colorful cicadas in a street mural

Illuminating Discovery is rooted in collaboration and the exchange of ideas. It’s about engaging in dialogue, embracing diverse perspectives, and building on one another’s insights to deepen our shared understanding. By fusing artistic expression with a scientific lens, we illuminate complex ideas in ways that are creative, accessible, and thought-provoking.

Housed within the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery—an interdisciplinary research institute at the University of Wisconsin–Madison—the Illuminating Discovery Hub cultivates public trust, appreciation, and understanding of science. We harness the power of the arts to communicate both fundamental and complex scientific concepts, creating experiences that spark curiosity and meaningful engagement.

Welcome

Programs

Wisconsin Science Festival

Wisconsin Science Festival logo

Crossroads of Ideas

Crossroads logo

SoundWaves

soundwaves logo

Science to Street Art

black hole painted on a cinderblock wall

Writer in Residence

line drawn hand

Kohler Fellows

Kohler Fellows logo with Fibonacci sequence

Catalysts for Science Policy

CaSP logo

Indigenous Language Table

Indigenous Language table logo

John D. Wiley Gallery of Art in Science

Coming Soon!Coming Soon!

Events

Stay tuned for the opening of the John D. Wiley Gallery of Art in Science!

Coming early Fall 2025!

Help Foster Science-Art Fusion

Illuminating Discovery’s outreach is an extension of the Wisconsin Idea, whereas the boundaries of the university campus are the boundaries of the state (and beyond).