Peter McLeish Sprite Art

Peter McLeish, artist, is a resident of Quebec, Canada, who specializes in paintings and multi-media events which highlight the beauty of science. He has a Masters of Fine Arts (University of Guelph, Ontario). Recent shows have included "The Glory Project", at the Planetarium du Montreal, an art and music portrayal of the interplay between sunlight and clouds. His interpretation of sprites as art are presented here as they are being prepared for museum and gallery presentations in North America and Europe. Link to complete gallery of sprite art to enjoy his entire visual sprite fest.

Peter's current (sprite) art & science collaboration has participated in many international events. Peter has exhibited, lectured and /or participated in events such as: The 3rd U.K. Space Art Forum held at the Ferens Art Gallery in Hull, United Kingdom (October, 2001). Peter was invited to this event by The Arts Catalyst (London, U.K).

-ArtSci2002 Symposium held at the American Museum of Natural History and the City University of New York, (CUNY) in New York, USA (December, 2002). Peter was invited as a special guest by Art & Science Collaborations, Inc. - ASCI (New York, USA).

-The Fifth International Conference on Generative Art: GA2002 held at the Politecnico di Milano University in Milan, Italy (December, 2002).

-His video Lightning’s Angels was presented by Dr. Colin Price in a science workshop called SPECIAL, which was funded by the European Science Foundation in Frankfurt, Germany (February, 2003).

-Summer 2003 Workshop Dialogue between Science & Art held at the Townsend International School in Hlubok nad Vltavou, Czech Republic (July, 2003). Peter was invited to this event by the Chairman of the Civic Initiative Group "Dialogue between Science and Art", Dr. Michal Giboda, PhD.

-Lancaster Film & New Media Festival in Lancaster, United Kingdom (July, 2003).

-Symmetry Festival 2003 Symposium in Budapest, Hungary (August, 2003).

-Selected to The Fourth International Conference on The Inspiration of Astronomical Phenomena (INSAP IV) at Oxford University- Oxford, United Kingdom (August, 2003).

-The Space: Science, Technology and the Arts -7th Space & the Arts Workshop held at ESTEC – European Space Agency (ESA) -European Space Research & Technology Centre in Noordwijk, The Netherlands (May, 2004).

-The Inspiration of Astronomical Phenomena Conference (INSAP V) at the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum in Chicago, USA (July, 2005).

-Selected to participate in The 56th International Astronautical Congress:IAC2005 held in Fukuoka, Japan (October, 2005) The title of his IAC2005 paper was Art, Red Sprites & the NASA Space Shuttle Columbia/MEIDEX.

-A film presentation of The Hundred Year Hunt for the Red Sprite & Lightning's Angels at the International Pacific Research Center (IPRC) University of Hawai'i at Manoa, courtesy of Kevin P. Hamilton. Featuring an introductory lecture by Professor Tsutomu Takahashi. Sponsored by Meteorology, Manoa (November, 2006.)

-His video Lightning's Angels was presented in a lecture by Dr. Colin Price titled "Lightning and Sprites" at the Tel Aviv University Astronomy Club in Tel Aviv, Israel (January 2004.)

-Lightning’s Angels was also presented at The NATO Advanced Study Institute Sprites, Elves and Intense Lightning Discharges-summer conference held in Corte, Corsica, France courtesy of Walter A. Lyons (July, 2004).

-Peter was invited as a special guest by CSIRO (Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) to participate in Scinema'04. SCINEMA is an annual science film festival, based in Canberra during National Science week since 2000. His participation in Scinema'04 included presentations/exhibitions & lectures at centres in Australian capital cities such as:

-The National Museum of Australia in Canberra.

-The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in Melbourne.

-Imaginarium Science Centre in Devonport (Tasmania).

-The Wollongong Science Centre in Wollongong.

-The University of Tasmania in Hobart (Tasmania).

-The University of Adelaide in Adelaide.

-The National University of Australia in Canberra.

His participation in Scinema'04 was undertaken with the support of CSIRO and several branches of the Canadian Government (August, 2004).

Lightning’s Angels & The Hundred Year Hunt for the Red Sprite were translated into Italian and screened at the Vedere la Scienza 2005 scientific film and documentary festival held at the Spazio Oberdan cultural center in Milan, Italy (March, 2005). http://www.brera.unimi.it/film/vls2005/progmi.html

Peter's manuscript titled The Historic Search for the Red Sprites: Art Meets Science in Lightning's Angels was published in the Leonardo Journal: issue 38:2 (April, 2005) by The MIT Press.

Peter presented his art, films as well as collaboration based on the Polar Regions and new upper atmospheric phenomena in the following events:

A workshop at the Fundación Telefónica in Buenos Aires.

A presentation/lecture at the Universidad Maimónides in Buenos Aires.

A presentation/lecture at the ISIS-Symmetry Congress held at the Universidad de Buenos Aires in Buenos Aires.

A presentation/lecture at the Internacionales de la Universidad del Comahue in Neuquén.

An exhibition with Andrea Juan at the Sala Emilio Saraco / Neuquén Museum of Fine Arts in Neuquén.

A presentation at the Museo Municipal de Arte Juan Carlos Castagnino in Mar del Plata.

