Antonie van Leeuwenhoek called microorganisms “beasties” when they first wiggled under his microscope in 1654. His catchphrase inspired the title of an art show, Beautiful Beasties, coordinated by Community Stepping Stones, a Sulphur Springs-based nonprofit that provides at-risk youth with arts, culture and creative educational opportunities — such as USF microbiologist Dr. Bridgette Froschke teaching teens about phytoplankton, photosynthesis and other micro wonders. After a few classes, students interpreted the lab drawings artistically with the help of CSS staff, USF mentors and community volunteers. The result: a vivid underwater panorama of teensy-tiny sea life at Hillsborough Community College’s Ybor Art Gallery. communitysteppingstones.org.
This article appears in Sep 19-25, 2013.