Thursday, Dec 11, 2025

Image credit: Adrien Segal.

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At a Glance: Planetary Futures Residency

  • Artist: Adrien Segal, Oakland-based sculptural artist
  • Residency: Planetary Futures Public Art Residency, part of the SETI Institute’s Artist in Residence (AIR) program
  • Focus: Collaborative research with SETI scientists on planetary science and climate research; exploring how other worlds inform our understanding of Earth’s climate challenges
  • Duration & Support: Two-year residency with a $30,000 stipend
  • Artist Highlights: Internationally exhibited; work in major permanent collections; 2022 US–UK Fulbright Scholar; past fellowships and visiting artist roles in the US, Canada, and Europe
  • Advisors: Bettina Forget (AIR Director); Dorka Keehn; Danielle Siembieda; Dr. Nathalie Cabrol.

The SETI Institute’s Artist in Residence (AIR) program announced that American artist Adrien Segal is the recipient of the Planetary Futures Public Art Residency. This research-creation residency invites the artist to collaborate with scientists whose work advances planetary science, with a focus on climate research. By connecting artistic practice with scientific discovery, the residency aims to foster dialogue, raise awareness, and inspire collective action, emphasizing how the study of other planets can provide valuable perspectives to better understand and address climate-related issues here on Earth. This two-year residency includes a $30,000 stipend.

Based in Oakland, CA, Adrien Segal is an internationally exhibited artist with work featured in books, academic journals and galleries around the world. She has participated in numerous Artist Residencies across the US, Canada, and Europe, and has work in permanent collections including the City of Homer, Alaska, the Museum of Art in Wood in Philadelphia, and the National Academy of Science in Washington, D.C. In 2022, Segal was a US-UK Fulbright Scholar with the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design at the University of Dundee in Scotland. Past appointments include the Latham Fellowship at IIT Institute of Design in Chicago, a Visiting Artist at San Diego State University, Benchspace Cork in Ireland, and the University of Lethbridge in Canada.

"I'm excited to welcome Adrien into the SETI Institute's Artist in Residence program," said Bettina Forget, SETI AIR Program Director. "She weaves together science, landscape, data, and materiality to create cross-disciplinary sculptural works that evoke deep emotional responses and a unique sense of place. I look forward to working with Adrien as she starts diving into the research at the SETI Institute."

The Planetary Futures Public Art Residency's Advisory Committee includes Dorka Keehn, Principal of Keehn On Art, an art advisory specializing in public art and a member of the California Arts Council, and Danielle Siembieda, Senior Arts Manager for the City of San Jose and former Chief Creative Officer for Leonardo/The International Society for the Arts, Sciences, and Technology. Dr. Nathalie Cabrol, Director of the SETI Institute’s Carl Sagan Center, contributes scientific guidance to the residency.

About the SETI Institute
Founded in 1984, the SETI Institute is a non-profit, multi-disciplinary research and education organization whose mission is to lead humanity's quest to understand the origins and prevalence of life and intelligence in the universe and share that knowledge with the world. Our research encompasses the physical and biological sciences and leverages data analytics, machine learning, and advanced signal detection technologies. The SETI Institute is a distinguished research partner for industry, academia, and government agencies, including NASA and the National Science Foundation.

Contact information
Rebecca McDonald
Director of Communications
SETI Institute
[email protected]

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