Sandia Mural Celebrates Mason and Women in Science
On the side of a building on the campus of Sandia National Laboratories’ Science & Technology Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a vibrant new mural celebrating women in science was completed in 2021. Limitless, designed by artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya and painted with the help of local high school students, is inspired by Professor Nadya Mason, who is the Rosalyn Sussman Yalow Professor in Physics, and her work in the field of condensed matter physics. The mural is part of a series by the artist titled FINDINGS, created in partnership with the Heising-Simons Foundation. The series celebrates the contributions of women in science and examines the convergence of identity and community through a fusion of artistic and scientific lenses.
“There aren’t that many women in physics. And there aren’t that many people of color in physics. So seeing the combination of science and community in one image and having something that represents my whole self — a variety of things that I and other people care about — is really meaningful,” Mason said.
Phingbodhipakkiya added, “Art really has the power to shape perception. In every mural, I am depicting women as I see them in society — vital, luminous, and harnessing their power to fight for a more just world. My hope is that everyone starts to see women — especially women of color — that way.”