Seven Days: Vermont's Independent Voice

Michael Strauss

When Michael Strauss was growing up in California, he collected crystals, insects and shells — and then he drew them. He went on to integrate his artistic and scientific interests as a professor at the University of Vermont, where he taught both chemistry and art. “I consider drawing and painting a form of visual reasoning, a powerful and provocative way of learning about the world,” Strauss writes on his website. His acrylic paintings of Vermont scenes have an almost stained-glass quality, defined by dark edges and bold colors. Find them at the SEABA Center in Burlington through January 31; all proceeds benefit the South End Arts and Business Association. Pictured: "Burlington Boathouse."