Paul Smith’s College VIC to host sixth annual SAM Fest

Mar 21, 2019 | News

Paul Smith’s College will hold a day-long festival of music, art and TED-style science talks on Saturday, April 27, at the Paul Smith’s VIC.

The Science Art Music Festival, or SAM Fest, is now in its sixth year. It will feature performances by North Country musicians, science-oriented talks by faculty, students, and guest speakers, exhibits of works by local artists organized by PSC biologist Lee Ann Sporn, and a showing of “A Matter of Degrees,” a documentary by The Wild Center about the unexpectedly strong power of global warming. The theme of this year’s event is “The Unexpected.”

“The previous SAM Fests were great successes,” said Curt Stager, professor of natural sciences at Paul Smith’s College and one of the event’s organizers. “This year’s lineup is just as exciting.”

A highlight of the festival will be TED-style science talks interspersed with musical performances.

“We are not officially linked to the TED organization, but we like their vibrant and engaging style,” Stager said. “There will be presentations on bat biology, environmental readings by students, highlights from a mountaineering trip to the Andes, and surprising insights into fermentation by our new microbiology professor Tess Ediem, all of which will blend science and the arts in creative ways.”

Other guests will include loon biologist Nina Schoch who will present unexpected aspects of loon biology, PSC professor Janet Mihuc who will explore the hidden diversity of Adirondack moths, and ecologist Brendan Wiltse who will report on unexpected new invasive species in the North Country.

The event will begin at 10 a.m. with a “March for Science” from the campus entrance to the VIC. North Country musicians Dan Berggren, Celia Evans, Roy Hurd, Peggy Lynn, Larry Montague, Jamie Savage, and Isaac Stouffer will perform original music between the talks, and there will be a wide range of displays and activities by visual artists from the North Country as well as live acoustic music during lunch hour by Glenn McClure, PSC students, and the Bobcat Steppers. Refreshments prepared by Paul Smith’s College students and faculty will be on sale during the lunch hour as well.

SAM Fest runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

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