Peter’s paper titled Science, Atmosphere and my Art which was published by Form and Symmetry and Science Buenos Aires Congress 2007.

His tour in Argentina was undertaken with the support from Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, the Canadian Studies Association of Argentina (ASAEC) centers in Neuquén, Mar Del Plata and Buenos Aires as well as The Canadian Embassy in Buenos Aires (October/November 2007).

A film presentation of The Hundred Year Hunt for the Red Sprite and Lightning's Angels at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, United States. This presentation was undertaken with the support from the Canadian Consulate General in Buffalo, New York (March, 2008).

Peter's film presentation/lecture Tour (featuring films-The Hundred Year Hunt for the Red Sprite, Lightning's Angels and Polaris Terrarum) of Australia included the following:
- College of Fine Arts: the University of New South Wales, Sydney
- The Centre for Ideas-Victorian College of the Arts: the University of Melbourne, Melbourne
- School of Art- the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT),Melbourne
- Department of Physics: LaTrobe University, Bundoora
- Discovery Science & Technology Centre, Bendigo
- Ballarat Observatory, Ballarat
-Faculty of Arts :University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba
-The Queensland Museum South Bank-sponsored by the Faculty of Science at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane
- College of Art at Griffith University, Brisbane
- Amazing World of Science, Canberra
- Art Forum-School of Art :the Australian National University, Canberra
- The Australian Museum, Sydney
- The South Australian Museum, Adelaide

Peter was also awarded the residency of the COFA (College of Fine Arts) Flat at the University of New South Wales, Sydney during his stay in Australia.
His Australian tour was undertaken with the support from SCINEMA- Australia's Science Film Festival in conjunction with support from the Australian Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research through its National Science Week program (August, 2008).

Peter's film presentation/ lecture Tour (featuring films-The Hundred Year Hunt for the Red Sprite, Lightning's Angels and Polaris Terrarum) of New Zealand included the following:
-the National Institute of Creative Arts and Industries: the University of Auckland, Auckland
-Centre for Theoretical Chemistry and Physics: Massey University, Auckland
-Physics & Astronomy Department/College of Science: University of Canterbury, Christchurch
-he School of Chemical and Physical Sciences: the Victoria University, Wellington
-the Otago Museum, Dunedin

His tour of New Zealand was undertaken with the assistance from SCINEMA and support by the Canadian High Commission in Wellington (August & September 2008

Film presentation/lecture and exhibition tour (of Hamburg, Germany and Denmark) based on Red Sprites included the following:
-Planetarium Hamburg in Hamburg, Germany
-Geological Museum-Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen in Copenhagen, Denmark
-COSMOS-group exhibition /January 23rd-May 24th, 2010 at KunstCentret Silkeborg Bad / Art Centre Silkeborg Bad in Silkeborg, Denmark. This event included an exhibit of Peter's 22 Red Sprite & Polar region paintings, films- Lightning's Angels and Polaris Terrarum as well as The Hundred Year Hunt for the Red Sprite.
-Kunsthallen Nikolaj-Nikolaj, Copenhagen Contemporary Art Center in Copenhagen, Denmark. Hospitality support for Peter's film presentation/ lecture at Nikolaj was provided by Embassy of Canada, in Copenhagen, Denmark
(January, 2010)

A film presentation/lecture (Canadian) tour based on Red Sprites included the following:
TELUS World of Science-Calgary in Calgary, Alberta
Department of Physics and Astronomy at University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta
Science Department at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton
Physics Department & Fine Arts Department at Bishop's University in Sherbrooke, Quebec
Canada South Science City in Windsor, Ontario
Department of Physics at the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario
(Fall/2009)

From 2001 to 2007, Peter had received various travel related Government grants regarding his participation in a number of the above-mentioned events. These grants are:

-one travel grant from the Conseil des arts et des letters du Quebec (2001).

-five travel grants from the Canada Council for the Arts (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005).

-two travel grants from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Canada (2003, 2007).

-one travel grant from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Canada (2003).

-one travel grant from Foreign Affairs Canada (2004).

From 2003 to 2005, his participation in a number of the above mentioned events was undertaken with the assistance from:

-The Canadian Embassy in Budapest (2003).

-The Canadian High Commission in London (2003).

-The Canadian High Commission in Canberra (2004).

-CSIRO, Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (2004).

-The Canadian Embassy, The Hague (2004).

-The Canadian Embassy in Rome (2005).

-The Consulate General of Canada, Chicago (2005).

-The Canadian Embassy in Buenos Aires (2007).

-The Canadian Studies Association of Argentina /ASAEC (2007)

-The Canadian Consulate General in Buffalo, New York (2008).

-The Canadian High Commission in Wellington, New Zealand (2008)

Centre for Theoretical Chemistry and Physics: Massey University, Auckland
-Physics & Astronomy Department/College of Science: University of Canterbury, Christchurch
-he School of Chemical and Physical Sciences: the Victoria University, Wellington
-thFe Otago Museum, Dunedin
His tour of New Zealand was undertaken with the assistance from SCINEMA and support by the Canadian High Commission in Wellington (August & September 2008)lkj

For more about Peter McLeish's work, please see:
http://web.me.com/petermcleish/Peter_McLeish_Art_&_Science/Welcome.html

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