Jorge Perez-Gallego is resident astronomer and exhibition developer at the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science. Photo by Matthew Schreiber. 

One of my first jobs was at a cinema back in the ’90s, when films came on reels. I always loved the medium, but it was not until recently that I have grown a new appreciation for it. I remember speaking with Kevin Arrow, art and collection manager at Frost Museum of Science, and Barron Sherer from Obsolete Media Miami, about their love for film. It is a medium that, while in decline because of everything going digital, seems to be having a second coming in some circles.  Kevin  suggested we should do something together. He and Barron had hosted film screenings in the past in different venues around Miami, and there was definitely a genuine interest from the community, especially when these films were enhanced with other artistic media and performances.

To bring art and science enthusiasts together, Frost Science submitted the concept of Science Art Cinema for the Knights Art Challenge and won. With Knight Foundation support, we now have the opportunity to host a series of four events that mix 20th century science and science fiction films with artistic performances and multimedia presentations. The series will culminate with an event that will include a call to action for newly-created and locally made films, in addition to a catalog to which the community will also be asked to contribute.