2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The Traveling Gallery of Fluid Motion (TGFM) exhibits are a unique initiative designed to extend fluid dynamics education beyond academic and professional circles by integrating art and science. By curating visually captivating displays of fluid motion, these museum exhibits engage diverse audiences, fostering public understanding and appreciation of physics. This project demonstrates the educational potential of combining aesthetics with engineering principles, creating accessible pathways for learning. The first TGFM, Chaosmosis: Assigning Rhythm to the Turbulent, premiered in 2023 at the National Academy of Sciences museum in Washington, DC. It transformed fluid dynamics into an interactive and immersive experience through photographs, videos, sculptures, and sound installations. These works, created by both scientists and artists, challenge conventional teaching methods by sparking curiosity and encouraging interdisciplinary thinking. The second TGFM, Spiraling Upwards, was showcased at the Leonardo Museum in Salt Lake City, UT, in 2024. The initiative’s main goal is to inspire creativity while promoting fluid dynamics to a broader audience. The traveling nature of the exhibit enables these insights to reach diverse geographic regions, broadening the educational impact of fluid dynamics across various platforms. This presentation discusses the innovative methods used in our exhibitions, the outcomes from the first two showcases, and the potential for future collaborations to enhance outreach efforts. We explore how interdisciplinary art and science exhibitions can reshape the narrative of engineering education by making technical subjects more approachable, engaging, and relatable to the public.