STEM in DSM

Pierre Blosse is celebrating a pretty big accomplishment: Last month, the Urbandale resident was one of three winners of NASA’s Journey to Mars Challenge, which invited the public to submit ideas for developing long-term residence on the Red Planet. But there won’t be any celebratory cake just yet — an achievement like this calls for a cosmic recipe, the kind that could sustain life on Mars.

That’s what Blosse is cooking up in his research. He’s using chlorella algae, a single-source microorganism, to develop an efficient, starch-rich flour that could provide a sustainable food source for future Mars colonists.

“I thought, ‘Why not use the starch in the algae to make food since it’s so much more efficient and grows faster?’” Blosse said. “I read a lot of research articles and literature about it. I was convinced it was actually a good idea, and it was a feasible idea, so I decided to write about it.”

Blosse, who works at DuPont Pioneer, submitted a technical paper on his findings, giving NASA a license to the idea.

Though the paper focused on chlorella’s Martian viability, he isn’t overlooking the algae’s potential on Earth, too.

“It ties in with agriculture, which is something I’m interested in,” Blosse said. “It’s important to feed the world, and this is just another way to do it.”

Blosse is working with researchers at Iowa State University’s BioCentury Research Farm, where he’ll try to test and prove his idea is a viable option for feeding future Mars residents. He said he’s not counting on Mars One to make its much-hyped one-way trip to the Red Planet by the 2020 goal but expects Elon Musk’s SpaceX to visit Mars within his lifetime.

He hopes his chlorella concept eventually makes the six-month journey to Mars, too. Until then, Blosse will continue researching his recipe for long-term life on the Red Planet.

Curiosity is the key ingredient.

“For me, it’s really important to understand how things work,” he said. “I’m always trying to learn new things, not just for my job, but personally, too.”

In one room at the Des Moines Art Center, water swirled in recycled bottles, creating tiny tornadoes. Next door, mini meteorologists painted mini jars, each one a piece of a DIY barometer project. Down the hall, a violin solo echoed all the way to the stage, where dancers embodied spring, summer, fall and winter through a blend of ballet and modern moves.

Antonio Vivaldi’s classic composition “The Four Seasons” is getting a modern makeover, thanks to four prominent Des Moines organizations.

The Science Center of Iowa, the Des Moines Arts Center, the Des Moines Symphony and DanzArts Studio are teaming up this spring in The Four Seasons Project, an innovative showcase of science, music, dance and art presented by area students. The project culminates in a group performance and exhibition May 27-28 at the Temple for Performing Arts in Downtown Des Moines.

Project invites students to embrace new disciplines

Late last summer, the Des Moines Symphony and its partners introduced the idea for a collaborative experience that would give accomplished fine arts and science students the opportunity to share their skills and explore disciplines beyond their area of expertise.

Though each organization will contribute to the May performance in a distinct way, all four are committed to a student-driven approach, said Joshua Barlage, managing director of the Des Moines Symphony Academy. When the students from all four organizations first met in March, early nerves quickly gave way to a lively learning environment.

“‘The Four Seasons’ is the perfect catalyst piece for a cross-disciplinary learning experience,” Barlage said. “Students could learn about disciplines that may not be their primary focus. It was a great opportunity to try a new art form.”

Modern dance gives classical music a new edge

DanzArts students incorporated an unexpected art form in their interpretation of the beloved violin concertos: modern dance.

Though “The Four Seasons” was composed in 1720, studio director Paula McArthur and her students choreographed a dramatic combination of modern dance and ballet.

“This project has provided a variety of opportunities to think outside the box. How do we take a classic piece like ‘The Four Seasons’ and bring it into the 21^st Century?” McArthur said. “The music really lends itself to contemporary work. When I told the dancers we’d be performing ‘The Four Seasons,’ they were surprised it wasn’t all ballet.”

SCI students demonstrate science of changing seasons

Art and nature are intertwined for the 11 students from the Science Center of Iowa. They’re designing experiments to illustrate the physical phenomena at play in the four seasons.

SCI Education Specialist Jolie Pelds is encouraging her students to journal throughout the project and capture the process.

“They each bring their own expertise,” she said. “They can learn something new and can teach other students something new.”

Performance artwork features Des Moines landmarks

The Des Moines Art Center students are creating four backdrops — one for each season — featuring four iconic Downtown Des Moines destinations: “Nomad” at the Pappajohn Sculpture Park, the State Capitol, the Crusoe Umbrella at Cowles Commons and the bridge at Gray’s Lake Park.

Runway-ready looks inspired by “The Four Seasons” will be on display in an adjoining exhibit hall during the May performance.

Michael Lane, an educator at the Des Moines Art Center, said working with each organization has changed his students’ approach to art.

“It’s been a lot of fun to work with people from different viewpoints and perspectives and experience art in new ways,” Lane said.

Don’t miss The Four Seasons Project’s final performances

Students from all four groups will present their work at The Four Seasons Project Culminating Performances Wednesday, May 27, and Thursday, May 28, at 7:30 pm at the Temple for Performing Arts in Downtown Des Moines.

The performances are free and open to the public, but registration is required. Registration forms will be available at dmsymphony.org and desmoinesartcenter.org.