Embroidered veins and a bacteria cultured face caught the attention of many onlookers during the IB Art show on April 12th. Senior Kelli Callahan translated her passion for biology into her IB Art class this year after doing a summer internship at the Anschutz Medical Campus where she worked with bacteria and helped with other science experiments that they conducted. After doing this internship, she decided she wanted to make biology the theme of all of her art pieces during her senior year.

“I really enjoyed the internship I did this summer, and IB bio is my favorite class ever so I was like, I will just mix them together,” Callahan said.

Her first idea was using bacteria as a medium for her art. She got this idea while making argos plates during her internship. She then came up with the idea of titling the piece ‘Pop Culture’ because bacteria is cultured so she decided to outline a pop icon in the bacteria to complete the pun. After this piece she came up with other biology themed ideas like embroidering the vascular system in a person.

However, before her biology theme came about, Callahan had many other great ideas last year, including the piece that was featured in the Denver Art Museum for two weeks after she was runner up for the statewide scholastics competition. Also, her piece was featured in the Aspen Art Museum after the Young Curators of the Roaring Fork selected her piece as one of their favorites. Each year they hold the contest throughout the valley with a theme. Last year the theme was anything that represented RAW in some way.

“I found this picture of Elizabeth De Wetter, and I felt like it looked raw in some way. It was more natural looking with long hair and flowers on her head so I used it and I embroidered on top of it because that was something that I hadn’t really seen done in art before, but I liked the textile,” Callahan said.

Her twin brother is also  in IB art together. According to them, they have very different aesthetics, but are very supportive of each other and still help each other with ideas and inspiration.

“I think her art is very strong conceptually. Obviously she asks me to critique things and for my opinion and I give her the best critique I can, but I don’t think I help Kelli at all,” senior Kevin Callahan said.  “As artists and especially as brother and sister working together we do bounce ideas and grow off of each other.”