The History of Color

Wednesday, September 18, 2024
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Allendale Campus
Alumni, Community, Faculty, Staff, Students

Mary Virginia Orna | March of the Pigments | Color History, Science and Impact

American Chemical Society is hosting Sister Mary Virginia Orna to speak on the history of color. Humans have been unpacking the earth to use pigments since cavemen times. Starting out from surface pigments for cave paintings, we’ve dug deep for minerals, mined oceans for colors and exploited the world of plants and animals. Our accidental fumbles have given birth to a whole family of brilliant blues that grace our museums, mansions and motorcars. We’ve turned waste materials into a whole rainbow of tints and hues to color our clothes, our food and ourselves. With the snip of a genetic scissor, we’ve harnessed bacteria to gift us with “greener” blue jeans and dazzling dashikis. As the pigments march on into the future, who knows what new and exciting inventions will emerge?

Mary Virginia Orna, Ph.D., is Professor Emerita of Chemistry, College of New Rochelle, New York. Her academic specialties are in the areas of color chemistry and archaeological chemistry. Signed copies of her book, March of the Pigments, will be raffled off after the talk. Contact [email protected] for a zoom link

Location Information

Padnos 308

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Contact Information

[email protected]

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This event was added to the calendar by Kristen Krueger-Corrado (kruegekr@gvsu.edu) on Wednesday, August 28, 2024 and was last updated on Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 9:03 a.m.