marketing teams and online virtual workshops for the Connect and Cope virtual exhibition. I realized I was in for a much more enriching experience than just public speaking and exploring interesting topics.
My favorite experience was a talk with Dr. Dana Haugaard about interpreting nostalgia. Dr. Haugaard built a machine sculpture that would form an image or squiggle out what you spoke into a microphone onto a piece of paper or canvas. The idea was that if you recite a nostalgic or special memory to the sculpture, it will create a representative image in place of the oral story. It is a great way to demonstrate stories holding physical space in our minds. The images are also ambiguous, showing the intimacy of stories and their personal hold. Everyone’s experiences of nostalgia are also different just how the imageries manifest differently as one tells their story to the machine. In the scope of Connect and Cope, storytelling and sharing experiences, even if just to oneself, can be a source of connection to others and a way to hold space for self-care and remembrance.
I also got to watch my peers engage in their own Connect and Cope workshops and recordings, which were amazing to watch during the most isolating points of the pandemic and take inspiration from. This exhibition tackled subjects surrounding coping mechanisms to engage or seek connections with others, which was an imperative topic to discuss amidst the mass quarantines of 2020. I worked on small-scale projects within the Science Gallery network until the first Science Gallery Atlanta in-person exhibitions, Hooked and Justice. I could go on and on about the pieces at the gallery that I found to be immensely profound, but what will stick with me beyond the gallery space are the transformative relationships and bonds built with my Mediator peers, Science Gallery staff, and guests.
One of my favorite moments as a mediator was reconnecting with two guests. I guided them during the Hooked exhibition and one of them again through the Justice exhibition. I was met with so much enthusiasm and appreciation the first time we met during the Hooked exhibition. From what I remember, this father and son duo had heard about the Science Gallery over the radio or social media and just came to check it out on a leisurely weekend. They had not expected the Gallery to be as interactive and conversationally engaging as they thought it would be, and their fascination reeled me in that I nearly guided them through the entire exhibit on my own. What I found particularly special about this interaction was that the father and son were articulating their feedback, feelings, and thoughts in a way that related to them most from my guidance and introduction to the pieces. They felt comfortable enough to share their own experiences seeing and experiencing addiction and recovery in their own lives, which I felt may have been an incredible conversation to have for themselves, being father and son. I feel honored to have been part of their intimate conversations around addiction and be a minor point of reference to the pieces of art and science behind the displays that helped mitigate those conversations. Each mediator had their own station during that exhibition, so I was excited to pass this duo to my peers to be guided and interact with more mediators for the rest of the gallery space. So, when I saw that the father came back to experience the Justice exhibition, I easily recognized and acknowledged his welcoming spirit back to the gallery. Although his son could not join the second time, I felt it was as special as the first interaction. I felt a lot more confident with my role as a mediator, and I was excited to hear his thoughts on new topics and stories around the theme of Justice. This experience shifted my goals from focusing on public speaking to loosening up and seeking deeper connections with guests. It completely changed how I interacted with others, even outside the gallery space, so much so that I changed my academic career to Biology to focus on conservation education and continue to engage in similar experiences. It also built my confidence as a student mediator to craft my own style of mediating conversations that set the tone for the rest of my mediating career.
Today, I hope to have a career in conservation education or library sciences to continue working in art, science, or historical museum spaces.
Jenny Fierro (left) guiding a guest through the JUSTICE exhibition. 2023