Faces of Pioneering Female Scientists Are Projected on Grand Central’s Ceiling in New York

Famous Female Scientists Projected in Grand Central

Photo: Unseen Stars

For three days, New York City’s iconic Grand Central Terminal is showcasing a dazzling display that celebrates brilliant women. In the busy train station’s Main Concourse, passersby can see the faces of 12 famous female scientists and the incredible accomplishments they’ve made. Called Unseen Stars, it’s part of GE’s Balance the Equation Initiative, which aims to bridge the STEM gender gap by 2020.

Unseen Stars projects the historically-significant women onto the ceiling like constellations in the sky. Running in a seven-minute loop, each line-drawn portrait is paired with a brief introduction to their crowning achievements; it features an array of fields from medicine to space and beyond. Honorees include Hadiyah-Nicole Green, the first woman to kill cancer cells with lasers, and Millie Dresselhaus, the first woman to win a National Medal of Science in Engineering.

The dates, Tuesday September 19 to Thursday, September 21, are during a time when many commuters are making their way through the massive space. This site-specific installation is an artful way to introduce them to these women, whose successes have largely gone unnoticed by the general public. If you can’t catch the projections, check out some of the show in the video below.

From Tuesday, September 19 to Thursday, September 21, the Grand Central Terminal showcases a dazzling display of brilliant women.

Famous Female Scientists Projected in Grand Central

Photo: Unseen Stars

Called Unseen Stars, it features famous female scientists who have made important contributions to their chosen fields.

Famous Female Scientists Projected in Grand Central

Photo: Unseen Stars

If you can't catch Unseen Stars, check out the experience in the video below:

h/t: [Gothamist, Time Out New York]

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Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met and Manager of My Modern Met Store. She is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art where she earned her BFA in Illustration and MFA in Illustration Practice. Sara is also an embroidery illustrator and writer living in Seattle, Washington. She runs Bear&Bean, a studio where she stitches pet portraits and other beloved creatures. She chronicles the creativity of others through her website Brown Paper Bag and newsletter, Orts. Her latest book is Threads of Treasure: How to Make, Mend, and Find Meaning Through Thread, published in 2014. Sara’s work has been recognized in Be Creative With Workbox, Embroidery Magazine, American Illustration, on Iron and Wine’s album Beast Epic, among others. When she’s not stitching or writing, Sara enjoys planning things that bring together the craft community. She is the co-founder of Camp Craftaway, a day camp for crafty adults with hands-on workshops in the Seattle area.
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